Marc Matter and Stefan Römer
Deconceptual Voicings

Deconceptual Voicings is a project of musical compositions from interviews with conceptual artists, including Martha Rosler, Art & Language, Andrea Fraser, Ed Ruscha, Shilpa Gupta, Sol LeWitt, Lawrence Weiner and Yvonne Rainer. It consists of individual tracks composed from interviews with artists primarily recorded for the film essay Conceptual Paradise. Statements were transformed into musical compositions, i.e. they turned the audio material (field recordings) into simple songs. Only speech and language material were used. Sound fragments, syllables and consonants were processed into rhythmic patterns, while slogans, statements and text passages were sampled into sprechgesang.

These compositions will be performed live at several venues in fall 2019 (Golden Pudel, Hamburg / Salon des Amateurs, Düsseldorf / Daimler Contemporary, Berlin etc.), the LP serves as a documentation of the musical output of the project. The project is based on an idea by Stefan Römer and Marc Matter (Concept and Composition), assisted by Lizzie Davis (Sound Engineering) and Dirk Lebahn (graphic design) and kindly supported by Musikfonds (Berlin). The LP is jointly published by Mount Analogue (Stockholm) and Slimvolume (London) in an edition of 500 copies.

Marc Matter and Stefan Römer understand global conceptualisms as practices to oppose reactionary backlash. For them, this project marks a critical difference to the tendencies in the digitized commercialization of contemporary art. Their aim is to signify a strategic artistic activity, to challenge recent cultural conditions and to prevent depression. To SCREAM about the contemporary conditions would be an understandable gesture. Instead, you may perform a neo-emancipatory dance.

This is a homage to all the artists involved. By calling the record ‘Deconceptual Voicings’ they suggest a global polyphony of positions and sounds.

Good ideas should be amplified!

Gefördert vom Musikfonds e.V. mit Projektmitteln der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.

Designed by Marc Matter and Stefan Römer.

This title is co-published with Mount Analogue.

Cover image: Ed Ruscha, SCREAM, Tempera and pencil on paper, 34.9cm x 30.5 cm, 1964

ISBN: 978-1-910516-09-6

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