Fringe co-creator J.J. Abrams first name-checked faux band Violet Sedan Chair in Wired magazine nearly two years ago.
In the issue, which Abrams guest-edited, an article titled "Musical Mystery Tour: Messages Embedded in Your Favorite Album" listed Violet Sedan Chair's recording Seven Suns and said the mythical album contained a song "rumored to produce hallucinatory effects when played on multiple turntables."
The long-gestating viral prank pays off Friday when Fringe returns for its midseason premiere. In the episode, Christopher Lloyd plays Roscoe Joyce, Violet Sedan Chair's keyboard player, who was once idolized by the sci-fi series' guilt-ridden mad scientist, Walter Bishop (played by John Noble).
When word leaked earlier this month that LP copies of Seven Suns would soon be popping up in indie record stores, the Fringe faithful began combing through vintage-vinyl outlets in search of the album. This week, Kiki Kane discovered a copy of Seven Suns, pictured in the gallery above, in the used-vinyl section of Seattle's Easy Street Records.
"My husband and I love to dig through the vinyl sale bins for vintage treasures, and I knew if anyone had it in town, Easy Street would be the place," Kane told Wired.com in an e-mail. "They have a pretty thorough and eclectic collection of music on hand."
The Fringe brain trust has remained tight-lipped about the musicians and producers featured on the album, but Kane offered up her own theories.
"The music makes me think Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, but I'm no musicologist," said Kane, who runs Memebase. "It's a lovely '60-'70s transitional psychedelic/folk progression. While not quite believable as a 'found' vintage album, it hearkens to a lot of great modern musicians who go back to a similar vibe, like Charlatans UK and Guided By Voices."
Fans can judge for themselves: Many of the songs have appeared as music videos on YouTube.
Fringe airs Fridays at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central on Fox.
Photos courtesy Kiki Kane
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