Selektion

About

Selektion's journey through Germany's experimental soundscape from 1981 to 1996 was a process-driven exploration across formats and disciplines. With a catalog of 32 releases, the label became an interdisciplinary haven for tape manipulation, video art, and conceptual soundscapes. The label's format preference was clear: cassettes and VHS formed the backbone, with 16 cassettes and 5 video releases, sculpting an audial-visual experience that was as fractal as it was immersive. Achim Wollscheid's "Films" (1996) and Merzbow's "Live Juli 1995" and "Live Brückenkopf 1995" on VHS exemplify Selektion's embrace of live performance as a medium for sonic evolution. Releases such as "Ambivalenz und Ecstase" (1992) and "Last" (1991) by S.B.O.T.H.I. (Swimming Behavior Of The Human Infant) showcased a commitment to analog formats, while "The Impossible Humane" (1987) by Mixed Band Philanthropist and "Tionchor" (1987) by P16.D4 carved out new auditory territories. Selektion's roster was a constellation of artists whose work defied easy categorization, from the various collaborations of M. Caspers, H. Maus, and A. Wollscheid to the singular contributions of Merzbow. Each release was a deliberate act of creation, an opportunity to sculpt sound and image into new forms. The label's legacy is one of raw, unfiltered experimentation, a significant chapter in the annals of experimental music.