Dwight Ashley & Tim Story’s 1997 release, Drop.
Drop was originally released on Angel Romero’s. Lektronic Soundscapes label in November of 1997. (Read the original press release for Lektronic Soundscapes) It’s cover design (created by Next Year’s News, Inc.) was included in Print Magazine’s Regional Design Annual the following year. In 2005 it was reissued on Nepenthe Music & Publishing label. It should also be noted that around this time, 1997, Brian Eno’s The Drop came out. Another fact of note is that Tim & I had finished this release some where around 1993 and could not find any one to release it until Angel gave it a listen. The name for the release came from a mutual friend of Tim and mine, David Elliot…we actually stole it from him…we told him we were going to of course. One last fact…The Hearts of Space Show #505 used 6 tracks from Drop…the show’s episode name is entitled Descent. (see the partial playlist from Drop below ).
HOS PGM. 505 DESCENT 1998
PGM NOTE : existential chamber music for the darkening world of autumn
Producer : Steve Davis and Stephen Hill
| Track : | Rooster 1997 Artist : ASHLEY/STORY Album : DROP Laughter 1997 Artist : ASHLEY/STORY Album : DROP Jealous Entropy 1997 Artist : ASHLEY/STORY Album : DROP The Intraocular Snare 1997 Artist : ASHLEY/STORY Album : DROP Hang Up and Try Again 1997 Artist : ASHLEY/STORY Album : DROP A Ripening 1997 Artist : ASHLEY/STORY Album : DROP |
Now about the Cover.
The cover photo came from a stock photo company named Bettman Archive, now known as Corbis.
Original caption: 2/1/1974-Sao Paulo, Brazil- Body of man falls through space after he jumped to his death from burning 22-story Joelma Building in downtown Sao Paulo Feb. 1 as flames roar through the quarters of an investment bank. Hundreds of people were trapped on upper floor of the building, many rushing to the top for a possible roof-top rescue by helicopters. The tragedy left hundreds injured and more than 180 dead.
Note the date 1974. That would be around 27 years before Sept. 11th, 2001. Note that this building fire happened in South America. Note the build architecture on the left…not really Twin Towers or a New York Skyline.
Why am I bringing this up? To set the record straight. Since 2001 Tim and I have had to personally field questions about the cover, “…was it from 911?”. We even debated (for about a minute), if we should change the cover on the reissue as it was 4 years after the horribleness in New York had occurred. We thought the cover photo as well as the package design reflected what was going on with the music. So to bring it back around the cover photo on Drop, 911 it is not.
Thanks for reading. Next time!
D. Ashley
I heard your music on Pandora and looked up to see the artist because when I like a song I usually link to ITunes to buy it but when I saw your cover I just got such a visceral reaction and brought back so much pain from 911 (even if you explain that it’s not) I just couldnt imagine having that picture on my phone when Iisten to music. To each his own and to their creative vision BUT if you hesitated even a little in regard to using the cover again your gut and higher self was probably sending signals to change it out of respect for not only our cultural trauma but that person who is pictured on that photo. I don’t know about you but I would not want my picture at the time of the most traumatic death and unspeakable desperation to be the cover of a CD without my permission. No matter how small and anonymous the person looks, he/she was a person. You wouldnt use the pic if it was you sister or parent would you Anyway I applaud your need to pursue the truth of music in its current state but there are more creative and bealing ways to express it.
Anna, Thank you very much for your comment!
Visceral is a great word and would be the correct word to apply to my solo releases. In some cases this would be true of the work I have done with Tim Story. With that said, you should definitely stay clear of this music if it generates this sort of reaction.
As for the cover image, I would indeed use the image of a relative if it fits the purpose. I reference the cover of my solo release Four, as an example… This get’s back to the word visceral and what expressionism is all about.
I also heard your music on Pandora, and when I saw the album cover I just had to look into it. I didn’t think it was 9/11 at all, partially because the buildings are totally wrong, and because of the perspective of the image. It made me think of old newspaper photos of historical fires during the industrial revolution, tragedies of a different time.
I was looking up the origin of the image to determine if it was a person or an animal that was leaping, and to see if they survived. It was also a visceral reaction for me, but mine was fascinated rather than devastated. Yes 9/11 was bad, and there have been many tragedies around the world and throughout history, but that visceral reaction these images cause is good.
The image was a mixture of inevitability, hope, freedom and doom that gave a lot more meaning to your already interesting music. I just had to learn more about you and your music, because that image was so provoking. That a single moment captured in time could convey so much… There is still the potential for survival, or he may sprout wings and fly to safety. I am glad you have posted this answer on the origins and that you continue to use the image. Wonderful music!
Greetings Michelle,
Thank you for taking the time to find out more about the cover of Drop. I think you understand what we were trying to express using that image.
Cheers!