Beck Hansen’s Song Reader

Overview

Beck Hansen is the musical chameleon who has brought us one of the loveliest, most miserable break-up albums (Sea Change), a '90s anthem of self-loathing ('Loser'), a Prince-ish album of unadulterated funk (Midnite Vultures), and a collaboration with uber-cool Frenchie Charlotte Gainsbourg (IRM).

The thread that brings all these musical threads together is pure, alternative pop. Now, the ever-ambitious, ever-irresolute Beck has a high-concept project: his latest album, Song Reader, will be released as sheet music only. The 20 tracks will then be brought to life by fans and musicians around the world and posted online at http://www.songreader.net.

What's the actual music like? Well, we're not totally sure yet (it's released next month through Dave Eggers' publishing house McSweeny's). But local muso and producer Brian Campeau is giving us the opportunity to hear it this December. Josh Pyke, Jonathan Boulet, Dappled Cities, Caitlin Park, Richard In Your Mind, Aidan Roberts (Belles Will Ring), Thomas Rawle (Papa vs Pretty), and Elana Stone will be putting their spin on the first Australian performance of Beck's Song Reader.

FBi Radio and the Brag are on board, too — it's a fundraiser for the Sydney Story Factory, a non-profit writing centre for kids. And beyond that, Song Reader is a live experiment into collaboration and interactive music production in a digital age, and the regeneration of an almost forgotten form: the written note. Outside of file-sharing, Beck has emerged as one of the few musicians to ask what digital can do to create new ways of working and creating. Sound like an experiment worth being part of.

Image: Brian Campeau and Beck Hansen. Photo by Ken Leanfore.