Role

:

Performer

Birth

:

November 15, 1952 in England

Death

:

March 25, 2022

 

Philip Jeck is a British composer and turntablist who has been active in the experimental music scene since the 1980s. Born in Liverpool in 1952, Jeck grew up in a musical family and began playing the piano at a young age. He later studied visual arts at Dartington College of Arts in Devon, where he became interested in sound art and experimental music. Jeck's early musical influences included classical composers such as Bach and Beethoven, as well as jazz and rock music. He began experimenting with turntables in the late 1970s, using them to create sound collages and ambient textures. In the early 1980s, he became involved in the cassette culture movement, releasing a series of self-produced tapes under the name Loopholes. Jeck's first major release was the album "Loopholes" in 1995, which featured his signature sound of manipulated vinyl records and found sounds. He went on to release several more albums throughout the 1990s, including "Surf" (1999) and "Vinyl Coda I-III" (1999), which showcased his ability to create immersive soundscapes using only turntables and effects pedals. In the early 2000s, Jeck began collaborating with other musicians and artists, including composer Gavin Bryars and visual artist Sophie Clements. He also began incorporating live performance into his work, using multiple turntables and a variety of objects to create complex and dynamic soundscapes. One of Jeck's most notable performances was his 2010 collaboration with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, in which he provided live sound for the company's final world tour. Jeck's improvised soundscapes were a perfect complement to Cunningham's avant-garde choreography, and the collaboration was widely praised by critics and audiences alike. Jeck has also received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including a Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award in 2009 and a British Composer Award in 2010. His music has been featured in films, television shows, and art installations around the world, and he continues to be a leading figure in the experimental music scene. Despite his success, Jeck remains committed to exploring new sounds and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with turntables and found sounds. His music is a testament to the power of experimentation and the beauty of sound in all its forms.

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