Sad news that Achim Szepanski has died, founder of the highly influential Mille Plateaux and (now defunct) Force Inc labels.
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Shit.
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I was also a big fan of Force Tracks. I collected almost of the CDs they released in the early 2000s. Huge influence for me.
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that sucks.
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I’ve got a shelf full of Force Inc. 12"s that sits and stares malevolently at me most days; time to break some out and turn up the volume. Then some Mille Plateaux Clicks + Cuts on repeat to really shift the electronic music paradigm around again.
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rip
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These labels are so significant in my musical journey. Such a shame. RIP
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I still have many Force Inc vinyls. RIP
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Ogh scheisse… Any idea what will happen to labels? Maybe there’re some ppl around who could continue to work on new releases for Mille and Force? They planned to release some new things as far as I know… like Ultrablack series.
Achim wasn’t the easiest guy to talk with, always a bit too immersed into concepts and closed emotionally, but that’s the thing for the most ppl who has a vision. Still always interesting conversations and everything was full of ideas.
too early…
RIP
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Thanks for linking that @robinrimbaud
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That’s sad 
those labels were big part of my growing up and discovering electronic music
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For those of you who might be interested in the more philosophical approach to the label, this looks like interesting reading too. It’s a free download
“We published “TechnoDeleuze and Mille Plateaux” e.book /pdf in 2016/2017 with the help of Achim Szepanski. The Strong of the Future was a series of online books that Obsolete Capitalism published free under the Creative Commons 4.0 — It was a time of strong intellectual opposition, even on a personal level, with several people who were bewildered as to what was happening in the field of theory and philosophy. Everything was so accelerated. We and Achim Szepanski found ourselves on the same side of the fence. From distant admirers we became friends and conspirators on various fronts. Later we also published on his anarchic and chaotic portal NOT Copyriot. Fantastic. A great experience indeed. Unique. (…) Still we think that “TechnoDeleuze” was a beautiful definition of both his work and his person. He was definitively the Deleuze of the techno counter-culture…”
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There are currently rumours of the original Mille Plateaux releases being reissued later this year, but I find that unlikely, given that they need to gain permission from all the original artists and as far as I know, no-one has yet been approached regarding this.
Let’s see what follows
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Let’s see… I would really love to see someone to take over the role of Mille Plateaux as a “weather vane” in a world of electronic music. But maybe it’s a moment in time when all previous concept have to fade out and free the space for new discoveries and r-evolution. So I don’t think it’s a good idea to be nostalgic about Mille’s legacy, rather try to understand it better, draw the right conclusions and move things forward.
It’s a good example how the role of the individual can affect the whole scene and change music on a global scale. As well as how important to integrate philosophy and the whole human knowledge into the avantgarde art. Re-phrasing my old painter friend: “Artist is not the one who plays music or paints, it’s the one who research himself”.
Reading messages and posts of fb. He was such a “window” into “European thinking” for me, things I knew from books and “dead” philosophy theories become alive in context of modern music. Also I think I discovered a lot about Germany and way how society works by Achim’s activity. Despite I really think political activism is a bad idea and leads to disappointment and frustration, he was a great activist who mixed such a opposites into something completely unique and precious.
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There is a tribute Disquet Junto to the late Achim Szepanski, if somebody is interested to participate.
https://disquiet.com/2024/09/26/disquiet-junto-project-0665-clicks-cuts-music-factory/
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This was an interesting read.
I’think @Tajnost is thinking in the right direction when suggesting:
But some ideas are still usable. Maybe it’s time for new de-territorialisation. Quoting A.S. from the linked e-book: ” The de-territorialisation is the movement by which one leaves the territory. It is a process of disintegrating blockades, the exploding of established chan- nels, etc.”
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This is a brilliant project.
I’ve just bought C+C five and four ^^
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shit. RIP.
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I’m looking forward to your contribution to the Junto already - I should try to do one as well.
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