Restock due soon, few copies available. Limited and numbered edition of 250 copies with insert and bonus 7". Composed in 1998 for an exhibition of works by Joseph Beuys from the collection of Ute & Michael Berger in the Fluxeum Wiesbaden. Split release by Youdonthavetocallitmusic and Harlekin Art Records  In a significant addition to experimental music archaeology, Youdonthavetocallitmusic and Harlekin Art Records announce the first-ever release of Henning Christiansen's "Übersinnliches Gelächter – Opus 223," a haunting composition created in 1998 for an exhibition of Joseph Beuys works at Fluxeum Wiesbaden. This marks a crucial moment in the ongoing rehabilitation of one of Denmark's most important yet overlooked experimental composers. Until recently, Christiansen (1932–2008) remained among the most obscure figures in avant-garde music, known only to a devoted circle of sound-art enthusiasts and scholars. The Danish multi-disciplinary artist and composer, representing the most notable voice of Fluxus' Danish wing, spent his career dismantling boundaries between fine art and experimental sound. 

"Übersinnliches Gelächter – Opus 223" serves as both sonic artwork and historical document of Christiansen's profound creative relationship with Beuys. Between 1966 and 1971, Christiansen appeared in eight of Beuys' legendary performance actions, regularly providing sound tools and creating audio environments for the German artist's work. Their collaboration extended beyond the previously documented "Schottische Symphonie / Requiem of Art" (Edition Schellmann, 1973), encompassing years of teaching, socializing, and artistic exchange from 1967 to 1970.

Christiansen's deep respect for his German contemporary is evidenced in his four-part essay "Also a False Interpretation" (1968), making it entirely fitting that he would compose a specific work for the 1998 Beuys exhibition eight years after the artist's death. The 40-minute composition represents an astoundingly unique entry in Christiansen's catalog, echoing the dark existential temperaments characteristic of Beuys' work. Built upon a foundation of pulsing ambience a single, repeating low tone and its reverberant tail the piece unfolds through carefully structured movements, each dedicated to individual sound sources.

Into this moody backdrop, Christiansen weaves a palette of harsh textures and mysterious tones: harmonic squeals, duck calls resembling bovine laughter, processed percussive metals, and various unidentifiable sound sources. The result is an engrossing minimal journey that provokes inward reflection while maintaining a delicate balance between calm and underlying tension.

"Übersinnliches Gelächter – Opus 223" charts a fairly singular realm within Christiansen's output, offering stripped-back textures and tones that unlock previously unavailable dimensions of his practice. The work demonstrates his radical approach to collectivism and individualism, theatrical presentation and inward focus contradictory qualities that drove him down uncharted paths throughout his career.