the hidden city: sound portraits from göteborg
Various
Categories:
SR219
CD jewel case
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The book The Hidden City, People and Places in Gothenburg is an exploration of the open and hidden perspectives of this north European harbour town by journalist and writer Magnus Haglund and photographer Stefan Schneider. Through 28 chapters and 40 colour photographs they investigate the cultural and political life of Gothenburg, from 1850, through the industrial period, to contemporary challenges and transformations. The book is published by Glänta Produktion, an independent book and magazine publisher, based in Gothenburg.
Why is Gothenburg an interesting place? This is a city with a specific cosmopolitical history, where for example the East Indian Company, started in 1731, had its base and through its trading a lot of the wealth and property of the country had its upswing in the 18th and 19th centuries. The culture of trading meant an atmosphere of independence and a sense of both belonging and not belonging to the Swedish state. This is to be reflected in the Gothenburg version of the liberal tradition, something which is investigated and makes up one part of the book: what does this social liberalism mean today, when it is confronted with the multicultural situation and political tensions like the riots during the EU-summitt-meeting in June 2001? To transform, to question, to dream in new patterns: this is one of the themes of the book. Through conversations with writers and politicians, DJs and historians, and through situationist-inspired walkings-dérives through the city, the complexity of the town - which had quite a solid identity but now is interestingly insecure - is outlined and elicited. From the old city to the young one, through industrial areas and electronic soundscapes, the miscellanous character comes through, the productive oppositions. The city disturbs us.
The cd "The Hidden City" consists of some 15 sound portraits from the city, by artists that are featured in the book or have an interesting relationship with certain places or addresses in Gothenburg. Like Carsten Nicolai/Alva Noto who contributes with a remix/complete reconstruction of opus 1, Party, by the Gothenburg composer Rune Lindblad (1923-1991) who is interviewed in the book, in the chapter concerning the history of the Radium record label, run by Carl Michael von Hausswolff and Ulrich Hillebrand in the 1980s. The DJ/musician Christoffer Berg (here under the name Christoffer Brus), is doing a soundportrait of a small pond, photographed by Stefan Schneider in the book, and written about in a small passage as a possible place for the famous haiku by zen poet Basho ("The old pond/frog jumps in/splash!"). Christina Kubisch, sound artist from Berlin, has made a recording of the old mechanical carillon from the 18th century, in the belfry of the Christina church. Minimalist composer Peter Hansen is painting picture of the frozen winter landscape in the archipelago of Gothenburg in his chamber orchestra piece Winter Air. The record is a collage of the city, just like the book.
