David Jackman
Encyclopedia
David Jackman is a British musician
and visual artist with an extensive catalogue of drone
works, mostly as the principal — and often sole — member of Organum.
Jackman's earliest known musical activity was as a member of Cornelius Cardew
's Scratch Orchestra
between 1969 and 1972. He later spoke highly of the value of his experiences in the ensemble, writing in 1994 that "I joined the orchestra in 1969 and soon found myself thrown into an energetic environment where to my surprise my musical ideas, however tentative, would be taken seriously and would actually get realised". In 1979 he began to release very short runs of cassette singles, in line with the prevailing underground cassette culture
. These were almost all released under his given name or the moniker Monoplane. It was not until 1983 that he began to use the name Organum and release his work on vinyl on various labels around Europe as well as his own imprint, Aeroplane. Many of his releases are short; he has released several one sided 7" singles and many EPs. In an interview with US magazine ND (issue 20, 1995), he declared "I don't enjoy lengthy programmes. A 70 minute CD is similar to the old double album. And I never did like that".
Live performances by Jackman have been very rare and he consents to very few interviews. Despite this relative seclusion, Organum has been a platform for many collaborations with contributors including Steven Stapleton
of Nurse With Wound
, Christoph Heemann
, Robert Hampson
, Jim O'Rourke
, Michael Prime of Morphogenesis
, Eddie Prèvost of AMM
, Andrew Chalk and noise
artists The New Blockaders. He also made a single, "Breakthough" for The Haters
without the intervention or collaboration of their principal member, GX Jupitter-Larsen; Jackman's website reports that Larsen said of the single that "my music has never sounded better". Prèvost, Stapleton and Heemann all released Organum albums on their respective labels with other releases appearing on Touch Records, Robot Records and German label Die Stadt. More recently, he guested with AMM
and made several collaborative releases with percussionist Z'EV
, all credited jointly to Z'EV and Organum.
He is also known for the distinctive artwork which adorns his releases, mostly surreal colourful collages, often meticulous in their detail. However, he has also released some recordings in deliberately spartan or even non-existent artwork - one CD release came in a clear jewel case with no paper parts or other packaging. The official website archives nearly all of this artwork.
Jackman continues to create new works as well as reissuing earlier, long-unavailable titles.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and visual artist with an extensive catalogue of drone
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
works, mostly as the principal — and often sole — member of Organum.
Jackman's earliest known musical activity was as a member of Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew was an English experimental music composer, and founder of the Scratch Orchestra, an experimental performing ensemble. He later rejected the avant-garde in favour of a politically motivated "people's liberation music".-Biography:Cardew was born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire...
's Scratch Orchestra
Scratch Orchestra
The Scratch Orchestra was an experimental musical ensemble founded in the spring of 1969 by Cornelius Cardew, Michael Parsons and Howard Skempton....
between 1969 and 1972. He later spoke highly of the value of his experiences in the ensemble, writing in 1994 that "I joined the orchestra in 1969 and soon found myself thrown into an energetic environment where to my surprise my musical ideas, however tentative, would be taken seriously and would actually get realised". In 1979 he began to release very short runs of cassette singles, in line with the prevailing underground cassette culture
Cassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
. These were almost all released under his given name or the moniker Monoplane. It was not until 1983 that he began to use the name Organum and release his work on vinyl on various labels around Europe as well as his own imprint, Aeroplane. Many of his releases are short; he has released several one sided 7" singles and many EPs. In an interview with US magazine ND (issue 20, 1995), he declared "I don't enjoy lengthy programmes. A 70 minute CD is similar to the old double album. And I never did like that".
Live performances by Jackman have been very rare and he consents to very few interviews. Despite this relative seclusion, Organum has been a platform for many collaborations with contributors including Steven Stapleton
Steven Stapleton
Steven Peter Stapleton is a British musician and the only constant member of experimental improv outfit Nurse with Wound...
of Nurse With Wound
Nurse with Wound
Nurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak...
, Christoph Heemann
Christoph Heemann
Christoph Heemann , is a German musician.Heemann has recorded under his own name, with the tape music group H.N.A.S., and with many collaborators in alternative rock, soundtrack production and visual arts....
, Robert Hampson
Robert Hampson
Robert Hampson is an English musician and composer, known primarily as a guitarist in the band Loop, which he co-founded in London in 1985 with his then girlfriend Becky Stewart . Loop recorded three albums, the last of which made the U.K...
, Jim O'Rourke
Jim O'Rourke (musician)
Jim O'Rourke is an Irish-American musician and record producer. He was long associated with the Chicago experimental and improv scene...
, Michael Prime of Morphogenesis
Morphogenesis (band)
Morphogenesis is a British experimental music group specializing in improvised music and the use of unconventional instruments and sound-making devices. Founded in 1985, the group usually was composed of ex-Scratch Orchestra member Roger Sutherland Morphogenesis is a British experimental music...
, Eddie Prèvost of AMM
AMM (group)
AMM are an important British free improvisation group, founded in London, England in 1965.AMM have never been well known to the general public, but have been incredibly influential on the field of improvised music...
, Andrew Chalk and noise
Noise music
Noise music is a term used to describe varieties of avant-garde music and sound art that may use elements such as cacophony, dissonance, atonality, noise, indeterminacy, and repetition in their realization. Noise music can feature distortion, various types of acoustically or electronically...
artists The New Blockaders. He also made a single, "Breakthough" for The Haters
The Haters
The Haters are a noise music and conceptual art troupe from the United States. Founded in 1979, they are one of the earliest and best-known acts in the modern noise scene...
without the intervention or collaboration of their principal member, GX Jupitter-Larsen; Jackman's website reports that Larsen said of the single that "my music has never sounded better". Prèvost, Stapleton and Heemann all released Organum albums on their respective labels with other releases appearing on Touch Records, Robot Records and German label Die Stadt. More recently, he guested with AMM
AMM (group)
AMM are an important British free improvisation group, founded in London, England in 1965.AMM have never been well known to the general public, but have been incredibly influential on the field of improvised music...
and made several collaborative releases with percussionist Z'EV
Z'EV
Z'EV is an American poet, percussionist, and sound artist. After studying various world music traditions at CalArts, he began creating his own percussion sounds out of industrial materials for a variety of record labels...
, all credited jointly to Z'EV and Organum.
He is also known for the distinctive artwork which adorns his releases, mostly surreal colourful collages, often meticulous in their detail. However, he has also released some recordings in deliberately spartan or even non-existent artwork - one CD release came in a clear jewel case with no paper parts or other packaging. The official website archives nearly all of this artwork.
Jackman continues to create new works as well as reissuing earlier, long-unavailable titles.