A West Lothian record label and recording studio has just sold an autographed vinyl record for over £1,200 to raise money for refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine.
Werra Foxma, the Armadale-based label, recently listed a 12-inch LP test pressing of Scanner’s ‘La Fenëtre Magique’ on Ebay for sale on Ebay.
Fifty bids were made for the record, but the final winning bid went to someone in Switzerland and was finalized at £1,243 – all of which will go to the Ukrainian Red Cross appeal.
The West Lothian label also plans to donate 100% of its digital sales made over the weekend alongside the auction to support the aid effort.
This Bandcamp Friday weekend, we’re donating 100% of all digital sales to support the relief effort.
The LP was signed by Robin Rimbaud (Scanner) who is incredibly well known in the electronic music scene, deriving his stage name from his characteristic use of police and cellphone scanners while producing his music.
Robin’s signature adorns the outer sleeve, inner sleeve and label of his own personal copy – played only once in order to approve the pressing before the album goes into production.
Fra Brown, founder of Werra Foxma, spoke about the charity auction, he said: “I honestly expected to raise £100 – but before you knew it it had gone to £300.
“Then within half an hour on Saturday it went from £300 to £1100 which really suspended all disbelief.
“The final total was just under £1245 which for a single vinyl record is absolutely insane.
La Fenëtre Magique is Scanner’s latest album – originally recorded as a session for a radio show in August 2021 – the LP includes a 30-minute track titled ‘Blinking In Time’ and ‘After Magnetism’ which is described as ‘a blanket of scorched earth sound’.
Fra continued, “I can understand why it sold so well, Scanner has been at the forefront of alternative electronic music for 30 years, collaborating with Wire and even Brian Eno, the godfather of ambient music.
“I’m sure Robin auctioned off an old 7” single a few years ago and the buyer ended up being Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.
“But I think the final total even shocked Robin – I phoned him after we broke £1000 as he came off stage at a gig in London and he couldn’t believe it either!
“All of that being said, we’re just a small part of the electronic music scene trying to support people in Ukraine – so many others in the community are raising funds and waiving fees for the cause – we’re just happy to be part of it.
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