Philip Jeck, 1952 to 2022, R.I.P.

Joe Banks, Mike Harding, Philip Jeck, Kyoto, Feb 2000 – photo by Rees Archibald

I was saddened to hear about the death of the musician and sound artist Philip Jeck. In February 2000, Phil, myself and Mike Harding (proprietor of the record company Ash International) flew to Tokyo to perform at the NTT ICC “Phase of Post Music” concert series, organised by curator Minoru Hatanaka, staged on the 3rd (?) floor of the Tokyo Opera City Tower in Shinjuku. The sound engineers spent 3 days (not 3 hours, DAYS) calibrating the quadraphonic sub-bass sound system (the PA wasn’t quadraphonic and sub-bass, the sub-bass itself was quadraphonic); and, to Minoru’s delight, the Disinformation set brought down ceiling panels and shook the entire (huge) NTT ICC gallery. I was also delighted to meet once more mum and dad’s old friends Ryo and Keiko Nonaka (who came to the concert, bearing moving tributes).

Soon after, we all travelled, with saxophonist Rees Archibald, to perform at the Metro nightclub in Kyoto, at the invitation of Koji Marutani (proprietor of the record company Digital Narcis). Phil’s music appears alongside Disinformation on the “Touch Sampler 3” CD, and Phil also exhibited alongside Disinformation in David’s Toop’s spectacular “Sonic Boom” exhibition at the London Hayward Gallery, April to June 2000.

I have clear memories of discussing the finer points of the so-called Darwin Awards with Minoru, Phil, Mike and Masami Akita – “High Five” also to Ikue Mori and Terre Thaemlitz, and a particularly revealing encounter with a senior official of the British Council, in the “Irish” pub on the ground floor of Tokyo Opera City Tower, shopping for Godzilla toys for Phil’s son, extraordinary trips around the backstreets with sound artist Atau Tanaka, and Phil’s endless bemusement at Japanese cuisine.

https://www.ntticc.or.jp/en/feature/2000/Phase_of_Post_Music/Events/event02.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/disinfo/35669376503/

I was also saddened to hear about the passing of the electronic musician Mira Calix… we didn’t know each other, but Mira sent nice messages about my work. Thank you Mira.