When I started making experimental music in my early teens devoid of any actual instruments, I was always searching for anything that was a good sound source and the record player was an obvious choice. I was fascinated whenever a record got stuck in it’s groove and repeated ad infinitum and I wanted to learn how it could be intentionally done. Early experimentation required some ‘modification’ hence the family stereo was not a suitable option. I acquired a Fisher-Price Phonograph second hand and immediately started to scratch old 45’s with something sharp, play them and watch the tonal arm jump up and back into the same groove thus creating a groove loop. One of my favourite records for creating loops was buckled and this seemed to create much more unpredictable rhythms. I wanted to mimic this effect, so I left a few different records out in the sun for an hour or two and put a couple momentarily on the hot plate of the stove. The resulting multitude of recordings I did over the following weeks and months supplied me with my first ‘demo’ and backing tracks for my first live performances. Over the years I have continued to experiment with records, turntables, tonal arms and styli to create some of my most strident work. Recently I’ve been experimenting with a turntable that has an old scratchy stylus and frayed tonal arm wires  that generates signal as if multiple styli are present. All the sounds for my  track “Many Ships Leave” are the result of an old scratched Greek 78 record played on this turntable at the correct speed.