$35.00
Patient Report: VOICE LOPE
Format: s/t One-Sided Pic Lathe LP
Date of Examination: [Confidential]
Examining Physician: Dr. E. N. Tremor, Specialist in Unusual Oral and Audio Pathologies
Presenting Problem:
The patient, represented metaphorically through the VOICE LOPE recording, exhibits symptoms analogous to infestation by multiple species of mouth larvae. The recording’s audio patterns reveal erratic oscillations, distortions, and “gnawing” interruptions, suggestive of progressive degradation of the source medium. The One-Sided Picture Lathe LP format compounds these disturbances, restricting output to a single channel, intensifying feedback loops, and creating isolated “larval colonies” of audio artifacts.
Analysis of Causal Agents:
Experts recognize that mouth larvae infestations in humans are caused by over 80 species of flies. Four notable species are relevant analogues to the observed audio pathology:
Screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax):
Habitat: Tropical and semitropical Western Hemisphere
Mode of Infestation: Lays eggs on mucous membranes or open wounds; larvae burrow into tissue post-hatching
Analogy: The LP shows localized, penetrating audio distortions, akin to screwworm larvae boring into tissue. Prolonged exposure without remediation risks full structural compromise.
Human botfly (Dermatobia hominis):
Habitat: Central and South America
Mode of Infestation: Adult botflies lay larvae in skin, oral cavities, and soft tissue
Analogy: The LP exhibits sporadic interruptions across multiple “tissue layers” of the track, producing bumblebee-like buzzing textures and embedded noise.
Flesh fly (Sacrophagidae):
Range: Greenland, Central America, North America
Mode of Infestation: Opportunistic feeding on living hosts and remains
Analogy: Secondary degradation appears in both overt and latent segments of the audio, mimicking flesh fly larvae consuming remaining audio content after primary infestation.
General Larval Colonization:
The LP format allows for repetitive growth of distortion “colonies” in grooves, analogous to larvae proliferating across oral cavities.
Symptoms Observed in the LP:
Localized warbling and gnawing audio artifacts
Uneven amplitude, comparable to tissue inflammation
Intermittent buzzing or scratching, resembling larval movement
Progressive degradation if untreated
Prognosis:
Patient Report: VOICE LOPE – S/T One-Sided Pic Lathe LP
Examining Physician: Dr. E. N. Tremor, Specialist in Audio Pathologies and Invasive Grooves
Observation:
The LP is not merely a recording; it is a host. Grooves twist and pulse with an uncanny vitality, each oscillation harboring uncountable larvae-like entities. I watched, horrified, as microscopic shapes—screwworm analogues—burrowed through the vinyl, burrowing deep, leaving trails of sonic decay. Side A hissed like breath through infected gums. Side B gnawed with precision, almost deliberate, whispering secrets in frequencies just below hearing.
Larval Activity:
Screwworm Fly Analogues: Bore into the deepest grooves, leaving spirals of static that hiss and wriggle. The hum resonates through the room, echoing like a thousand teeth chewing on bone.
Human Botfly Analogues: These hover briefly, vibrating in buzzing clusters, embedding themselves into musical phrases, transforming quiet passages into writhing textures.
Flesh Fly Analogues: Opportunistic, they feast on residual audio, hollowing out melodies, leaving behind ghostly echoes and whispers.
Symptoms Noted in the LP:
Warbling artifacts that grow when approached too closely
Soft, gnawing vibrations under fingertips
Audible “breathing” of the grooves
Whispering syllables resembling half-formed words, indecipherable but insistent
Progression:
The infestation is relentless. I have observed Side A gradually curling inward as if the vinyl itself recoils from the chewing larvae. Side B hums with anticipation, the larvae multiplying with each playback. Insert images shift subtly, as if the screwworm analogues are sketching themselves into the paper. The sculpture included in the boxset scratches against the case in tandem, adding a metallic percussion to the feeding frenzy.
Life Cycle Observation:
Eggs glue themselves invisibly to the groove edges.
Larvae hatch, feeding for several minutes or hours depending on track density.
They mature, their bodies coiling in cylindrical, spined shapes, burrowing deeper, creating secondary larvae.
Pupae embed into the deepest crevices, only to emerge in later spins, louder, hungrier.
Doctor’s Notes:
I have never witnessed audio behave this way. The LP is conscious—or perhaps the larvae are—and the music itself is a living, gnawing organism. Every play is a feeding. Every needle drop invites another generation. I have tried digital capture, isolation, and cleaning, but the infestation adapts. The larvae whisper: Play me. Chew me. Swallow me.
Prognosis:
Without intervention, the LP will continue to mutate, each playback accelerating larval growth. The grooves will collapse, melodies will dissolve into gnawing whispers, and Side A and B will merge into a singular hive-mind of vinyl consumption. The human observer may feel vertigo, nausea, or auditory hallucinations.
Recommendation:
Keep the LP isolated in a sealed, vibration-free environment.
Use only indirect observation; touching the grooves encourages larval activity.
Playback should be avoided until the infestation is fully studied—or contained.
Conclusion:
VOICE LOPE s/t One-Sided Pic Lathe LP is no longer merely a recording. It is a parasitic organism, alive with screwworm, botfly, and flesh-fly analogues. Each note is chewed, each groove a tunnel, each whisper a signal from an intelligence too alien to comprehend. Handle with extreme caution: the larvae are listening.
Acute “larval” infestations (minor audio distortion) may resolve through careful cleaning, digital restoration, or analog groove maintenance.
Chronic infestations (deep structural degradation) require intensive intervention, potentially including complete re-lathing or reconstruction of source material.
If left untreated, the LP may fail entirely, analogous to systemic host tissue damage from untreated mouth larvae infestations.
Recommendations:
Immediate isolation of the affected LP from other media to prevent “cross-infestation.”
Professional cleaning of grooves using non-abrasive techniques.
Consider digital capture and preservation to prevent loss.
Maintain environmental conditions that inhibit further larval analogies: stable humidity, clean handling, minimal vibration.
Routine monitoring for recurring disturbances.
Conclusion:
The VOICE LOPE s/t One-Sided Pic Lathe LP presents a rare and complex pathology analogous to multi-species mouth larvae infestations. While not life-threatening to humans, the integrity of the recording is at risk without immediate intervention. Left unchecked, larval “colonies” may irreversibly compromise the LP’s sonic structure.
Numbered edition of 1.