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Pavla + Noura is a collaboration between composers Valentin Stip and Paul Sara. ‘Don’t Owe Me a Thing’, their official debut, was recorded in Montreal in the summer of 2011, and can be found on CSA001—the Prism. CSA (Clown & Sunset Aesthetics) is committed to maintaining a physical presence across the world. Clown & Sunset Records inaugural release of 2012 will be unveiled on a completely new physical format: the CSA Prism.

The Prism, a small cube of smooth metal designed by Nicolas Jaar, contains twelve tracks of (mostly) unreleased material from Clown & Sunset Records artists, including new material from Jaar. A piece of art in itself, it begs for its content to be shared, the design incorporates two audio jacks; the connections to the object and of one listener to another. When unplugged, a beam of light passes through the Prism’s empty centre revealing a void.

The Prism offers a new approach to experiencing art and sound, bringing a renewed sense of physicality to music along with the idea of a shared musical experience. It forces its listener to consider how music is released and distributed, how it feels in your hand, how it looks in your home, and how it fosters intimacy with another.

The Prism questions existing physical distribution, like the CD - a physical manifestation of music that only survived because of its low production cost and ease of distribution – it also challenges the notion that digital music is the only viable modern medium.  To feel the weight of a metallic cube filled with music empties the act of clicking on a ‘buy’ button of all significance. The Prism (CSA001) will be available through a digital boutique on CSA.FM and through select, local retailers at $40.

The song is a meditation on love without ulterior motives, and without apologies. It encapsulates their aesthetic priorities, combining electronic and acoustic instrumentation, sentimentality and restraint.

Clown & Sunset Aesthetics is a culture house founded in 2011 by Nicolas Jaar and Noah Kraft. Like Clown & Sunset Records, which was built by Jaar to give voice to music that had no home, CSA will provide a space for innovation across the arts, actively engaging in art, photography, film, music, fashion and design.

http://csa.fm/theprism/