Jack White Distributes His New Track via 1000 Helium Balloons

Three weeks prior to this coming Tuesday's April 24 release of his debut album Blunderbus, Third Man Records has premiered the as-yet-unreleased Jack White album track "Freedom at 21" exclusively via 1000 flexi-disc records attached to helium balloons launched from the label headquarters in Nashville.

Envisioned as an experiment exploring non-traditional forms of record distribution and a way to get records in the hands of people who don't visit record shops, the label was sure to use biodegradable latex balloons and all-natural twine in the process.

Accompanying the balloons were custom postcards with instructions for the finders to submit photos, discovery location and the date on which the record was found — all of which will be viewable on a map found here.

Statistics for similar balloon launches show a recovery rate of approximately 10% so it's quite possible that less than 100 of the 1000 records launched will ever be discovered — which will only add to the value of the disc for record collectors.