A week after the astonishing 3 RPM album, Jack White's got us talking about him again. The former White Stripe has just released an advance track of his upcoming solo album, “Blunderbuss”, in a most peculiar way: Third Man Records pressed up a thousand flexi discs of “Freedom at 21” and released them into the atmosphere, attached to helium balloons. Those who want a copy of the highly collectable item will have to wait until one falls from the sky. White says about the idea:
“Envisioned as an experiment exploring non-traditional forms of record distribution and a way to get records in the hands of people who don't visit record shops, the label was sure to use biodegradable latex balloons and all-natural twine in the process.
Accompanying the balloons were custom postcards with instructions for the finders to submit photos, discovery location and the date on which the record was found, all of which will be viewable on the map below.
Statistics for similar balloon launches show a recovery rate of approximately 10% so it's quite possible that less than 100 of the 1000 records launched will ever be discovered. Whatever the numbers, the "Freedom at 21" flexi-disc will surely be a highly sought-after collectible for years to come.”
