paparazzi: noah heupel
the playlist is part of a mix series curated by fromheretillnow for the swiss art magazine PROVENCE

Sticks and stones may break your bones but mutually remembered songs will brighten the deepest dark - This playlist celebrates over a decade of emotional and creative support. Amanda Weimer (Mandy) and Moritz Haas (Europa) are celebrating what started off as a teenage romance and turned into 13 years of friendship.

Text: Dark Entries Records

Fall of Saigon was born in 1981 when Florence Berthon (vocals), Pascal Comelade (organ, synthesizer), and Thierry Den (guitar, vocals) met at a concert in Montpellier, France. They chose to name the project Fall of Saigon after a song by UK post-punk act This Heat. They self-released their debut EP in 1983, citing Nico & The Velvet Underground and Suicide as influences.

At the time the band formed, Pascal Comelade was an accomplished musician with instrumental sketches composed for the trio. The six songs on the EP were recorded in two stages. "She Leaves Me All Alone" and "On the Beach at Fontana" were sung by Thierry and recorded at Pascal's home on a Revox 2-track in one take. The four songs sung by Florence - "Visions", "Blue Eyes", "So Long", and "The Swimmer" - were recorded and mixed at the Montpellier Languedoc Video Animation Center by Jean Alain Sidi on two Revox A77 reel-to-reels and a small mixer. On "Visions", "Blue Eyes", and "So Long," the group employed a drum machine that could only play four or five rhythms with a single slider to increase or decrease the tempo. The songs were minimal, with just a verse and chorus and no bridge or intro. Built on a simple spine, they create a feeling of space with just a voice and an organ or synthesizer melody. Full of class and inventiveness, Fall of Saigon are often compared to Young Marble Giants due to the fragile, ephemeral quality of the songs. Fall of Saigon only released one EP, and 30 years later their subtle sound is an essential guidepost in post-punk history.

Antinote is a young Parisian label run by Quentin “Zaltan” Vandewalle and Gwen Jamies alias Lueke. It all started with Luekes old techno tapes he produced in the early nineties. It’s release formed the basement for the future career of the label. Just started, they received three vibrating pieces, full of strange electronics, inspired by euro jazz and a touch of afro rhythms. This is the world of the parisian duo Syracuse. It’s members Antoine Kogut and Isabelle Maitre create solid and analogue synthesizer sounds with glimmering vocals for the dancefloor. Latest releases of Nico Monte, D.K, but also reissues of obscure ambient pieces by Paki & Visnadi show the versatility of the label. Just as exciting and rich in variety are the dj’sets of Zaltan. As record collector from scratch he digged deep in his crates and presents a timeless selection of his favorite music.

nicolas courtin ‎– les yeux fermés - ciel sonore
(2007)
les crocodiles ‎– la nuit des tropiques - km editions
(2015)
the system – logic - romantic records
(1983)
savage – don't cry tonight - discomagic records
(1983)
deborah kinley – suprise - atlantide
(1984)
preface ‎– palace hôtel - anya production
(1986)
golden teacher meets dennis bovell ‎– at the green door - optimo music
(2015)
šizike ‎– u zemlji čuda with lost data tracks - discom re
(2016)
States Of Mind ‎– Elements Of Tone - Plus 8 Records
(1990)
wax doctor ‎– all i need - r & s records
(1996)

interview: marc Jauss
Credits: Brandon Sanchez (RVNG.Intl)

Our favourite music institution RVNG Intl. from Brooklyn has recently published a compilation with songs by Mark Renner who originates from Baltimore. All of the pieces were developed between 1982 and 1990. RVNG boss Matt Werth has discovered Renners album “all walks of this life“ at a fleamarket and he was immediately excited about hearing more of this music.

One could not overhear the influence of bands like Ultravox, Felt or the Yellow Magic Orchestra. The latest compilation also hosts instrumental pieces that Renner composed exclusively for an exhibition of paintings. Today Mark is still active as an artist and musician. We‘ve asked him about his recent work, his inspiration and his future plans.

Introduce yourself briefly

Hello, I am Mark Renner, a painter and musician.


Concering your work nowadays, what are your main themes?

My visual work is primarily figurative, and has much to do with mining the beauty of the ignoble, the journeys and struggles of the marginalized, sojourners and searchers, usually adrift in some imaginary landscape. My lyrics run in a similar direction, and as I advance in age I find I seek in some way to create elegies forthose I have lost, or in some small way chronicle the lives, profound or ephemeral moments frequently lost inliving.


How do you make a living as an artist?

I have exhibited my visual work in galleries, museums festivals and fairs In the US and Europe and have been fortunate to sell paintings and be granted financial awards. In addition, my recordings are available thru the usual download companies, as well as Bandcamp, CD Baby, Amazon etc.

What inspires you?

The constant challenge of converting the inward swellings of the imagination to canvas or in music and song.

What books are you reading at the moment?

The Soul and Barbed Wire – an introduction to Solzhenitsyn (an academic appraisal of his writings), The Birds - Tarjei Vesaas, The Bible, John Minton: Dance Till the Stars Come Down- Frances Spalding.

What kind of music are you listening to at the moment?

Tomotsugu Nakamura - An Opened Book in the Dark.
Dead Light- Dead Light. Ian William Craig - SlowVessels.
Max Richter - Sleep


Talk about Baltimore, how is it like to live there?

The city, as with many other post- industrial ports and cities of America has struggled through the past few decades with the demise of major employers as, well as crime and drug addiction. I’m afraid the blight and crime that usually captures the major headlines, eclipses the good and the individuals that are working to make their city better.


What about your research in field recordings? I heard you were in Switzerland. Tell us about the process, what kind of sound did you capture?

I had come primarily to visit Montagnola, near lake Lugano, en route to Italy. There were several things that captivated me- organ practice in a small chapel in Zurich, and the way the muted sounds floated as approaching the closed doors, the morning birdsong , as well as a student struggling on a grand piano in a chamber, resounding through the halls of an inn where I was staying.


After the nineties you were a humanitarian worker in Ethiopia. What did you experience?

It is a project I am still involved with. Aside from the obvious disparity in economic opportunity and dangerous environmental health conditions and the deep and continuing devastation from HIV/ AIDS, it was an immediate, and humbling exposure of the blessings taken for granted in the West/ my own country and life, and the imperative to consider “ the least of these “. It has also been a delight in each subsequent return, to see the impact the project has made in the lives and families of the beneficiaries, and now with ARV medication, how women and children who once viewed an HIV+ diagnosis as a death sentence, have an opportunity to lead relatively normal lives and somehow find hope for the future.


Many of your instrumental and wordless pieces were used for your sound installations. Tell us about combining sound and space.

Initially I viewed it as creating an atmosphere, to augment a personal viewing. In providing cassettes/headphones as an option to those viewing the work, it became an individual, enclosed experience. Later, in a different exhibition, I had the audio works playing aloud in the gallery. I think I prefer to offer it as a personal , solitary experience as I sense that the impact of the recorded work can at times suffer due to the din and incidental sounds of activity within the gallery.


Are you happy with the reissue on RVNG? How everything happen?

I am glad to see the label growing, and seeking to produce and introduce the work of artists often laboring in obscurity, to a wider audience. My relationship with RVNG was initiated by Matt Werth who contacted me about one of the songs on the recording. We corresponded and he mentioned his label and sent me some of his earlier releases. At the time, I had been contacted by someone in Europe looking to re- release my first two albums and I asked Matt if we could postpone our discussions for a few months until I heard back from the other label. As it transpired, things didn’t materialize, so Matt and I began corresponding as he informed me of the package that he wanted to put together. RVNG was patient while I combed through the pieces I hads aved, contacted former bandmates, sifted through basements and attics to see what was still available from that period. I think they went to great care to try and preserve the music from the various sources I could find to work with. I suppose the best thing I could say about it is that they didn’t attempt to assemble a “Best of “ package, to me it is more akin to an artists sketchbook that represents the idea without the gloss applied in the final execution.


What does sound mean to you?

My father is completely deaf. Years after losing his hearing, he told me that he has missed music more than he has missed being able to hear voices. Music, the sounds and melody, tones and chords enrich life and for me, provide hints of the Divine. Sound is curious in its ability to arrest one’s attention, to calm or excite, to transport, or repel.

What are you future plans?

I am concluding work on a brand new record : Seaworthy Vessels are in Short Supply. I am hoping to have it completed by the middle of April, for an autumn release. Along with this I have another recording of wordless pieces: Salt and Firewood. This will be the 30th year since my album- Painter’s Joy was released, and I am planning a cd/dl release with bonus material included. Additionally, I have an exhibition of my visual work opening in Dallas, at the end of June.

Text: Ashley Simpson

electronic artist and frequent panda bear collaborator scott mou is the first person to admit that his debut album end times, released under the moniker queens a few weeks ago, isn’t quite what people expect. “when dial records asked me to do it, i was really shocked and very humbled—and i thought the label would expect something different—more techno, more house, more classic minimalist,” recalls mou. what he gave them was of another mood entirely. delicate, quietly expansive and, in mou’s own words, “excruciatingly intimate-sounding,” end times takes the listener into a quiet, closely introspective space. it was recorded in two parts—first with animal collective’s josh dibb at the good house upstate and later in berlin with dial’s phillip sollmann—and came out of a desire for a solitary and raw experience. “the story of the album goes all the way back to the early 2000’s,” says mou, who has also designed runway soundtracks for labels as diverse as thom browne, zero + maria cornejo, cloak, robert geller, doo.ri, and patrik ervell. “i was doing beat production on a project with noah lennox from panda bear and djing a lot, and even though i was a more techno guy, i wanted to do something— i needed to do something—that was in a different space. so i reached for the guitar. ”several years later, end times is here, with plenty of jandek/early-techno influences and gauzy, melancholic moments. mou will play parts of the album this summer in berlin and hamburg, before heading off to paris for the men’s shows."

Text: Marc Jauss
Issued in Zweikommasieben #15

Entire volumes could be written about the output of the label Vinyl on Demand. The roughly 150 re-releases of obscure, long-forgotten material—mostly located somewhere between experimental, minimal, and early-80s noise—each has its own story. Here a mere two of our favorites briefly are introduced.
 

Many of the albums reissued by Vinyl on Demand were originally the fruit of a flourishing 1980s cassette tape scene whose members preferred to control and oversee every step of the production and distribution process themselves—why sign to a major label when there’s an alternative, homemade approach? This often meant very limited editions, which accounts for the now-exorbitant prices of the original cassettes.

Frank Maier, an obsessive collector from Friedrichshafen, near Lake Constance, recognized this problem and took matters into his own hands in 2003 with his label Vinyl on Demand, through which he filters a both impulsively and meticulously selected output of music that until now has only been available to a very small audience. Maier has released reissues, collector’s editions, t-shirts, posters, and much more on an almost monthly basis since the early days of his label. It’s easy to lose an overview, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to single out two essential pearls of the catalog.

The Arms of Someone New’s Tape Recordings 1983 – 1985 focuses primarily on three releases: Significant Others, Occam’s Razor, and Notes From Underground, all of which wonderfully demonstrate the band’s magnetic tendency towards experimentation. The collection of short sound sketches hovers between post-punk and sparse dream pop. The three releases sketch a two-year trajectory over the course of which band members Mel Eberle and Steve Jones developed and sharpened an idiosyncratic style.

The compositions by Don Slepian, an oddball computer programmer from Hawaii, take a very different turn. In 1972, Slepian explored the so-called Arpanet, a predecessor of today’s internet, and reflected—via sound—what he discovered there. His first tape, Electronic Music From The Rainbow Island, is considered by insiders’ circles to be a milestone of the free New Age scene. As such, like many other Slepian releases, it’s long since out of print, but Vinyl on Demand’s Tape Recordings 1971-1982 delivers the remedy. The compilation includes some of Slepian’s boldest compositions, in which baroque synthesizer melodies meet algorithmic bass funk to form intricate cosmic fractals. Also not to miss is the accompanying breathtaking gallery on the label’s website.  
These and many more releases are available through Vinyl on Demand—online and IRL.

Source: Efficient Space

Sky Girl is a mysteriously unshakeable companion, a deeply melancholic and sentimental journey through folk-pop, new wave and art music micro presses that span 1961-1991. A seemingly disparate suite of selections of forgotten fables by more or less neverknowns, Sky Girl forms a beautifully coherent and utterly sublime whole deftly compiled by French collectors DJ Sundae and Julien Dechery.

From Scott Seskind's adolescent musical road movie to Karen Marks' icy Oz-wave, the charming DIY storytelling of Italian-American go-getter Joe Tossini and the ethereal slow dance themes of Parisian artists Nini Raviolette and Hugo Weris, Sky Girl resonates on a wide spectrum historically, geographically and stylistically. It unites in a singular, longing, almost intangible ambience.

If the names sound wholly unfamiliar that doesn't matter, the nature of the compositions swiftly nurtures an intimacy with these lonely, poignant, openhearted wanderers. Most were available in a very limited capacity at the time of their release, some were never really released at all - Gary Davenport declined to release Sarra after he split with the girl for whom the track is named - years later a friend convinced Davenport to allow him to put 100 copies online to sell and DJ Sundae was quick enough to snare one. Beyond their scarcity, these tracks are bound together by a certain raw beauty that's achievable when music is made and no one is listening.

Sky Girl comprises of fifteen officially licensed songs, a two year international scavenger hunt through long-folded home label operations, the depths of internet forums and traceless acetates. Both compilers are well trained record sleuths - DJ Sundae's labels Hollie and Idle Press have reissued Arthur Russell affiliate Nirosta Steel and DIY relic Pitch, while Julien Dechery previously compiled 'Fire Star', a retrospective on Tamil film composer Ilaiyaraaja, for Bombay Connection.

Released by Noise In My Head offshoot Efficient Space, Sky Girl is enriched with artwork from Perks and Mini mutant Misha Hollenbach and appropriately elegant sleeve notes courtesy of Ivan Smagghe.

Tomaga is Valentina Magaletti and Tom Relleen. The two London musicians have toured galleries and art spaces near and far; here they share their thoughts about various exhibitions and spaces from New York to Antwerp.
 

Middelheim Sculpture Museum (Antwerp) 
Some good friends run the cafe here and we have stopped by many times over the years on the way back from shows in the Netherlands or Belgium. It's in the forest and the artworks are spread all over the place. Some are hidden in the trees and quite difficult to find. At one point there was a giant owl here which Valentina sat inside. We don’t remember who made it, but it confirmed that this was a special location. It is home to Braem-Pavillon, which is somewhere we hope to perform one day. It’s like a building from Planète Sauvage.

Ai Weiwei, “Libero,” Palazzo Strozzi (Firenze)
We saw this after our show in Milan last month. The spirit of irreverence is really inspiring. Portraits made out of legos and the trashing of the institutions which govern our past, combined with the general shock or realization of what it must be like to be an outspoken artist living in modern China. We take a lot for granted living in the West and being able to say and do as we please.

 
Marlene Dumas, “The Image As Burden,” Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam)
So many faces painted in oil: Pasolini, Marilyn Monroe, Amy Winehouse. Bleached, blinking faces that look like white noise, the common denominator being a general theme about death (and life) unified by the artist's style, which is somehow comforting and terrifying (I think we might have been very hung over for this one).

Yoko Ono, “We Are All Water,” MAC (Lyon) 
We are biased since we had a small work in one of the rooms here, a drip with a marble in it which was a percussive take on the theme. We were invited to participate by the curators of Nuits Sonores. We were very honored to be included, and when we visited this exhibition in Lyon we found it to be so much fun and full of life.
 

Grayson Perry, “Provincial Punk,” Margate Turner (UK) 
We were in the Turner Gallery rehearsing to do a performance with Pedro Reyes instruments which were in the main room, and we got to spend some time in the Grayson Perry exhibition next door, too. There’s no one quite like him. He confronts a lot of the hidden, smoldering tensions in British culture that no one else seems to want to talk about, and asks a lot of questions about identity and sexuality. He is also an advocate of art as therapy, which we feel strongly about, too: the benefits of using an artistic practice to unburden your subconscious.
 
Hannah Höch at Whitechapel Gallery (UK) 
We love collage, and our first two releases featured collage artwork by Ross Adams as well as three tomagazine zine editions of collages by Valentina and our friend Agnese Fortuna. Hannah Höch's work is a direct inspiration—the style and sensibility is brilliant. As well as that, she was a woman artist working prior to and during the Nazi stronghold in Germany. She had to overcome lots of prejudices and struggled with the Nazis and throughout continued to make great art. We consider some of our audio compositions to be a form of audio collage. 

 
Anish Kapoor at the Le Corbusier-designed Sainte Marie de La Tourette convent, near Lyon (France) All of Le Corbusier's architecture is amazing and utopian. This building is not only a functioning monastery—it was also full of Anish Kapoor artworks when we were taken here by our Lyonnaise friend Agathe Max. We took one of our favorite artist pictures in front of Kapoor's giant black convex mirror (photo attached).

Collection de l'Art Brut, Lausanne (Switzerland)  
These people were removed from society and made art in secret or in captivity, with pure or therapeutic intent. The life stories are as compelling as the art itself, and suffused with tragedy, joy, and different shades of sanity. It profoundly illustrates how art can act as salvation for those in pain.

Richard Serra at the Guggenheim (Bilbao) 
We performed at a squat party all night in Bilbao and the next day, after almost no sleep, we went to the Guggenheim and took refuge in the massive sculptures of Richard Serra. The sheer size and simplicity of these objects and the way they interact with the empty white stillness of the gallery space were amazing. We felt like they were almost sound objects in some impossible way. This inspired the song titled “Mountain Opener” from our first LP.

 

Böhm's Brutalist church in Neviges (Germany) 
Relax: there is no God. Here’s some concrete. Concrete makes for good churches as well as bunkers and venues. This is an inspiring place of brutal beauty that is pretty much the mecca for lovers of Brutalist architecture. We duly went on a pilgrimage to visit it. This church in West Germany has both a remarkable interior and exterior. We’d love to perform in here and hear the acoustics one day!

Futurist exhibition at the Guggenheim (New York) 
There is a spirit of playfulness that we definitely relate to in Futurism. And the fact that they tried to make typefaces imitate sounds is very appealing in a cross-format kind of way (see picture). We visited after our first-ever performance in America, opening for Deerhoof at Poisson Rouge. That was back in 2014. We had just started playing and were in an exultant mood.

Interview: Marc Jauss
images: JJ Funhouse

Hello! Well, first I’d like to express my absolute enthusiasm for your lovely work. I have rarely encountered a label with such a Individual and innovative spirit. It will be a particular pleasure to find out a bit more about the architecture of Jj Funhouse. Please introduce yourselves briefly…

Thank you :) Jj funhouse was originally the name for a karaoke bar we were trying to set up. But time went by while dreaming about this setting, and all of a sudden Milan Warmoeskerken made this great album (as C.Young) in two weeks time. We loved it and decided to release his 10”, Daily’s. So the plan for the karaoke bar evolved into a label. :-) We saw it very widely—more like a platform for everything we like and want to give some sort of form to. So the name Jj funhouse was quite soothing. These two and a half years that we’ve existed, we can say we’re more of a record label, and we definitely enjoy being one.


What is the vibe like in Antwerp at the moment (politically or musically)?

Musically: the ‘creative’ people of our government made these million-euro trash bins in the form of a jukebox. When you put your trash in them, they sing you a song: “Hit me baby one more time”; “That’s the way, aha aha, I like it, aha aha” … It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen, and it makes me mad that money goes into this project and that less and less money goes to interesting cultural organizations. 

We have a lot of interesting and creative people living here, and because it is a small town, it’s easy to meet and get to know each other. I believe a lot of good and interesting music is coming from Antwerp. The last couple of years, a lot of people have been setting up shows again, which is very nice. There’s always something going on.

Antwerp seems to be a very interesting town. Tell us what’s going on!

Places we like: 

Stadslimiet (translated: “city limit”, located at the river De Schelde, which divides the right from the left bank) is a very small place run by Dennis Tyfus (Ultra Eczema) and Vaast Colson. They set up really nice shows. The capacity is super tiny—20 people—and you can say it’s super crowded. Apart from shows, they also have exhibitions at their gallery, Van Steensel & De Caigny. It’s the same space, open at gallery hours, but with white walls instead of their own (all very beautiful) posters as backdrops. 

Het Bos is the new location where Scheld’apen VZW is located. I must admit I truly miss the old Scheld’apen. We grew up with it in our teenage years and twenties, got to see a lot of shows, had some crazy nights there, met a lot of people. Never experienced a place like that one anywhere else, probably because we knew everyone there, shared inside jokes throughout DJ sets, and had late night dinners at their kitchen. It felt like a ‘night’ home for a lot of people, I think.

At het Bos you have The Bosbar. It’s best to go there on a Sunday when Otark is cooking you breakfast. It’s delicious and the menu is filled with recipes and ingredients you’ve never heard of before. They cook with their heart and it’s tasty. When the breakfast club is happening, David Edren, better known as DSR Lines, opens his closet shop. Go there for interesting experimental releases, tapes, printed matter, records… 

For records: crate digging at Chelsea records. Lots and lots of 7”s to go through. Tune Up for your jazz and blues, Fat Kat, Coffee & Vinyl, Wally’s Groove World for your house, techno and electro, Morbus Gravis for your experimental and ambient and a very warm welcome (check opening hours before you go).

For swimming: Noordkasteel (on the right bank) or Het Galgenweel (on the left bank), although people from Switzerland refuse to swim in the lakes because they of course know better waters (and it’s actually forbidden), but we adore it. It’s the only refreshment you can get in this town on hot days, because the bathing boat, a floating swimming pool on one of the docks, sank to the bottom last year after it was open for only one year—typical…There’s also a nice swimming pond called Boekenberg, but on hot days you have to stand in line for a refreshing splash.

Bars: Witzli Poetzli has the best terrace in town, in the shadow of the cathedral. They serve very cheap Pastis, and a glass of rosé house wine is equal to three normal glasses. 

De Kat is an old bar where old (and new) artists come together. 

The Pianobar has lovely piano name cards, and the atmosphere is…wow. 

And then we like to try some local bars. Portuguese ones, or La Boume, our new discovery on the corner of my street. So honest and on the edge, which makes it funny, but the bartender and regular customers are all so friendly and kind. 

Trampoline Gallery: a lot of people we know and appreciate are part of it.

Your label follows a strong overall concept. What were your thoughts at the beginning creating the label?

We both studied graphic design and did a few projects together. These collaborations worked out very well and encouraged us to keep working as a duo. It still feels right. We almost never disagree on anything. Jj funhouse is a label where everything we like is possible as a release or a project. Every idea/release gets a catalogue number, no matter what the medium is, and gets archived. We curate, decide on the format and ‘design’ it. Jj funhouse can be a record, a tape, a book, a picture, a cake, a DVD, a shirt, socks, a place, an event, an idea, and so on…so far, it’s been a lot of music. :)
 

Who is responsible for what? How do you share all the different tasks?

I would say we do everything together art work-wise, sometimes even with two behind one computer screen. Or in the case of the new Milan W. album, we marble together, etc.
Other times, one starts and the other one continues. It all goes very naturally. Joke does more communication, and Jozefien keeps up with administration. The more boring tasks like going to the post office, taking care of invoices, etc. are equally divided.

Recently, Milan Warmoeskerken (Milan W., C.Young and half of Mittland och Leo, basically the one that’s responsible for a lot of what we ‘stand’ for) has been hunting for music, or especially for the people behind it. There’s an interesting release coming up.

You guys are quite active: self-organized club nights, print editions, etc. How do you bring everything together? Is it a financial disaster or serious fun?

The club nights mostly come with a release. We are definitely not trying to be a party organization. 

Tell us something about your regular shows at Extra City. What else is going on there?

Joke: I’ve been working at Extra City Kunsthal for a year now. I do administration and assistance in communication and production. Extra City is a Kunsthal (art space) that finds inspiration in the city for depicting different visions of our future by encouraging new links between contemporary (inter)national art and artists, researchers, and city dwellers. 

When JJ009 series came about, Extra City had been developing a new mission and vision, and there was no artistic director, no upcoming exhibition, and no musical program, so I put the Jj series on the table and that’s how we were able to have four nights there with Brahmen Raag, Mathieu Serruys, Floris Vanhoof, and Milan W. in the charming cinema space. It’s totally different from any other release night or celebration night we ever organized. Just one show and that was it—no party or DJs after. It was only four shows and it got a catalogue number as if it had been a release. We do not do regular shows there. And it isn’t part of their artistic program, either. American English?

Here in Zurich it’s quite hard to join forces and find a crowd for experimental music. What are your experiences in your town? 

I think we grew up or started going out at Scheld’apen, which was the place for experimental music in Antwerp at the time. Dennis from Ultra Eczema set up a lot events there. Since that place is gone now, I believe a lot of people are setting up shows everywhere around town. There are a lot of experimental music events going on. Antwerp is really small, and the crowd for this sort of music definitely knows each other and follows where ‘it’ goes. But to be honest, I don’t think Jj funhouse is that experimental.



From my own experience, it’s difficult to work cost-covering in cultural projects. Is there an official conveyor system in Antwerp for events or happenings, music, etc.?

There is but we aren’t familiar with it. And it’s the bigger festivals that get the most out of it and are super expensive at the same time. We run ourselves. It’s not always easy, but we’ll get there … 

A re-release of Gust De Meyer's Casio Works is due out. I read that he co-produced a radio program alongside Wim Mertens back in the early 80s. He was also a professor of media culture and part of the Soft Verdict project.

That’s right. I believe he is still a professor at KU Leuven. We’re super happy we can put this one out on vinyl. He just sent us the original tape. And we are working on the artwork for it.

Your record releases are quite difficult to find. Will there be upcoming re-issues (I just noticed that your Mittland Och Leo LP was repressed in 2015)?

We did a repress of that one because it sold out very fast and because Boomkat and other international shops were asking for it. Milan W. is almost sold out at the Jj stock after less than a month. Maybe we’ll do a repress, but it’s hard to say. We’ll see… 

At this point, what is planned for the future?

We just released Intact by Milan W. and had the release show in Brussels. It’s always exciting to do something outside of our hometown. It was crowded. It was nice to see that people know Jj funhouse and want to hear and experience it. It was a great night.

We’re working on a small Christmas compilation tape that involves all the artists we’ve released in the past and a few new ones. Gust De Meyer is coming up, and we have a couple of other releases in the pipeline that we’d like to keep secret for the moment. :)

text & selection: freek kinkelaar, 2016, picture: freek's studio in the late 80s. (The synth was on ‘permanent’ loan from his school)

"this is me on a friday, pondering about a ‘best of’ mix tape for fhtn with the friendly ears. tough decisions to be made… i’m told to concentrate on drone/ambient stuff, but there is so much more to listen to and discover than what ends up in this list. ok, so i won’t mention all the pop music that i love so much on here, nor any of those rock albums, soundtracks, artist recordings, punk/wave or the bizarre stuff that hails from japan. too bad, but hopefully you’ll have a great time listening your way through this list anyways. all titles are endlessly and wholeheartedly recommended. ask me the same question on a saturday and the answer will be, of course, entirely different…"

ac marias – one of our girls, 1986
ok, one pop album. but a great ‘moody’ one and their only one. easy to find, cheap as chips.
 
ashra tempel – join inn, 1973
i’m not too keen on side one, but jenseits is one stunningly beautiful side-long ambient piece, which, incidentally, formed the inspiration for the body shop song by beequeen.
 
ai aso – umerumonoizen, 2009
a rickenbacker guitar and a small japanese girl singing songs with lots of background hiss and tape dropouts.
 
virginia astley - from gardens where we feel secure , 1983
beautiful pastoral piano music with sheep bleating and gates squeaking set in an english field.
 
angelo badalamenti – mulholland drive 2001
the soundtrack to one of my favourite movies. composer angelo badalamenti keeps the whole thing together with his trademark surreal sounding keyboards.
 
john bender -  i don't remember now / i don't want to talk about it 1980
whenever i play this i get all nostalgic. diy minimal synth album with perfect songs, vocals and mix.
 
henning christiansen - op. 50 requiem of art (aus celtic) 2016
a very strange but compelling sound collage that makes me smile every time i listen to it.
 
brainticket - celestial ocean 1973
their trippy album cottonwood hill may be better known, but i think this one is better. way better.
 
brunnen - tippoo's tiger 2009
one side features harmonium recordings and the other one sounds like an aeroplane circling the arctic. it’s me, but you had that already figured out right?
 
gavin bryars - the sinking of the titanic 2007
there are several variations of this composition - i like this one the best.
 
come - come present rampton 1980
william before whitehouse. noiseless guitar hero. never too tired to listen to this.
 
ddaa - action and japanese demonstration 1980
french trio’s hypnotizing diy-production inspired by the japanese nebula. all their music and artwork is brilliant.
 
de fabriek – neveleiland 1983
spoken word stories from the island of ambon accompanied by beautiful music.
 
gerogerigegege - moenai hai 2016
haunting, ultra-low sounding masterpieces on an album that somehow make me very sad every time i listen to it.
 
paul giovanni - the wicker man 1998
the reissue with nicolas cage acting and badalementi playing the soundtrack out of their arses is disturbingly bad. just as this original is disturbingly good.
 
randy greif - alice in wonderland 1993
funny, scary and very surreal. just like the book.
 
hafler trio - hotondo kiki torenai 1985
andrew mckenzie shows he has got a sense of humour – and the knack to create beautiful soundscapes.
 
toshi ichiyanagi - opera from the works of tadanori yokoo 1969
beautiful trippy avant-garde japanese double picture disc album.
 
derek jarman – soundtrack to blue 1991
if you listen to only one album on this list, make it blue.
 
legendary pink dots – chemical playschool 3 and 4 1983
the dots at their best mixing songs with electronics and experiment with a charming ease. purchase this in remastered format at the dots’ bandcamp.
 
andrew liles - mother goose's melodies or sonnets for the cradle 2005
great bedtime stories set to equally great bedtime music.
 
muziekkamer – kamermuziek 1983
privately released cassette featuring a mesmerizing guitar arpeggio composition.
 
korla pandit - meditation volume 1 1977
korla hits all the right keys on this fantastic atmospheric album. his best.
 
boyd rice – boyd rice (the black album) 1977
boy scout boyd created this title-less album out of loops and cut-ups. this is far from the ultra-noise and uniform-fashionada silliness you might identify him with.
 
oskar schlemmer - das triadische ballet 2009
the soundtrack to a 70s restaging of schlemmer’s famous ballet from the 30s. feast your ears – and eyes.
 
swans - soundtracks for the blind 1997
a true soundtrack album, combining swans’ typical riffing energy with soundscapes, collages and found sound. i’ve been playing this for nearly 20 years and it never tires.
 
talk talk - spirit of eden 1988
another pop album you might think? wrong!
 
percy thrillington – thrillington 1977
another pop album you might think? right!
 
asmus tietchens – nachtstücke 1980
i have been told asmus himself doesn’t really like this album. i do.
 
gary wilson - you think you really know me 1977
my wife says this is music for a 70s porn movie. she might be right. she is most of the time.

Ashkan Soltani, director of “I Know You Well”

the los angeles-based film director and author ashkan soltani shot a documentary about jandek together with craig matarrese about one of the most mysterious american musicians with a large international cult following. the film provides rare access to the elusive performer and an intimate examination of jandek's creative process. we have the chance to raise a few questions to soltani himself.
 

- when did you hear for the first time about the musician jandek ?

i first heard about jandek about 4 years ago when he performed at minnesota state university, mankato where i was teaching at the time. i did not know who jandek was prior to that.
 

- who is craig mataresse and how did you meet him ?

craig is the co-producer of this documentary also a former colleague at msu where i used to teach. he is also a superb bass player and jandek’s representatives had approached him earlier about playing bass at mankato show.
 

- what was your main inspiration to make the film ?

i would say it all happened very organic. craig and i discussed the possibility of filming the concert but we were not sure whether jandek would agree with that, knowing his history and the fact that he never appeared in any films or tv interviews before. however, to our surprise, he graciously gave us permission to document the rehearsal and his interaction with other musicians as well as the entire mankato concert. i think it was a mutually pleasant experience for all of us and as a result of that we pitched the idea of producing a documentary to jandek and the rest is history.
 

- jandek was interviewed the first time back in 2013 by david keenen for the wire.
  you were there to film everything. how did that happen ?
 

yes! we were in minneapolis documenting the rehearsal and the concert. that was a year after our first filming session with jandek in mankato. we were working with him between those concerts including several days of extensive filming in houston, texas.
 

- what have been your personal highlight during the shooting ?

we had a wonderful time working with jandek. we had the opportunity to spend many hours discussing music, philosophy, etc with him. some of those moments are documented in i know you well. in general, the whole experience was very unique and pleasant as you may imagine.
 

- after chad freidrichs „jandek on corwood“ you are not the only filmmaker which set the focus on the musician. what is your personal opinion about that movie ?

it is a very interesting film but rather irrelevant to post-2007 jandek. in 2001, when that film came out, jandek did not perform live. jandek started to perform live since 2007. one other obvious difference is also the fact that jandek himself is in the film instead of people talking about him. in other words, "i know you well" focuses mainly on jandek as an extraordinary performer instead of commenting on his music.
 

- who is jandek? can you say that you know him well after finishing the movie ?

he is an unique american musician and performer. we hope more people learn about him and his distinct approach towards the music. we tried our best to capture that and make our film appealing to general audience as well as to his fans.
 

- is jandek we know completely demystified ?

not at all! jandek as a musician/performer is constantly evolving and i believe that  this is what makes his projects refreshing and demanding. we did not want to demystify anything nor did we care about trivial information. that is not the point in i know you well.
 

- what are your future plans ?

i am currently producing two feature-length music documentaries that are in different stages of production. one is a documentary about the counterculture music scene in bulgaria in the past 50 years and the other project deals with the native american heavy metal and hip hop scene on the reservations.
 

- links: where to buy, watch etc ?

we have received many inquiries about releasing the film. we have finalized the distribution through two video on demand streaming providers and everything is ready to go. at this point we are waiting to hear back from the very last batch of film festivals in the short coming weeks. we can not release the film prior to the festivals otherwise the film will be disqualified. meanwhile please follow us on our facebook and twitter page for update. we are very confidents about releasing film in early summer.

toru takemitsu was a japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. largely self-taught, takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. he is famed for combining elements of oriental and occident philosophy to create a sound uniquely his own, and for fusing opposites together such as sound with silence and tradition with innovation.

he composed several hundred independent works of music, scored more than ninety films and published twenty books. he was also a founding member of the jikken kobo (experimental workshop) in japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century.

his 1957 requiem for strings orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as one of the leading 20th-century japanese composers. he was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and the toru takemitsu composition award is named after him.

image: drawing by ryan martin

From Here Till Now—Hot Releases

The Label Hot Releases from Carrboro, North Carolina has been active since 2008. It’s run by Ryan Martin, alias Secret Boyfriend, who’s just as convincing as a musician, performer and event organizer. Below is a quick look into the world of Hot Releases.

Text: Marc Jauss

When listening to music by the likes of American label Hot Releases, one repeatedly encounters a performance-like aesthetics which seems influenced by Sonic Youth or Maurizio Bianchi. As Secret Boyfriend, Ryan Martin’s music is distinguished by neurotic noises and reduced synths combined with a lo-fi songwriter voice—see, for example, the recent Grovl release They’re Playing Themselves or the 2013 Blackest Ever Black release This Is Always Where You’ve Lived. Martin’s performances (available online) are designed accordingly: at one point he lifts a found piece of metal and transforms it into a snare drum that he then uses as head gear that simultaneously generates reverb from his voice.

This aesthetic can also be applied to other artists in the label’s milieu: take Russian Tsarlag from Tampa, Florida, to whom the words strange and grotesque can be ascribed. His album Open Casket impresses with woozy and synthetic downer folk, making repeated forays into uncompromising noise.

For those looking for more, an additional recommendation to Hot Releases is the Savage Weekend festival in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; it too is shaped by Martin’s hand—for the past five years he’s invited more than eighty musicians and performers to the multi-day event, representing the impressive variety of the local noise scene.

Fascinating, savvy and contrast-rich: so much of the activity around Hot Releases falls outside the norm; American outsider music with a lot of devotion and a large pinch of idealism.


This text was published in the latest zweikommasieben magazine.

Trans-Millenia Consort

Die Story dieser Platte, wie ich zu ihr kam, was sie bedeutet und so, verschweige ich normalerweise. Obwohl ich jedes Mal danach gefragt werde, was das da eigentlich sei wenn ich sie laufen lasse, weil sie so auffällig gut ist. Eine richtig gute Platte ist immer eine Story. Eine Beziehungsgeschichte. Ich und meine geliebte Platte. Aber in dem Fall versuche ich immer die Fragenden abzulenken indem ich von noch viel selteneren Platten erzähle, oder mit hochspannenden Fakten irritiere, von dieser einzigartigen blinden Synthiefanatikerin mit dem Esotouch, die Anfang der 1980er in der ersten Welle der Silicon Valley Euphorie diese Klänge erzaubert hat, diese kleinen perlenden Melodien, die sich so gut anfühlen wie Pusteblumen fliegen lassen für Zweijährige, dazu diese New Age Flächen, wie schöne weite Landschaften über die das Zeug dann fliegt, unterlegt mit sacht flackernden Beats die eigentlich erst 15 Jahre später erfunden und dann Breakbeats oder Drum&Base genannt werden sollten. 

Dass ich nichts über die Platte erzähle liegt daran, dass Trans Millenia Consort von Pauline Anna Strom genau das geworden ist, was eine Platte viel eher sein kann als ein File: ein Träger von persönlichen Erinnerungen. Files können Daten speichern. Platten speichern Gefühle. Keine Ahnung warum das so ist. Eigentlich sind ja beides Medien gemacht zum Speichern von Daten. Und esoterisch bin ich nicht. Analog ist für mich kein Zauberwort. Das Ding ist: so wie mich das Knacken und Knistern bei Platten ehrlich gesagt stört, genauso sind die gespeicherten Erinnerungen, die sich an meine Platten heften ja nicht immer nur positiv. Das sollte man nicht verherrlichen. Manche Platten stehen für schlechte Zeiten. Manchmal will man keine solchen Erinnerungen an seinen Platten kleben haben. Selektiv löschen geht aber auch nicht. Nun, auf dieser Platte ist ein echter Schlag vereint mit dem wohl grössten Highlight. Ich liebe die Platte daher, ich hasse sie auch inbrünstig und kann sie daher nicht immer hören. 

Es geht um Liebe. Um zwei Frauen. Meine jetzige Frau, und die davor. Ich hatte sie schon kennengelernt als sie 15 war. Und ich 25. Sie war die beste Freundin der kleinen Schwester einer verflossenen Teenagerliebe von mir. So hatte ich sie irgendwann kennengelernt. Und zwar als besagte kleine Schwester, die ich noch als kreischendes, im falschen Moment türenaufstossendes Milchzahn-Schwesterchen kennengelernt hatte, plötzlich bei mir auf Skype auftauchte und anfragte ob wir einen Drink nehmen sollten. 

Während ich mich um andere Sachen gekümmert hatte, war sie nämlich sechzehn geworden, hatte mich im Netz gefunden und war auf die Idee gekommen mich einfach mal anzurufen. Ich hatte damals grade nix besseres zu tun als mit einer 16-jährigen rumzuhängen, und das ist ja auch spannend mal zu sehen was sich so entwickelt und so traf ich mich mit ihr. In einer Bar. Sie war ein zuckersüsses blondes Girl geworden die nur Quatsch erzählte, kicherte und alles was ich ihr erzählte ausdrücklich „cool“ bzw. „supercool“ fand. Dann trat ihre beste Freundin (BF) in den Raum. Nennen wir sie Bifi. Das war ungefähr das süsseste Mädchen, dass ich in meinem Leben gesehen hatte. 

Eine ehemalige Ballerina mit wunderschönen schwarzbraunen Haaren, milchweisser Haut, einer hohen runden Stirn und Augen wie, hm, Teletubbys. Sie trat ein und sagte mit einer glockenhellen Stimme irgendwelche Schimpfwörter über irgendwas das sie grade erlebt hatte. Ich war komplett verwirrt. Da stand ich nun in einer Bar, Mittzwanziger mit ungeklärtem Selbstbewusstsein, Krise auf zwei Beinen, zwischen zwei zauberhaften, viel zu jungen Damen die mich beide anhimmelten. Keine Ahnung wofür. 

Am Ende des Abends lag Bifi vor mir im Bett der Mutter ihrer besten Freundin – sturmfrei! - und wollte Sex. Allerdings war ich zu un-YOLO dafür.  

Bifi auf jeden Fall hatte fortan meine Nummer und meldete sich gelegentlich. Wir sprachen dann ein bisschen und ich glaube sie sagte mir dabei damals, dass sie MGMT möge. Eine schreckliche Band, sagte ich. Ich träumte davon, was für eine wunderbare Frau sie wohl einst sein könnte, wenn sie einen wirklich guten Musikgeschmack hätte. Die Idee begeisterte mich. Eine Traumfrau. Ich begann ihr Mixes zu schicken um sie auszubilden. Sie reagierte extrem positiv. Ich versuchte mir einzureden ich sei so was wie ein grosser Bruder. Bald begann sie mir mit Mixes zu antworten, und die wurden immer besser. Sie besuchte mich auch ein, zwei Mal, aber ich biss die Zähne zusammen.

Bifi lernte fotografieren. Ihre Teasepics testete sie an mir aus. Ihr Musikgeschmack wurde immer besser. Kurz vor ihrem Abi schrieb mir einen Liebesbriefe in denen sie davon sprach, dass sie jetzt ganz bald frei und volljährig sei. Manchmal begann ich mir auszumalen wie es wohl wäre. Als Bifi Zwanzig war, zog sie für eine Weile in eine grössere Stadt (ich habe vergessen zu sagen, dass sie davor am Land lebte). Ihre Tapes und YouTube-Links wurden exzellent. Wie sich rausstellte, war sie mit einem Experimental-DJ zusammengekommen, der etwa 10 Jahre älter als ich ist. Sie hatte versucht, mir das zu verheimlichen aber mich erleichterte es irgendwie als ich es erfuhr. Sie sammelte Affären mit alten Typen dachte ich und vergass sie. Bis auf die Momente, in denen ich an sie denken musste. Einmal schickte ich ihr Woo. 

Dann, zwei Jahre später, Dezember 2011 stand sie plötzlich vor meiner Tür. Machen wir es noch mal kurz: ich hatte das Gefühl mein heimlicher Traum wäre plötzlich Wahrheit geworden, die letzten Jahre, alles würde plötzlich Sinn machen und ich sollte jetzt verdammt noch mal ja sagen zum Glück, das sich da mit strahlenden Bambiaugen an mich warf. Sie sah blendend aus, hatte einen überirdisch guten Musikgeschmack und machte dazu noch ein interessantes Studium, das sie passioniert verfolgte. Ein bisschen konnte ich das alles nicht glauben. Als hätte ich mir meinen Traum irgendwie selber herangezogen. 

Sie zeigte mir fantastische Minimal Wave Sachen von denen ich noch nie gehört hatte. Ich lernte über sie die japanische 80er Jahre Elektro-Fusion Szene kennen. Mariah. Wir kamen zusammen. Ich hatte noch nie eine Freundin gehabt, die dermassen gute Musik in mein Leben gebracht hatte. Hier eine ihrer Playlists. Kopiert aus einer Mail. 

PASS AUF DICH AUF! 
FOLGENDE LIEDER SIND AUF  MEINER "ALPIN / SKILIFT/ PANORAMA"
WIEDERGABENLISTE

Xingu - Zenamon
Shirt No.7 - Durutti Column
Yodel 1, 2, Pauls Dance, Air Dancer - Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Charotte - Ernest Hembersin
Managua - Finis Africae
Are you Awake- Kevin Shields
Brass Pocket- Pretenders

WINTAUGE (meinst du die meinen das ernst?)
http://cdreissuewishlist.blogspot.com/2012/02/wintauge-germany.html

DA SIND ALLE SAMPLES GANZ GUT:
http://musk31as.blogspot.com/

Ich kaufte einen alten Thorens Plattenspieler und trug ihn in ihr Zimmer als Zeichen dass ich angekommen war. Gleichzeitig fing es bei mir an beruflich zu laufen. Ich war Anfang Dreissig, Plattensammler-Paradies-Freundin plus Traumberuf. Und dann zeigte sie mir Pauline Anna Strom. Ich glaube sie hatte es als namenlosen file. Irgendwoher. Hört Euch das an. Emerald Pool heisst das. So war mein Leben. Genau in diesem Moment. 

Das wollte ich auf Platte. Unbedingt. Diese Gefühl aufheben. 

Auf Discogs war die Scheibe noch nicht mal eingetragen, glaube ich. Ich setzte meine ganze Recherche-Power ein, alles, wirklich, und tatsächlich. Ich fand nicht nur den Namen, sondern auch die Platte. Einen Google Eintrag Nr. 217. Auf einem obskuren Eso-Forum hatte eine Person mit dem Pseudonym Jagat Rainbow eine Mailadresse gelassen und geschrieben er hätte grade einen Stapel alter Platten gefunden. Name des Interpreten Pauline Anna Strom. Preis 15 Dollar. Ich schrieb ihn/sie an: 

> From: hgrassegger (()) xxxxx.de
> Subject: Record: Anna Pauline Strom - Trans Millenia
> Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:10:45 +0100
> To: magicvision (()) yyyyyy.com
> 
> Dear Sir or Madam,
> 
> I would like to know if I can order
> Anna Pauline Strom - Trans Millenia
> 
> with you?
> 
> I read on the internetblog about you offering the record
> 
> Kind regards from Zürich,
> Hannes
>

Am 19.02.2012 um 22:18 schrieb jagat rainbow:
Dear Hannes,
Yes, I will create a paypal link for you to place an order. You are aware that it is a LP record.
Will send link in next day or so. Thank you for touching in.
Best regards from California
Jagat
Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:26:51 +0100

Dear Jagat, no worries! thank you, it is a vinyl record?If so, thats good!
Hannes

Hi Hannes,
Yes it is a vinyl record and is shrink wrapped new condition..never opened.
The shipping from USA to Switzerland is $15.00 I accept payment via paypal

my address is

magicvisions@yyyyy.com
or I have created a link for you.
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PUFYG6UBK6E5Y
I will ship as soon as I receive your payment. Please make sure your address below is correct. Thank you!
Jagat

PS. I was listening to a documentry on youtube last night about Billy Meier.
Are you aware of this man?
Here's the link to part 1 of 12
http://youtu.be/jsp6lF4SCKI

Am 27.2. dann:
Hi Hannes,
I sent it last Wednesday via post. Should arrive this week. Marked it as gift.
Please let me know when it arrives.
Thank you
Jagat


Während ich auf die Platte wartete, passierte etwas. Es gab da ein kleines Rätsel. Bifi hatte mir nie so richtig erklären können, wie sie jeweils zu diesen Liedern, kam die mich so für sie begeisterten. Auf eine Art fehlte ihr ja die Grundausbildung für so ein Verständnis. Irgendwas stimmte nicht so richtig. 

Eines Frühmorgens klingelte ihr Migros Billig Phone. Sie hatte den Wecker angelassen und ich drückte halbblind dran rum um das irgendwie auszukriegen. Dabei öffnete sich eine SMS. 

Wenn ich es heute richtig verstanden habe, dann hatte Bifi mehrere Männer. In mehreren Städten. Fast alles Musiksammler, zum Teil ziemlich hochkarätige Kaliber. Ihr System scheint gewesen zu sein, die Jungs gegenseitig mit ihrer Musik anzufeuern. Wahrscheinlich um an noch bessere Musik ranzukommen. Das ist nur eine Hypothese. Ich hab nie nachgefragt. Aber einer jedenfalls war nur für Sex gedacht. Dessen SMS hatte sich vor mir geöffnet.   

Als die Platte ein paar Tage darauf bei mir ankam, machte ich ein Bild von mir mit der Scheibe in der Hand. Auf dem Foto sehe ich nicht so glücklich aus. Aber in diesen Märztagen als ich die Platte bei mir hatte, bin ich glaube ich erwachsen geworden. Für meinen Teil entschloss ich mich fortan keine U25er mehr zu daten. Das war die letzte Lektion in Sachen Jugendträume. Sollen die doch machen was sie wollen. Bifi hatte ich noch am Morgen komplett aus meinem Leben verabschiedet. Und zwar ziemlich zackig. 

Die Platte selber stand irgendwie direkt am Beginn einer neuen Epoche. Oder genauer: sie war der Soundtrack, der den einen Teil vom anderen trennte. So eine Brücke oder Grenzlinie. Mir passt das Trans-Millenia gut im Titel. Nicht wirklich der Soundtrack einer neuen Zeit. 

Bis ich im kommenden Jahr die Frau meines Lebens traf. Die ist nicht nur so alt wie ich, hat wahnsinnige Mandelaugen, rote Haare, einen echten Beruf und einen umwerfenden süssen französischen Akzent – sondern sie interessiert sich auch eher für Kunst als für Musik. Bei Musik mochte sie Bloc Party. Das ist so wahnsinnig schlecht, das ist quasi naiv so was dermassen (mir fällt gar kein Wort dafür ein) überhaupt hören zu können. Das fand ich irgendwie wild und frisch. Mir war das auch wahnsinnig sympathisch. Ich versuchte erst gar nicht dran rumzudoktoren. Ich fand Mandelauge genauso richtig wie sie ist. Inklusive Sachen die ich nicht richtig finde, sondern Bloc Party. Das Leben ist kein Design-Objekt. Die Weird Science Phase war definitiv vorbei. Wir waren so verliebt, ich zog gleich bei ihr ein, das heisst, ich schleppte meine zehn Meter Platten an und stellte ihr Wohnzimmer voll damit. Sie war die erste Frau, der ich nicht die ganze Zeit Musik vorspielen wollte, um ihr Herz für mich zu gewinnen. Das hatte sich ja als Sackgasse erwiesen. Bei uns ging es um was anderes. Was sie scheinbar ein bisschen traurig fand. Und veranlasste heimlich an meine Plattensammlung zu gehen. 

So kam es auch, dass an einem der ersten Abende als ich in meines neues Zuhause kam, grade als ich endlich den Plattenspieler installiert hatte, wunderbare zarte Klänge unseren Salon erfüllten. In der Mitte sass meine Freundin, ganz glücklich, und frage: «Woher hast Du denn diese komische Platte? Diese Pauline Anna Strom? Das ist so schön, ich musste heulen als ich es gehört habe.» Da habe ich auch ein bisschen geheult, also nach innen. Dann hab ich gesagt, die hat mir Jagat Rainbow geschickt. 

Hannes Grassegger ist Ökonom und Reporter für Das Magazin und REPORTAGEN. Kürzlich hat er mit Holly Herndon einen Mix auf dismagazine veröffentlicht.

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