Jandek

Jandek is one of music's genuine outsiders, around whom a whole series of conspiracy theories and myths have sprung up. Reclusive to an extreme, Jandek has only ever given two interviews, one via phone with a Spin magazine journalist in 1985, and one in 1999, when an intrepid journalist tracked him down, and shared a conversation over a beer with the man himself. He ended the interview by politely requesting that no-one should try to contact him again. His first ever live gig was in 2004, at the Glasgow Instal festival, where he wasn't announced on the line-up, didn't share a hotel with any other artist, and announced himself merely as a representative of Corwood Industries. His many albums (40 and counting since 1978) are all released by his own label, the aforementioned Corwood Industries, who release no other artist's work. They are all characterised by their lack of information, just a track-listing, and a oblique front cover, quite often grainy or out of focus. usually a picture of a house (with or without curtains on display, as the more obsessive fans note), or the man himself, from different pages of his life. The music itself ranges between acoustic or electric folk/blues. Jandek's own playing style is seemingly untutored, open and fret-less, low and high-end single notes played at random. Occasionally other musicians appear, the more conventional guitar work of 'Eddie', female vocals and drums, apparently also untrained.