Cross Volume draws inspiration from scratch practice records—the technique of manipulating vinyl records to produce a rhythmic effect at the intersection of samples and playback. By applying the aesthetic model of scratching—which originated in hip-hop culture—to their respective writing practices, the artists Emilien Chesnot, Théo Robine-Langlois, and Mia Trabalon wrote and recorded a large number of words, sounds, sound effects, and phrases—whether shouted, sung, or rapped—to arrange them into unique loops, each lasting just a few seconds.
