Archiv Broken Music & Milan Knížák

In 1964, Czech artist and performer Milan Knížák called his music “record-collages”. His “Destroyed Music” resulted from gluing or painting over and mechanically modifying records. He then glued together parts of various records he had burnt or sawed. Playing over these record-collages produces an entirely new music that is unexpected, tempestuous but also humorous. It can last one second or several hours, for example when the needle of the record player gets stuck in a groove and plays the same sound sequences in a loop. Through this musical experimentation, Milan Knížákist became a forerunner of Turntablism, or experimental playing on turntables.

“Broken Music” is the inspiration for one of gelbe MUSIK’s – a record shop and gallery since 1981 – most extensive exhibition projects. Now, 50 years later, the gelbe MUSIK’s “Broken Music Archiv” will be on display once again with an emphasis on Milan Knížák’s objects and music. As part of MaerzMusik, Milan Knížákin will give a live performance of his “Broken Music”. The Opening Performance Orchestra will touch upon Milan Knížák’s Destroyed Music with its “Re: Broken Music”, playing its own interpretation of musical and historic fragments by the legendary doyen.

At the same time, gelbe MUSIK uses the occasion to bow out of everyday business after 33 years as an extraordinary and unique record shop, and will from now be open to all interested persons by prior arrangement as an archive containing countless, collected works and documents.