First 10″ in a series of five EPs by Sasu Ripatti aka Dancefloor Classics. Music for imaginary dancefloors, released on Ripatti’s own label, Rajaton. 45rpm; includes download code; edition of 500.

“Look up, into the light” she said, while the camera shutter clicked. “Like this? Does it look holy?” His neck felt stiff. Her reply: “Yes, just like that. What do you mean holy? Like religious?” “No, more like trying to look very far, somewhere beyond what we can see.” “Okay, stand still, I’m going to come close to you now. The light hits your face great.” He noticed her fingernails. They were not polished. Natural. Even somewhat rugged, as if something wore out the fingers slightly. What had these hands held besides the camera? What made the edges of her fingernails drift off? He thought it’s weird to look straight into the camera. The photographer had closed her left eye, the one not looking into the lens. Then it opened, she looked up, perusing the surroundings, then she closed her eye again, then looked up, closed, looking up, very quickly. It all seemed very professional. Maybe she calculated the light, making sure it’s close to perfect. “What will these photos look like?” — the thought popped into his head briefly. It was liberating to think it wouldn’t matter. “What’s that song playing?” he asked. “Wait a sec, Ol’ Dirty Bastard?” she replied. “Oh yeah, right. But the sample?” “Hey, could you look up again, like that. No, lower.” New directions: “Look out from the window, turn left.” “My left or yours?” “Yours, I always try to think from the direction of my model.” How professional! This is a good shoot, so natural. Should I worry about how the photos look like? No, I don’t want to. His thoughts bounced around. What would the story be like? It’s a big newspaper, everyone will read it… She broke his train of thought off midway through: “Now turn right, but look left, and slightly up, but don’t turn your face right.” “Umm, like this? Sounds like a set of pilates instructions.” [she laughed] “You do pilates?” “Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. Have you tried?” “No”, she said. “I’m not good for sports that are done in groups.” “Yeah, but in pilates you can just be inside your mind, drowning in your private thoughts.” “What are you thinking in pilates?” she asked, taking more photos. “Well, mostly just which way is right. And which left.”