RAYMOND DIJKSTRA ~ MUSIQUE IRRITANTE (I)

LP
Leather and Paper Collage by Raymond Dijkstra.
Signed by Raymond Dijkstra
Numbered edition of 10 ex.
d’or035
SOLD

Raymond Dijkstra is an artist active since 1987 in music, sculpture, painting, photography, collage and drawing.

“Between 2008 and 2016, I’ve worked on a Series called Catalogue du Bruit / Musique Irritante, which was published in the same period on 3″ and 5” vinyl records on my own imprint Le Souffleur.

The Music was an Attempt to break through certain Types of Self-Confinement, by repetitive Behavior.

As a Child I’ve suffered from Tics and compulsive Behavior, like blinking with my Eyes, making Sounds with Throat and Face Contortions. I also had to repeat certain Kind of Actions- when I had locked the Door, I had to repeat the same Action 3 or 4 Times. It was sometimes very tiring, because I couldn’t stop. I got a Kind of Satisfaction from doing it after a certain prolonged Period, at the same Time it was far from satisfying. Because my Parents and even my Schoolteacher acted as if I did something terribly wrong, I also felt guilty by doing it. This Behavior got less during Adolescence and almost completely left me when I was around 16, although a certain Level of Compulsion has always Kind of stayed with me.

Because of my History with Tourette, I found out that making Music in a repetitive Manner eased my Senses, by forgetting the Self. There was a certain Level of Compulsion in it as well, which was warmly familiar.

I see the Music as Expressionist Music. More than Musique Brut. I’ve made the Music to come to my Self and also always as a Way to connect with a different Level of / in Reality. In that Perspective it has been my personal Connection to Surrealism. The Sounds are not simply Sounds for the Sake of making Sounds. Or experimenting with Sound. Far from, even. I’ve never been interested in making experimental Music. The Sounds were solely a logical Outcome of my personal Preferences and Taste. Much more important is the emotional Load of the Sounds, transferred by the Movements of my Body. The Sounds were not created by my Head (Logic) or Feeling. It wasn’t a conscious Attempt to making Music / Sound before or during the Making of the Sound. In Fact it was made with an entirely empty Head and Mind, allowing my Body to move in the most possible free Way, without wanting to gain any Control over it, basically a Form of Automatic Writing, connecting a direct Link with my Subconsciousness. Body-Spasms as a Way to express. But always within the Confinement of a limited Time-Frame (1 to 2,5 minutes- with Clockalarm) and a relatively narrow Pallet of Sounds- my German Harmonium, A table of Glass and another frictional Object. These three Elements were always the Same, because these Elements allowed me to connect with my Self and lead to ease the Mind. The Music was made at once, spontaneously, without After-editing or any use of Electronics.

Between 2008 and 2016 a Series of 58 tiny Vinyl Records were produced on 3 Inch Format and 5 Inch Format. They were published together with my own handmade Collages on self-made hardcover Boxes in mostly black Linen. An Exception was the Work ‘De Slaap’ which was covered in dried Fishskin. All Titles were published in limited Editions between 1 and 10 Copies. This is the first Time these Noise Miniatures of 1 to 2,5 minutes will be published together on one LP. This LP contains the first Ten Titles from the entire Series with new original Artwork.”

“My music is made in an abstract process of self-detachment. While detaching myself from myself, I connect with my Self. My expressionistic music should be regarded more as a physical act, more than music. It’s a constant training in opening up my mind, removing obstacles with violence, and seeing a different reality through the debris.” “The final result is a pile of fragments, but I guess something of the initial light still shimmers through.” “The publication is simply a registration of a physical event, and should be left untouched. Any changing of the initial energy is a weakening.”

Links to the original Works on Le Souffleur: