R. Murry Schafer`s famous term schizophonia (when a sound is removed from its source) is problematic because it implies a "troubled" state of disembodiment and fragmented reality created through modern recording technology. However, musicians have always developed techniques in both playing and composing specifically for recordings and listeners quickly adjust to listen through crackles, clicks and compression. So it is a romantic notion to think that the record is a "copy" of the "source" when in fact it is both a copy and the source at the same time.
Of course the turntable with vinyl is a referential sounding device in its practical use, but fundamentally it is a sonic reality of its own. In my view Janek Schaefer is a musician who builds upon this reality embedded within recording technology. He drifts between fragmented references of beautiful and melancholic sounds and the raw noise of the referring medium, to create an imaginary landscape that can only exist between the grooves of the record and the circuitry that connect to the speakers. I am very happy to have him for the second installment of Turntable Music Night, and am sure that it will be a truly immersive sound experience. You can listen to one of his performances here: 3voor12.vpro.nl/speler/ondemand/24314661
Takuro Lippit