As part of our new summer US project States of Independence we've invited our favourite 30 American curators, magazines, creatives and institutions to takeover Dazed for a day. 

Kicking off State of Literature week is New York's Tyrant Books – the publishing house founded by Giancarlo DiTrapano that's behind some of the most exciting and controversial releases of recent times. DiTrapano lays down his perspective on the future of publishing, Megan Boyle and Atticus Lish share exclusive extracts, and – as if that wasn't enough music to your ears – Blake Butler has created a playlist to help you stop thinking altogether.

GIANCARLO DITRAPANO ON BLAKE BUTLER:

Blake Butler is a writer from Atlanta [and editor of alt lit blog, HTMLGiant] who I published in the Tyrant magazine and then published one of his novels, Sky Saw, at Tyrant Books. He has a new novel coming this October from Harper Perennial called 300,000,000 and it's one of the most original, twisted, and beautiful books I have ever read. Blake is a dear friend and was a big part of forming Tyrant's identity, but the fact that he has what it took to write this book inside of him has rendered me frightened of him and I'm not sure I can be comfortable or feel safe hanging out with him again. Oh well. The read was worth it. I asked him to put together a playlist and write an intro to it and this is it below. 

SOMETIMES I CUT MY PENIS OFF IN MY SLEEP

I only want to listen to music that makes me unable to think. This must be interrupted with an advertisement for the company who will kill your parents. You shouldn’t have to be the one to kill your parents. We’re only ever really ever listening to unreleased Madonna.

If you can still keep thinking then it didn’t happen. I can’t believe I’m typing. I can’t believe I have to have hearing still.

Don’t listen to anything. Don’t read. Don’t do anything but eat so much food you can’t move and the uncreation is all inside you like 87687qyw o8ed7aoiusedfi uayspiud fp;iuahsi o;dufha;ksj df;kjhas;l djfh;lajkshdl ;fj a;lskjhdf ;ljahs ;dljfhao;js dhlfij asiludhfao ;iusyd ;ofuhas ;odiuyf powu8yeo f8uywpeo;ifu ;aousyd f;ouahs;o df;ajskhfk jahds lkjfh lkasjhdf lkjahs difuhaops udhf pouasdpfouyepw9oerufypauyd pfiuay spdoufy aosdfy.

This soundtrack is for sunlight on the elderly.