Terre Thaemlitz & Zeitkratzer

Deproduction (Live)

Genre: ELECTRONIC

2CD + Poster

Boomkat Product Review:

Terre Thaemlitz’s paradigm-challenging, uniquely unsettling meditation on the nuclear family and its effect on democracy, as heard thru a smudged lense of gay porn and Japanese incest porn, is their latest to be respectfully, meticulously performed by Zeitkratzer Ensemble, led by Reinhold Friedl - word of warning: NSFW.

A reunion of the incredibly sound sensitive artist and leading performers of new, and avant garde musics after ’Super-Superbonus’ (2002) and ‘Electronics’ (2008), the 90 min execution of ‘Deproduction (Live)’ serves to deepen the piece’s frankly haunting effect with nothing short of a difficult but crucial listen. Recorded at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, March 19, 2018, at MaerzMusik: Festival for Time Issues 2018, the original piece’s blend of reflective string arrangement and samples, plus Regina Ryan’s YouTube video “How not to react when your child tells you that he's gay”, and the "Chick-Fil-A" comedy routine by Paul F. Tompkins, it's a uniquely challenging manifestation of Thaemlitz’s queer politics.

Revolving Terre’s thoughts on how the heteronormative nuclear family effectively negates democracy and progressive politics, ‘Deproduction’ is one of the most significant works in her considerable oeuvre of some 30 years. Originally released on an 8GB SDHC including an 87 minute video, the piece artfully dissects the matter with Terre’s typically insightful approach, stemming from his status as a queer man with extensive heritage as a DJ (Sprinkles) at gay and transvestite bars in downtown NYC in the early ‘90s, and in the years sice as a leading thinker, writer and authoritative voice dealing with contemporary queer politics. For both obvious and implied reasons, this piece really struck a nerve when we first heard it in 2017, especially in light of those years’ unprecedented political flux (Brexit, Trump), and five years later it’s clear the ideas she proposed have only calcified into today’s intransigent politics, particularly ideas on low birth rates and population decline, trangender issues, and the distorting dominance of religion in the Western world that have been weaponised by right wing conservatives.

A 10 piece Zeitkratzer, including Terre (vocals), have admirably taken up the challenge of performing ‘Deproduction’ as faithfully and achingly as possible here, replete with performance of domestic violence and its deeply unsettling range of infant and adult vocals, as heard from a room next door. We’ll suffice it to say its effect is immensely powerful, and no doubt one of the most affective works in either Terre or Zeitkratzer’s catalogues; an unflinching, but completely respectful reading of contemporary queer politics that should resonate with open-minded, deep listeners, whatever way they identity.

The most vital art shouldn’t be easy, and we make no bones about it, this one is a hard listen, but wholly recommended if you’re prepared to properly invest. Run check Terre’s site for its full, disambiguated background.

please remember that we support Terre and Comatonse Recordings' efforts to keep projects offline, minor, and acting queerly. When purchasing this item, we ask you to refrain from uploading and indiscriminate sharing in any form. <3