Adding 'pop musicians' to their list of Duchampian reincarnations realized, performance artist Kalup Linzy and actor/artist James Franco collaborate on “Turn it Out,” their first EP as Kalup and Franco on Brooklyn's own tropical heat label Dutty Artz. Neither are strangers to manifesting their Surrealist nature in their work. “Turn it Out” is their first musical endeavor together: a union of fantasy and reality meant to soundtrack the continuous exploration of gender roles that both artists typically concern their work with.
In three tracks produced by Dutty Artz regulars DJ Rupture and Matt Shadetek, Franco spits spoken word over R&B-tinged disco beats accented by Linzy with social commentary via pop music. Linzy reaches into his gospel roots on opener Rising (Both Sides Now) while both contribute vocals throughout. Freeing their project from a single medium, each track on “Turn it Out” is set to be accompanied by a music video shot and directed by both Kalup and Franco.
While barely anything is being let up about the release, it will be available digitally on July 12. To keep your anxiety at bay, heres one from the series that sparked their partnership, Kalup's Conversations Wit De Churen.
Conversations Wit De Churen 5: As da Art World Might Turn (2006) by Kalup Linzy, courtesy Taxter + Spengemann Gallery from Why + Wherefore on Vimeo.
