Kallabris

Kallabris is the project of Michael Anacker. Active since 1986, its work has been described as ‘electro-acoustic chamber music’ — a description which should be taken literally. Anacker’s main interest is a reflection on the electro-mechanical conditions of sound recording presented in everyday recording devices such as cheap home computers, dictaphones and answering machines.

Kallabris (D/Bochum)

Thus, he is not interested in the limits of musical styles but in the limitations of sound (re)production.
Since the mid 80s Kallabris has been musically active, at least from time to time. However, most of the time it was rather passive – or active only in a very casual sense of ‚active.‘ Its music has been described as electro-acoustic chamber music, which should be taken literally and not as an art-tag. Neither art nor tags are part of Kallabris‘ interest. Even though Kallabris‘ interest has changed through the active and passive years, there has always been one corner-stone: simplicity. Unfortunately, ’simplicity‘ is a term not easily defined. Simple ontologies may ask for complex theories, and simple theories usually require complex ontologies. But even worse: the simplest solution very often means hard work and good craftsmanship. Attributes, no-one in his right mind would dare to predicate to Kallabris, even though Kallabris believes in the completeness of first-order logic (including existence) and, thus, is fully aware that attributions of this kind are justifiable.

Kallabris has sometimes been identified with a person called Michael Anacker. No entity without identity, says scholastic metaphysics. But Kallabris is no entity, nor is Kallabris a person. Thus, we conclude, this identification is only a marketing trick.