Fällt | History
Various Formats | F.0000.0000
Fällt was established in the mid 90s by W. Conrad Röntgen and Christopher Murphy as a vehicle for publishing limited editions and multiples. It is perhaps best described using the text from our original 'Description' Meta Tags, unchanged in over a decade:
"Fallt is an independent publishing house specialising in experimental music, fine art, design and criticism. We publish well-designed, collectable works in small, but affordable editions."
Early contributors and partners included Christophe Behrens, Otaku Yakuza and Anton van Leewenhoek (1969 - 1999). All helped define and shape the organisation, their wide-ranging experience contributing to the organisation's extensive focus.
At the turn of the millennium, attention shifted primarily to audio experiments, in particular the emerging field of '.microsound'. Notable releases included Pimmon's 'Assembler' which sought to challenge the boundaries of where a conventional CD might exist; and the 24 CD Boxed Set the 'invalidObject Series' described by Philip Sherburne (Earplug, The Wire) as, "A remarkable document of a vibrant artistic community and a critical moment in the evolution of digital music.".
The 'invalidObject Series' encapsulated many of Fällt's underlying concerns, including: a collective approach; an emphasis on collaboration; and exploring methods of making high quality works available in a variety of formats to a variety of audiences - ranging from paid for limited editions in hardware format (physical objects) to free unlimited editions in software format (downloadable objects).
Audio experiments were followed by design-driven works which included: '35 mm | Design in Miniature' - which shifted the focus from '.microsound' to '.microdesign'; 'Fodder' - a downloadable "suggestion for the music industry" comprising a free, open source approach to DIY digital audio; and 'Vs.' - a design clash between Fällt designers Fehler and 12k/LINE designers Taylor Deupree and Richard Chartier.
After a two year hiatus - during which 'Invisible Cities', 'Vs.' and '35 mm » Design in Miniature' have exhibited internationally - Fällt returns with a new core team: Christian Lange, Curator; Nicholas Kove, Developer; and Fairchild Semiconductor, Software Artist. W. Conrad Röntgen remains, ensuring a consistency of vision as we embark on a new phase in our development. Christopher Murphy, one of Fällt's co-founders, steps back to take on an advisory role, focussing his attention on his role within design collective Fehler, Fällt's designers.
Our next steps will return to our focus on open source audio in particular a further exploration of the circulation of high quality audio packaged in new ways that embrace current digital delivery methods whilst retaining the better aspects of older distribution, notably good design and the intangible qualities that mean we still hang on to our cherished LPs.
