What hasn’t been said about William Basinski? For decades, the avant-garde composer/sound sculptor/video artist has been a figurehead of the New York art and music scene. Starting out as a classically trained clarinettist in the 80s, in the early 00s – following years of playing various roles in experimental bands – Basinski hit a global nerve with the release of his ‘Disintegration Loops’. The mournful and meditative old muzak tapes, played against each other in loops while coming undone in the process, formed the foundation of a radical new sound practice – inspired by the likes of Cage, Reich and Eno, and reflecting on inevitable existential notions such as time and decay. “I can’t fight all this crazy-ass shit that’s going on in the world by marching in the streets. But I can create a different resonant frequency, taking people out of time for a minute.”

Thursday, August 3