Interview with American artist William Basinski (b.1958) about his work, and why he feels we all need to turn off the email and the cell phone, and find our way into a meditative listening mood.

Basinksi explains how he works as an artist, and defines his music as ”experimental, electronic, ambient music” based on obsolete technology. Basinski makes analogue tape loops with no beginning or end, thus creating ”a timeless amniotic bubble that you can float in.” He also talks of his live performances, explaining that he is extremely concentrated on listening intensely to the music, the room and the resonance, while feeling the crowd: ”The tendency when you are under pressure like that, is to try and do too much, but you have to fight that tendency, in order to listen” he adds.

William Basinski is a classically trained musician and composer who has been working in experimental media for over 30 years. His 4-disc masterwork 'The Disintegration Loops' from 2004 received international critical acclaim. Installations and films made in collaboration with artist-filmmaker James Elaine have been presented in festivals and museums internationally, and Basinksi has recently created music for the Robert Wilson opera 'The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic' which toured Europe in 2012 and North America in 2013.

William Basinksi was interviewed by Alexander Vesterlund at CLICK festival, Helsingør, Denmark, May 2013.

Camera: Klaus Elmer
Edited by: Kamilla Bruus
Music by: William Basinski
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2013

Supported by Nordea-fonden