Delphi

The Delphi was one of the greatest silent movie cinemas of Berlin. It was in operation since the late 20s, it shone in its own golden era, was bombed during the Second World War, was closed and then reused as a warehouse; its walls faded, its floor grew mildewy and its facade today does not indicate anything about what once went on the inside. The interior itself maintains a faded echo of its former glory and its integration in this century’s 20s makes it a hidden gem for some tourist guides of modern Berlin.

Klaus Janek had a surprising encounter with Jeff Surak that led to a recording session in Janek’s studios, in the area of Pankow in an old Bauhaus building very close to the Delphi. It was their first collaboration. Their dialogue was strictly musical, but the imposing presence and the history of the building was a silent connecting factor regarding their interaction as an improvisational duo and how they would be influenced by the narrative of the Delphi’s aesthetic incorporation by today’s artistic necessities. “Delphi”, out now on Coherent States, is a recording of all the interconnectivity between artists, space, time and sound.

Klaus Janek is a Berlin based composer, contrabassist and researcher. Originally from Bolzano/Italy, Janek is known…  more