Decoder (1984)

A burger shop employee (FM Einheit from German industrial band 'Einstürzende Neubauten'!) discovers hidden hypnotic frequencies in pleasant restaurant background music, alters them (after William S Burroughs tells him how to do it in a dream) and incites a revolution against a dark, dystopian regime. His girlfriend (played by 80s icon Christiane F) helps him with her frog collection. Oh yeah... and Genesis P-Orridge from Throbbing Gristle helps him on his mission too with some magick. *Decoder Handbuch*, is a compilation of text and image brought together and edited by Klaus Maeck and Walter Hartmann as a tie-in for the film *Decoder* (in which Burroughs plays a role). Contributing editors are Volker Schäfer, Muscha, and Genesis [Breyer] P-Orridge. Typesetting by Petra Petzold. A scarce item. German-language only (except for Brion Gysin's "Cut-Ups Self-Explained"). The film *Decoder* which this book supports was produced by Fett Film (Düsseldorf, Germany), directed by Muscha, and written by Klaus Maeck, Trini Trimpop, and Volker Schaefer. Camerawork by Johanna Heer, Peter "Sleazy" Christofferson, et al. Music by David Ball of Soft Cell, as well as F. M. Einheit and Genesis [Breyer] P-Orridge, et al. The cast included F. M. Einheit, Bill Rice, Christiane Felscherinow ["Christiane F."], Matthias Fuchs, Bertold Bell, Ralf Richter, William S. Burroughs, Genesis [Breyer] P-Orridge, et al. The film was also released in 1984. This book contains a number of Burroughs and Gysin related contents. At page 9 is a quote from William S. Burroughs taken from "Die unsichtbare Generation" ["The Invisible Generation"], along with two images: a still (uncredited) from Antony Balch's *Towers Open Fire* of Burroughs with a reel-to-reel tape machine, at rue Gît-le-Cœur, 1962, and a still of Burroughs from the film Decoder, in London, 1982, picking at a tape player (this was likely shot by Peter "Sleazy" Christophersen [of Throbbing Gristle and Coil]). At pages 10-11 is "We Are Here to Go", a brief interview of William S. Burroughs by Klaus Maeck. Photos of Burroughs by Kate Simon accompany this interview. At pages 15-16 is "Der erste Watergate–Skandal passierte im Garden Eden" [this is an excerpt from "Playback from Eden to Watergate"] by William S. Burroughs. At pages 16-17 is "Infraschall" ["Infrasound", an excerpt from *The Job* – ref. pp.54-56 of the Cape edition] by William S. Burroughs. At pages 22-23 is an excerpt from "Die Städte den roten Nacht" ["Cities of the Red Night"] by William S. Burroughs, An image of Burroughs and some text about him and Brion Gysin is at page 55, in "Decoder Drehbuch" by Klaus Maeck, Muscha, Volker Schaefer, and Trini Trimpop. At page 59 is a short bibliography of William S. Burroughs. A still from the movie showing Burroughs is on the back cover of this book, as well. In addition, there are two Brion Gysin contributions: "Cut-Up Self-Explained" – which is accompanied by a photo by Ian Sommerville of Gysin with William S. Burroughs – and "Dreamachine" – which includes Dreamachine plans. This copy was acquired from Antiquariat Kyra Maralt (Warthe, Germany). I brought it with me to the EBSN "Cut-Ups Conference" in Paris, 2023, where Klaus Maeck kindly inscribed the copy, at his foreword, following a screening of *Decoder*. https://www.miningforburroughs.com/2025/05/decoder-handbuch-by-klaus-maeck-and.html