Vinyl Interventions is a Canadian interprovincial collective of experimental turntablists and visual artists Esther Bourdages (Montréal, PQ), Marinko Jareb (St. Catherine's, ON), and Carrie Gates (Saskatoon, SK). Each artist's trajectory has brought them from distinctly different histories to the meeting point of this project where the unique dynamics of the group proves time and time again to be a point of strength for the exchange of ideas, skills, and experiences.

The vinyl record, as a rich historical cultural archive, is intervened upon by each of the Vinyl Interventions artists through various means: turntablism, sculpture, public interventions, theory...mixed, studied, reported upon, invented, adapted, twisted, scratched, and metaporphosized into the new.

Workshop presentations are important components of the Vinyl Interventions project to date. These events generally consist of three parts: an historical overview (with visuals and audio) of vinyl record visual and intervention art, a presentation of DJ culture and its mutant margins, and an 'open studio' session where workshop participants are given free reign to explore not only an array of professional DJ equipment but also a sculptural intervention table, where a wide variety of materials are supplied to create visual art with records.

The trio met in Saskatoon, in September 2002, where Carrie facilitated the Vinyl Interventions Workshop at AKA Gallery as a part of paved Art + New Media's DIGIDOME event. Esther provided an in depth look at the history of vinyl records as an artistic medium, her work with toy phonographs, and her "vinyl brikolage". Carrie discussed her work as an experimental music DJ, using vinyl records as a sculptural medium, and her interventions on record surfaces as a means of making new sounds. Marinko demonstrated some of his creative DJ techniques and discussed his visual work and installations involving vinyl records and audio technology. The trio was joined by Saskatoon jazz musician, Jeff Morton, who explained the stylus and showed his work with hand made needles and lavalier microphones. The workshop was a means of exchanging information and giving attendees an opportunity for some hands on experience with manipulating, sculpting, experimenting, and playing with vinyl records and sound.

After nearly a week of sharing ideas and experience in Saskatoon, talking vinyl and art, it was decided that we would continue our work as a collective from our respective communities, bridging our individual work together, on the Internet with this web site, and with arranging live performances, presentations, and workshops for The Vinyl Interventions Trio.

-perform as the Vinyl Interventions trio at festivals, galleries, electronic music events, etc.

-record, produce, and distribute vinyl records embodying our concepts and research.

-conduct informational and explorative workshops about vinyl record art at artist-run centres, galleries, and festivals across Canada and beyond...