SCP-3742

rating: +40+x

Item #: SCP-3742

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3742 is currently stored in a soundproofed chamber in the Low Security Research Medium Security Storage Wing (E-Wing) of Storage Site-64. The containment chamber is equipped with its own isolated power source and a closed-circuit surveillance system with independent audio and video recording equipment for experimental monitoring. Any and all audio recordings of SCP-3742 are to be destroyed following experimental procedures except by direct approval of both the Project Director1 and Site Director Holman. SCP-3742-1 and the soundproofing of the containment chamber should be inspected monthly for damage, which must be repaired prior to the next scheduled experiment as soon as possible. As such, experiments must be scheduled at least one month in advance Experimentation is currently suspended; personnel with proper clearance may consult Addendum 3742-3 for more information.

For experimentation In the event that further experimentation is authorized, subjects with the following conditions will be disqualified from testing consideration:

  • History of (or predisposition to) drug/alcohol addiction
  • Epilepsy or other sensory disorders
  • Obsessive behaviors
  • Immunosuppressive disorders
  • Subjects previously exposed to other anomalous musical phenomena

Subjects must be approved by the Project Director on a case-by-case basis. Subjects with documented resistance to addictive and/or compulsive behaviors are considered to be best suited for SCP-3742 experimentation. Following testing, subjects should be administered Class-B amnestics and monitored to prevent accidental exposure to any music originating from the non-anomalous version of SCP-3742. If exposure to such music is suspected, subjects should be recalled, administered Class-D amnestics, and isolated from all musical media. Procedures calling for the deafening of former subjects in addition to administration of Class-B amnestics are currently under review by the Ethics Committee.

When not in use, SCP-3742-1 is to remain unpowered with its tonearm removed and placed in a secure locker in the control booth accessible by the Project Director. Any personnel inside the chamber during testing should remain outside SCP-3742’s radius of effect (marked on the floor of the chamber) and apply hearing protection. In the event of an emergency, power to the containment chamber should be cut from the control booth prior to entering the chamber.

Should SCP-3742 become detached from SCP-3742-1 under any circumstances, it is to be stored in a high-security vault until a replacement can be found for SCP-3742-1; at such time SCP-3742 should be immediately replaced with side one facing up. Under no circumstances is side two of SCP-3742 to be played to completion should it become possible to do so.

In the event that additional instances of SCP-3742 are discovered2, they should be stored collectively in a high security vault at Storage Site-64.

Description: SCP-3742 is a vinyl LP record physically identical to the first issue of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (UK catalogue number SHVL 804), which was released in the US on 1 March, 1973 and in the UK on 16 March, 1973. Visually, the only difference between SCP-3742 and a non-anomalous version of the album is its labeling, with SCP-3742’s production being attributed to "Perispirit Records". This labeling is consistent between the LP sleeve and the record itself, with album art otherwise unchanged from the original. An insert found in the LP sleeve indicates a link between Perispirit Records and GoI-███ [Marshall, Carter & Dark, LLP]; the full insert can be read below (see Addendum 3742-1A).

Microscopic analysis of the object indicates that it possesses a groove structure functionally identical (>99%) to a non-anomalous copy of the album. However, SCP-3742 seems to be immune to most forms of physical damage and is anomalously attached to the turntable on which it was recovered (designated SCP-3742-1), such that it cannot be removed by means other than the destruction of SCP-3742-1. The label on the disc itself shows similar resistance to damage, though the sleeve and the insert found within do not.

The primary anomalous effect of SCP-3742 manifests when power is supplied to SCP-3742-1 and its stylus is brought into contact with SCP-3742. Regardless of the physical location of the stylus on the disc, SCP-3742 will begin to play as if from the beginning of the album. Subjects who hear sound broadcast from SCP-3742-1 and any supplementary speakers will experience a mild compulsion to approach SCP-3742-1, often complaining of symptoms such as headache, nausea, and disorientation.

After playing the entirety of track one, Speak to Me (approximately 1:30 in length), all subjects within a 6 meter radius of SCP-3742-1 will disappear near-instantaneously, along with any object in the possession of a subject. This effect is not modified by changing the volume of SCP-3742-1 or any supplementary speakers; however, individuals who lack the ability to hear and/or comprehend SCP-3742 (such as animals or deaf persons) are not subject to SCP-3742’s effects. Individuals who enter into the radius of effect at any time after the initial disappearance event will also disappear after approximately ten seconds, provided enough time remains on side one of the album.

Subjects will remain absent until side one is played to completion, reappearing in a similar fashion to their disappearance approximately one minute after the conclusion of track five, The Great Gig in the Sky (approximately 18:56-19:51 after initial activation). Upon reappearance, a majority of subjects exhibit symptoms of drug and/or alcohol intoxication, with overdose symptoms observed in █% of subjects. Post-experimental blood tests have confirmed these symptoms are non-anomalous in nature. While drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the most common intoxicating agents, more dangerous narcotics have been detected in the systems of some subjects; notable examples include LSD, heroin, and in one case traces of SCP-███.

After the disappearance of any listeners, remote observers will comprehend sound being broadcast from SCP-3742-1 as a continuous loop of the three second “screaming” intro to track two, Breathe (in the Air) (which lasts from 1:30-1:33 in the non-anomalous version). Audio recordings of this phenomenon will also display this property, which continues for the duration of side one. Removal of the stylus from SCP-3742 will cause immediate cessation of all anomalous phenomena, rendering the radius of effect safe to enter. Replacing the stylus, regardless of physical location, will cause SCP-3742 to resume from the point at which the stylus was removed; thus, the album cannot be restarted until the completion of side one. Individuals listening to audio recordings of SCP-3742 do not report symptoms of direct exposure to the anomaly, but a majority of individuals express mild to serious discomfort after approximately one minute of listening; subjects with close relations to listeners exhibit the strongest symptoms of such.

Subjects who disappear under the effect of SCP-3742 are (or believe themselves to be) transported to a live performance of the album in an as-yet unknown venue (designated SCP-3742-2). As many of these subjects become intoxicated while present in SCP-3742-2, specific details of subjects’ experiences are highly variable, and instructions given to subjects prior to entry are rarely followed correctly, if at all. While a more reliable method of exploring SCP-3742-2 would be preferred, electronic equipment ceases to function correctly within SCP-3742-2. Attempts to utilize film-based and instant-print cameras to collect data have also failed, as images and video taken within SCP-3742-2 seem to experience high levels of radiation corruption upon the reappearance of the listener; such images and video are anomalously watermarked with the following message:

“This Perispirit Personal Concert is best enjoyed firsthand. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this Perispirit Personal Concert Experience™ is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by law in the US, UK, and Three Portlands (under the provisions of the Hoover Mandate).”

If the stylus is removed from SCP-3742, subjects within SCP-3742-2 report a variety of technical difficulties necessitating a pause in the concert until the playback of SCP-3742 is resumed. The longest period of stylus removal during an experimental playback was one week; upon recovery, subject showed signs of severe dehydration but was successfully rehabilitated and estimated the concert resumed after approximately two hours. At the conclusion of side one, subjects report the band retiring backstage for an intermission just prior to returning from SCP-3742-2.

After recovering from any symptoms of intoxication and malnutrition, previously exposed subjects experience a strong compulsion to return to SCP-3742-2 in order to experience the remainder of the concert (an impossibility due to SCP-3742's anomalous properties). The inability to satisfy this urge causes agitation in subjects without advanced mental fortitude training, leading to obsessive reuse of SCP-3742 (which is often exacerbated by addiction to various drugs apparently available within SCP-3742-2).

Amnestics have been determined to be only partially successful in eliminating this compulsion, as exposure to music from the album can induce mnestic recall of interactions with SCP-3742. This occurs in all subjects, including those trained to resist SCP-3742's compulsive effects, and causes a resurgence in compulsive behavior. After each mnestic recall event, more potent amnestics are required to suppress symptoms of SCP-3742 exposure. The root cause of this compulsion is currently under investigation; however, data collected since recovery have indicated that the nature of SCP-3742's creation, which is not currently understood, contributes (at least in part) to this compulsion.

SCP-3742 was recovered in June of 1974 from the residence of one James Q. █████, an amateur music critic and collector of records, on the Isle of Portland, England, UK. Police were sent to investigate the residence after complaints of a “deathly stench” emanating from the residence were filed by neighbors; the Foundation was notified through contacts in the FBI’s Unusual Incidents Unit (UIU) when a student ID from Deer College belonging to Mr. █████ was found. SCP-3742 was discovered when the stylus of SCP-3742-1 was brought back into contact with the record by UIU investigators, resulting in the reappearance of Mr. █████ approximately ten seconds later. █████ was transferred to Foundation custody and interviewed, during which time it was determined he had purchased the album from “3P LP’s”, a now-defunct record shop in Three Portlands on 14/11/1973.

After repeated excursions into SCP-3742-2, █████ had become trapped when the stylus of SCP-3742-1 was removed from SCP-37423. During the extended blackout SCP-3742-2 experienced during this period, █████ reported using thaumaturgic techniques he learned at Deer College to create sustenance for himself and several audience members.

Through internal contacts the Foundation was notified of an ongoing, but unrelated, UIU investigation into the "3P LPs" record shop and its owner, Roy ████, which allowed for researchers to secure an interview with Mr. ████ (see Addendum 3742-1B). SCP-3742 was transferred to Storage Site-64 two weeks after recovery.

Addendum 3742-1: Relation to GOI-███ [Marshall, Carter & Dark, LLP]



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