Audio Arts

About

Audio Arts operated at the intersection of sound and contemporary art, a brief yet impactful node within the German experimental scene from 1996 to 1998. The label's primary medium was the cassette — a choice reflecting both the intimate and ephemeral nature of audio documentation. With 116 cassettes, 4 magazines, and 1 reel, the label served as a conduit for artists to explore the liminal spaces between spoken word, sound performance, and interview. It was less a label in the traditional sense and more a curatorial project that sculpted auditory experiences into a form of artistic dialogue. "Recycling the Future" (1998) stands as a pivotal release, encapsulating the label's ethos of forward-thinking retrospection. Through a process-driven approach, Audio Arts captured voices and sounds that were both of their time and transcendental. Joseph Beuys' series of Lectures ('95-'98) offers a fractal insight into his conceptual universe, bridging gaps between art and life, idea and execution. These lectures, like the label itself, were interdisciplinary in nature, merging the theoretical with the tangible. The label’s commitment to documenting contemporary artistic activity was evident in its selection of key artists such as the Bow Gamelan Ensemble and Ian Breakwell. Each release was a sculptural artifact, a piece of history captured within the confines of magnetic tape. Audio Arts did not merely release sounds; it released experiences, each tape a portal into the creative psyche of its contributors. Despite its short lifespan, Audio Arts carved out a significant, albeit liminal, space within the experimental music domain. It challenges the listener to engage with art as process, as dialogue, and as an evolving document — a testament to the power of format and the enduring resonance of the spoken word.