MiniDisc, info@kormplastics.nl
Once upon a time, there was a recording format called the MiniDisc. It was developed to be a digital counterpart to the compact cassette, but it was in an era where CD-r’s became cheaper, and CD-burners became standard in every household because of the normalization of computers. (I can’t tell you all how old I feel while writing this …) The nice thing about MiniDisc was the compression technique that was used, recordings always sounded solid. So yes, it was way better than compact cassette, and I suppose the discussion was comparable with the debate 15 years earlier about V2000 versus VHS.
Modelbau, a.k.a. Frans de Waard, recently released a MiniDisc entitled 'Copy' in an edition of 40 numbered copies; it is the number of copies of MiniDiscs he had to recycle for this project. The title refers to each copy being a copy of the previous numbered copy. Depending on using digital ports or analogue ones, making a copy of a copy might change what you hear. Digitally one shouldn’t hear a difference, but you never know what the compression technique adds or removes. When done analogue, each copy will definitely have changed compared to the previous copy. 'Copy' can hence be seen as a next step from “I am sitting in a room” (A. Lucier, 1969), and it’s all about the origin of change and its after carefully analyzing multiple copies.
Musicwise this piece could be considered an experimental drone. There is a lot of hissing and some beautiful overtones and interference patterns. The 70+ minutes knows great dynamics yet never changes that much. And still, it doesn’t get boring at any moment. It’s a playful experiment in dissonance and structure, and even when some tones might be on edge, the dissonance never reaches the level where it gets painful. A very well conducted experiment that should be heard by more people than just those 40 lucky ones; I have it from the horse’s mouth that they are free in exchange for a bit of postage and there are some left.
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