Excavated Shellac: Voices
A breathtaking global chorus of 78 rpm voices from Mongolia’s overtone singers to Madagascar’s hymn choirs.
Curated by Jonathan Ward. The latest installment in the Excavated Shellac series celebrates humanity’s oldest instrument: the voice itself.
Overview
Excavated Shellac: Voices continues Jonathan Ward’s acclaimed series with sixteen extraordinary vocal performances from around the world, each revealing the infinite versatility and emotional power of the human voice. Following Strings and Reeds, this edition serves as both a standalone listening experience and an expansion of Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music.
What’s Included
- 16 newly restored tracks spanning 1910–1950s
- Field and studio recordings from four continents
- Rare vocal styles: Mongolian khöömii, Albanian iso-polyphony, Georgian krimanchuli, Brazilian jongo, Mauritanian griot poetry, and Bahraini fjeri chants
- Extensive liner notes by Jonathan Ward with translations and context
- Audio restoration and mastering by Osiris Studio
- Downloads are delivered as MP3 by default. Lossless formats (WAV, AIFF, FLAC) are available upon request—please email us after purchase for access.
Regions Represented
Mongolia, Panama, Morocco, Albania, Mozambique, Brazil, Portugal, Turkey, Mali, Georgia, Mexico, Okinawa (Japan), Mauritania, India, Bahrain, and Madagascar.
Curator’s Note
“The theme here is the infinite versatility and strength of the human voice. These are smaller, compact releases—‘bagatelles’—gateways for exploration around impossibly broad themes. Each track carries multiple stories: of the song, its performer, and the broader context of recorded sound and music history.”
— Jonathan Ward
