RAISE HELL, KID (2016)
RAISE HELL, KID, WAS THE INAUGURAL YOUNIVERSE PROJECT. THEIR DEBUT EP CONTAINED 8 SONGS, EACH GARNERING THEIR OWN MUSIC VIDEO AFTER RELEASE. THE INITIAL DEBUT ATTRACTED UNEXPECTED ATTENTION FROM THE MEDIA, ALTHOUGH SHOWS AND INDUSTRY INTEREST WAS STILL HARD TO COME BY.
THE BAND DECIDED TO SELF-RELEASE THEIR FIRST ALBUM ON CD AND DIGITAL STREAMING PLATFORMS. DUE TO LOW FUNDS, THE ALBUM ARTWORK WAS DELIBERATELY SPARSE-- IT CONTAINED A CLEAR COVER AND CLEAR CD, WITH ONLY THE BAND'S LOGO IN THE LOWER BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER. THE ACTUAL ARTWORK INSIDE EVERY CASING WERE UNIQUE, ONE-OF-A-KIND POLAROIDS TAKEN BY TAMMY, WITH HANDWRITTEN TRACK LISTINGS ON THE BACK. THE BAND SOLD ABOUT 100 UNIQUE COPIES OF THIS ALBUM, UNTIL IT DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE SALE TO KEEP THE--BASICALLY BOOTLEG--EP'S AS UNIQUE AS POSSIBLE.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BAND (2016)
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BAND WAS A PERFORMANCE ART PROJECT CREATED BY THE YOUNIVERSE IN 2016. THE IDEA WAS TO RECREATE THE BAND'S REHEARSAL SPACE IN A LOCAL GALLERY (ATELIER XIII), "LOCK UP" FOR SEVERAL HOURS A DAY, AND REHEARSE, CONVERSE, CREATE AND COLLABORATE AS A BAND NORMALLY WOULD.
THROUGHOUT THE PIECE, AUDIENCES COULD GET A GLIMPSE INTO THE CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION PROCESS OF A BAND--IN OTHER WORDS--INTO THE INNER WORKINGS. THE BAND WOULD DISCUSS, PLAY, EAT, ARGUE, LAUGH, DRINK-- ALL WHILE IN THE PRESENCE OF GALLERY VISITORS.
BY PLACING THE USUALLY UNDERRATED BAND REHEALSAL PROCESS INTO A GALLERY SPACE, THE PROCESS ITSELF--RATHER THAN THE PRODUCT--WAS ELEVATED TO AN ART FORM.
RECORD STORE DAY 2018: BABY CMYK
BEFORE RELEASING OUR DEBUT ALBUM, WE DECIDED WE WANT TO GIVE IT A TEST-RUN WITH A LIMITED-EDITION RSD EP RELEASE. WE CHOSE ONE SONG FROM EACH RESPECTIVE "COLOR" FROM CMYK, AND PRESSED IT ON A 20'' VINYL. WE MADE 20 COPIES. THAT WAS ALL WE COULD AFFORD. SINCE NO BIG PLANT WOULD PRESS US, EACH RECORDING IS A MASTER PRESSING, EACH SLEEVE IS LOCALLY-PRODUCED AND HAND-ASSEMBLED BY EITHER TAMMY OR JERGUS.
THE AFFECTIONATELLY DUBBED "BABY CMYK" STILL MANAGED TO SOLD OUT
CMYK POP-UP SHOP (2018)
THE BAND'S DEBUT LP RELEASE CMYK IS A PROJECT ALL BY ITSELF, BUT IT WASN'T JUST LEFT ALONE TO FALL AMONG THE DUST OF FORGOTTEN RECORDS. THE ALBUM'S BIRTH WAS SUPPORTED BY A UNIQUE PRE-RELEASE POP-UP SHOP, BASED IN TWO CITIES: BRATISLAVA AND TRENCIN.
THE POP-UP SHOPS SPORTED UNIQUE CMYK MERCHANDISE, FROM THE ACTUAL VINYL RECORDING TO CDS, CMYK MERCHANDISE AS WELL AS A LIMITED-EDITION SERIES OF FOUR CUSTOM-MADE YOUNIVERSAL GUITARS AND FOUR CUSTOM MADE GUITAR PEDDALS DUBBED ILLEGAL EFFECTS, DUE TO THEIR USE OF ALUMINUM BOARDS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY UNDER RESTRICTION FOR MASS PRODUCTION IN THE EU. THEY DO, HOWEVER, CREATE A BITCHING SOUND.
THE POP-UP SHOP WAS OPEN FOR 7 DAYS IN TRENCIN AND 4 DAYS IN BRATISLAVA. THE OPENING OF THE CONCEPTUAL SHOP WAS SPONSORED BY 4 NEW FLAVORS OF TATRA TEA LIQUOR, EACH IN THE RESPECTIVE CMYK COLOR.
THE YOUNIVERSE X CIERNE DIERY (2020)
THE YOUNIVERSE X CIERNE DIERY WAS AN OPEN-AIR CONCEPTUAL CONCERT PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ORGANIZATION CIERNE DIERY (BLACK HOLES).
THE ORGANIZATION MAPS DILAPIDATED HISTORIC MONUMENTS AROUND SLOVAKIA, HOPING TO BRING ATTENTION TO THESE FORMERLY RELEVANT PLACES VIA A UNIQUELY CURATED PHOTOGRAPHICAL AND DESIGN MAP. THROUGH A FORM OF URBAN EXPLORATION, THE PIQUED INTEREST IN THESE PLACES FROM THE PUBLIC INCREASES THE CHANCES OF OBTAINING EITHER PUBLIC, PRIAVATE OR STATE FUNDING TO REGAIN THE FORMER GLORY OF THESE UNIQUE MONUMENTS.
IN THE SPRING OF 2020, INHIBITED BY COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS CONCERNING CONCERTS, THE BAND DECIDED TO PLAY THEIR MUSIC OUTDOORS ON THE UNMAINTAINED PREMISES OF THESE RUN DOWN SITES AS A REACTION TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FIGURATIVELY FALLING INTO A "BLACK HOLE". THE METAPHOR FURTHER STOOD AS A REACTION TO THE GOVERNMENT'S LACK OF FINANCIAL AID TO THIS SECTOR, SIGNALLING TO THE PUBLIC THAT CULTURE SHOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME FATE AS THESE DETERIORATING MONUMENTS.
THE PROJECT WAS SPONSORED BY THE SLOVAK PERFOMING AND MECHANICAL RIGHTS SOCIETY, VIA THEIR CULTURAL AND SOCIAL FUND.