Kyle Evans

The Destructive Use of the Phonograph as Musical

Instrument
2010

I. Introduction
The phonograph has had an enormous impact on all aspects of music.
From its original conception and throughout recent history, the phonograph
drastically and permanently altered the way we listen to, create and
understand music. Though the technology has undoubtedly played a central
role in 20th century musical culture, the phonograph has assumed an entirely
new persona in modern times, becoming reanimated as a new and expressive
musical instrument. In this age of digital storage and replication, concepts
behind the fragility of the vinyl disk have become increasingly recognized and
exploited. Despite its antiquity as a medium, a new perspective has been
given to the phonograph, especially through its revitalization among the
generations who never experienced the technology at its height of use. The
modern use of the phonograph has generated two distinct styles of
application; one of which recognizes the fleeting nature of the vinyl medium
and strives to preserve it, while the other responds to this nature by
exploiting it through destructive acts. These approaches are not only
intertwined with one another, but are also deeply rooted in both the
technologys socioeconomic history, and its fragile nature as a medium in
contrast to the relative permanency of modern digital technology.
Though there has been much experimentation over the last century in
extending the phonograph beyond its originally intended purpose by utilizing
the medium as a musical instrument, only a handful of artists and musicians
approach the technology with a disregard for its fragility. The destructive use
of a phonograph, both physically and sonically, addresses ideas that directly
confront our past and present understanding of the technology. Even now,
after the phonograph has been long replaced by digital technology, there

does still exist the fetishization of the vinyl record, just as it did during the
mediums peak era, bringing the Hi-Fi culture of the 1970s into the 21 st
century. In response to this culture, artists and musicians such as Milan
Knzk and Christian Marclay have based much of their work on the
intentional misuse of the technology.

II. Defining Destruction

It is important that the concepts of destruction and misuse towards
the phonograph are given a proper understanding upon which they will be
presented. The term destruction implies the physical breaking and damaging
of the phonograph and its vinyl medium, but additionally in this context can
represent non-violent manipulation as well. An example would be the physical
alteration of a phonograph, such as removing the tone arm or replacing the
needle with external objects, thereby displacing it from its originally intended
purpose. In addition to physical destruction and alteration, the categories
can be broadened into the realm of sonic destruction. These are sounds that
imply destruction as judged from our preconceived understanding of a record
player, but without any physical damage to the device itself. For example, it
is easy for a listener to identify a sound originating from a phonograph as
having a destructive nature as we are highly trained in recognizing the
characteristics of a broken or damaged phonograph (pops, crackles and
skips), though it is possible for these sounds to be created without causing
permanent damage.
The mistreatment of the phonograph has followed a particular
evolution that can be directly linked to its value as a commodity. 1 While the
turntable has been a tool for experimentation throughout modern music

history, the methods of experimentation have changed dramatically over the

decades. In the phonographs early existence, experimentation remained
within non-destructive means of manipulation due to its very high economic
value. Such manipulations included changing the playback speed and
reversing the record. An example of this would be John Cages Imaginary
Landscapes No. 1 (1939), which calls for the use of variable speed turntables.
On top of its high value, the medium had yet to build its reputation relative to
what it represents in modern times. Therefore any destructive acts to the
phonograph, or to the expensive shellac discs used at the time, would not
carry with it the same artistic or political impact that it does today. It would
not be until the early 1960s that phonographic abuse would surface. The
artistic trajectory of the phonograph would dither as Fluxus artists began
destroying the medium in a manner that would not emerge again for another
thirty years.

III. Fluxus Destruction Milan Knzk

The destruction of valued commodities was a common practice among
many Fluxus era performance artists and musicians. Especially popular was
the violent destruction of musical instruments. This destructive act brings
forth new sonic expressions produced by the instruments (the sounds of
shattering splinters of a smashed violin2) and many questions regarding the
objects socioeconomic value. The phonograph was no exception to the
violent performances of the Fluxus movement, giving the technology new
meaning thorough the act of destruction. An example of this is Milan Knzks
disregard for vinyl fetishization, which he makes evident through not only
acts of misuse, but intentional destruction.

Czech artist Milan Knzk began

experimenting with broken records in the
1960s. Knzks interest in records
generated from a lack thereof. Vinyl at
the time was not an overproduced
medium, causing the price of a record to
remain relatively high.

I bought (1963) a record player but there was no money left to buy
the records. I had just a few of them. I played them over and over. It
was boring. Then I [started] to play them slower and slower and slower
and faster and faster. It created funny, interesting, non-boring music. I
began to scratch the records to make the needle [jump] and so
[created] unexpected music or [to make the needle stick] in a scar and
[play] the same sequence over and over. 3
- Milan Knzk
Img. 1. Album cover of the re-release
Broken Music by Milan Knzk

Knzk released the aptly titled album Broken Music in 1979. The
album is a sonic collection of the broken and altered records he had produced
throughout the 60s and 70s. Though originally created as a method to
experiment with new musical ideas, Knzk soon realized the sculptural
significance of his destroyed records. These records had the ability to
question the cultural significance of music and the influence of the
phonographic medium.
In the 70s Giancarlo Politi the owner of the magazine Flash Art
took some of my records, sold them to Gino di Maggio who put them
on the wall. This was kind of a push for me and therefore I began to
think of records also as sculptures. But I never wanted to give up the
musical functions.4 - Milan Knzk

Milan Knzk and the Fluxus movement represent an anomaly in the

progression of broken and destroyed phonographs and records as musical
instruments. These kinds of destructive techniques would not reappear until
the 1980s. The reason for this break in the trajectory is due to an increased
interest in the destruction of valued commodities in Fluxus performance art
and music. Nam June Paik explored this concept through cathode ray tube
imagery distortion with magnetism (Magnet TV, 1965), and artists Ralph Ortiz
and Paul Pierrot physically destroyed our previous concepts of music by
demolishing a piano at the Destruction in Art Symposium (1966). The
phonograph was no exception. The high value of the phonograph and vinyl
records encouraged the destructive acts of the Fluxus artists as it raised
questions regarding its value economically as
well as its representation as a social artifact.

IV. Punk Rock Destruction Christian

Marclay
Through the Hi-Fi culture of the 70s, the
phonograph remained an expensive commodity.
Though, during this period an overproduction of
records would create a decrease in the value of
the vinyl disk, which in turn would generate an
increase in destructive experimentation of the medium. This result can be
seen in the aggressive response Christian Marclay would construct towards
the lingering record fetish and newly created DJ cultures throughout the 80s
and 90s.

I never identified with serious musicbecause its language I cant

express myself in. I cant read or write music. The first thing that had a
creative impact on me was not this kind of music, though Cage and
Fluxus were influential. It was the Sex Pistols and DNA the really raw
energy of punk. It was more than just music; it was very physical. 5
Christian Marclay
Marclay first became interested in record manipulation upon
discovering an abused Batman record in a heavily trafficked Boston street.
His interest was immediately engaged upon listening to the pops, clicks and
unexpected loops that emerged from this discarded record. 6 This seminal
moment would create a progression in Marclays work towards the intentional
Img. 2. Christian Marclay Performance
at Spit, Boston. 1985

and aggressive disregard for the preservation of the

vinyl record. Coinciding with the demise of the

phonograph as a popular medium, Marclay found a world of cheap and
disposable material at his discretion. This abundance of material generated
by the consumer culture of the United States, in combination with Marclays
interest in the performative energy of punk rock, pushed him in a direction of
utilizing not only vinyl, but also the phonograph itself in a new and expressive
manner as a musical instrument. An example of his early ingenuity is made
explicit in his instrument The Phonoguitar.
Marclays modified turntable could be slung over the performers
shoulder and interacted with in a manner similar to that of a guitar. By
recklessly spinning the record backwards and forwards, smashing the tone
arm into its grooves and shoving the instrument against the amp to create
feedback, his actions resembles something closer to Jimi Hendrix than a diskjockey. In fact, Marclays piece Ghost (I dont live today) (1985), is an homage
to Hendrix in which he uses his Phonoguitar with a Hedrix record and

processes the sounds through a wha-wha pedal. Though clever in concept,

the response from his audience at the time was not always positive;
The first time I used the Phonoguitar was also at The Kitchen (New York)
with Yoshiko Chuma. We collaborated on a dance and music duo. I wanted to
move around the dancer, to interact. We made this piece called Guitar Crash.
It was the first time I ever got booed. It was amazing 90 per cent of the
audience booed in unison; it felt like theyd rehearsed it. Yoshiko and I took it
as a complement.7
Christian Marclay
Marclays experiments with the phonograph came at a critical time in the
history of the technology as hip-hop generated a resurgence of the turntable
into popular culture. Marclay
began his work with records just before and in parallel to the creation of this
new music industry. This unique positioning meant that the audience of his
early work
correlation to

Img. 3. Marclay with his Phonoguitar,

performing with Elliot Sharp at Ski
Lodge, New York. 1983

would have no direct

the phonograph as instrument in the way

that all musicians experimenting with the
medium today must face. In fact, as the
world of hip-hop began to mature, Marclay
was given the opportunity to respond to
the new stereotypes being established for
the DJ, and inversely, hip-hop and
turntablism had the opportunity to pull
ideas from Marclay. The plunderphonics
technique used by both avant-garde
musicians and hip-hop tuntableists can represent a more broad association
that connects the two, but a direct connection can be seen in the music video

for Tone-Locs Wild Thing (1989) in which the DJ has a turntable slung over his
shoulder in a manner very similar to Marclays Phonoguitar. 8

V. Post-modern Destruction Otomo Yoshihide and Lucas Abela

The 1980s and 90s brought about the emergence of new playback
mediums and the complete demise of the turntable in consumer culture.
Beyond hip-hop and the occasional vinyl connoisseur, the phonograph was
becoming obsolete. The emergence of hip-hop and the decline of the
consumer turntable created a paradigm shift toward the understanding of
the phonograph as a musical instrument. With the availability of old
phonographs and discarded vinyl records, a new stereotype emerged in
which artists could respond to and react against, moving the trajectory of the
phonograph-as-instrument to a new level of destruction. This shift can be
seen explicitly in the work of artists such as Otomo Yoshihide and Lucas
Abela.
Otomo Yoshihide has developed a large repertoire as a turntablist within
the Japanese experimental music scene. While also active as a guitarist, he is
well known for his record-less turntable
Img. 4. Otomo Yoshihide in performance

work. Yoshihide commonly employs a

technique in which the turntable is used not for its ability to playback
prerecorded materials, but instead
the metal platter and other resonant
objects act as sources for noise,
percussive patterns and aggressive
feedback. The result is a very

abrasive and destructive sonic pallet that nonetheless maintains a

performative quality.
A unique aspect of Yoshihides works is his interest in expanding his
turntable experimentation beyond performance and into the gallery. In 2008,
he along with Aoyama Yasutomo contributed two installations to the
ENSEMBLES event at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media entitled
Without Records and Hyper WR Player Without Records Hi-Fi Version. 9 Each
of the installations take on the two contrasting sides of Yoshihides unique
approach to the record-less turntable. In Without Records, Yoshihide uniquely
modifies approximately one hundred old self amplified turntables and places
them at different heights throughout an acoustically rich gallery space. Each
phonograph has been modified in a manner that generates different patterns,
noises and tones by utilizing corrugated paper, iron, springs etc. Though not
a performative piece, it is far from static. The audience is encouraged to
interact with the turntables by activating some and deactivating others or
altering the positioning of the tone arm. By using old phonographs, the piece
gives and example of how the cheap and obsolete turntable can be
repurposed to create a unique sonic experience.
In contrast, Hyper WR Player Without Records Hi-Fi Version uses
modern automation technology to express a different approach to the
phonographs abilities. A customized turntable with four tone arms, equipped
with modern DJ cartridges, all perform an automated synchronized dance as
they skip and hiss across the spinning platter. The piece interestingly
juxtaposes the delicate and precise movements of the tone arms with the
destructive sounds being produced by their movement. Both of these pieces
represent a very small part of Yoshihides wide catalog of work. Yoshihide, as

well as Marclay and Knzk, heavily exploit the use of noise in their
phonograph work. Noise is, of course, the prominent sonic output when
destructively handling the technology. Australian noise musician Lucas Abela
pushes the idea of noise in relation to the phonograph even further by not
just making it a property of his work, but a central aspect.
Lucas Abela pushes both the physical limits of his body as well as the
mental limits of his audience in his radical performances. Performing under
aliases such as Rice Corpse, Peeled Hearts Paste, Justice Yeldham, and A
Kombi, Abela dynamically presents the noise he produces by utilizing his own
very raw arsenal of modified phonographs and instruments. Though his
collective work does extend beyond the turntable, such as screaming into
shards of glass, his work with the phonograph as a central concept represents
some of his most interesting and sonically horrifying examples.
Abela has two turntable instruments, both of which use powerful
electric motors to spin records and other objects at an extremely high
velocity. His instrument the Bridge consists of several spinning motors on
which records and cymbals are attached and played with a handheld stylus.
Performing with the Bridge under the title of Peeled Hearts Paste, all of the
work is violent, destructive and interjected with an occasional sense of
humor. The abrasive quality of his work is amplified by his raw recording
techniques, which push the sounds to the forefront of your perception. An
example of his dynamic and tonal variety is the piece Tossypot. In this piece,
his modified turntable system makes use of not only vinyl, but different types
of spinning metallic objects as well.
The second of his turntable modifications is his Sewing Machine
Turntable. With a stack of vinyl records bolted to an industrial sewing

machine motor, which spins at speeds up to 2,850 revolutions per minute,

Abela smashes an amplified meat skewer into the stack of records as they
shatter in all directions. Caleb Kelly writes about a 2002 performance of the
instrument,
The sound is dominated by intense noise: loud bursts of sound join
occasionally recognizable high-speed cartoon-like tunes. The force with
which the needle is applied to the discs
causes them to shatter at regular intervals,
and as they do shards of vinyl are
propelled across the room; some firmly
embedded in the gallery walls. In total the
performance lasts around eight minutes
before the combination of a completely
shattered set of vinyl and a broken needle
cause the end of the piece.10
-Caleb Kelly

Img. 5. Lucas Abela performing

with records attached to a
modified industrial sewing
machine

Abela no longer performs with the

instrument, as it has become a danger to himself and the audience.

VI. Conclusion
The phonograph has found itself as a mainstream musical instrument
in modern times with the rise in hip-hop and turntablism. In fact, 1999 was
the first year that turntables outsold guitars11, representing a fundamental
shift in popular concepts of the medium. Even with its newfound popularity it
is not often that you see an artist experimenting with the technology in a
destructive fashion. While the world remains concentrated on the sensitivity
of the medium with a fear of damaging the material, some artists have taken
this as a means for musical expression. Ranging from aggressive actions to

subtle mistreatment, the destructive use of the phonograph suggests much

about musical culture and the consumer industry. The contemporary use of
the turntable as a sound creation device makes it a quintessential postmodern musical instrument, and the destruction of the technology has
allowed artists to explore concepts ranging from it historical socioeconomic
value to the exploitation of its current representation as a virtuosic musical
instrument in hip-hop and DJ culture. Through Christian Marclays response to
the overproduction of vinyl records in the United States, or by Otomo
Yoshihides technically advanced and elaborate misuse of the turntable,
destroying and modifying the phonograph has proved to be just as useful to
the creation of music as it is to its original purpose of reproducing it.

Works Cited
1. Kelly, Caleb. Cracked Media. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
The MIT Press, 2009. Page 98.
2. Cracked Media. Page 125.
3. Cracked Media. Page 142
4. Cracked Media. Page 145-146
5. Marclay, Christian. Gordon, Kim. Interview: Kim Gordon in Conversation
with Christian Marclay. In Christian Marclay. New York: Phaidon Press
Inc., 2005. Page 13
6. Marclay, Christian. Interview Cut-up, 1991-2004. In Christian Marclay.
New York: Phaidon Press Inc., 2005. Page 108.
7. Interview Cut-up. Page 115
8. Tone-Loc. Wild Thing. Delicious Vinyl, 1988.
9. Yamaguchi Center for the Arts and Media. Otomo Yoshihide /
Ensembles. http://www.ycam.jp/en/art/2008/06/otomo-yoshihideensembles.html
10.Cracked Media. Page 1.
11.Collins, Nicolas, ed. Leonardo Music Journal 13: Groove, Pit and
Wave.
Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003).