"Decoder Handbuch" by Klaus Maeck and Walter Hartmann (1984)

 

Duisburg, Germany: Trikont Duisberg (book, compilation), 1984.
11.625" x 8.25" x 0.25", 60 pages, softcover, ISBN 3-88974-100-2.

Decoder Handbuch, 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 pages 12-13 is "Cut-Ups Self-Explained" by Brion Gysin, the only text in English in this book, accompanied by a photo by Ian Sommerville of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin together.

At pages 18-21 is "Dreamachine" by Brion Gysin, which includes plans for a Dreamachine.

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.

This copy was acquired from Antiquariat Kyra Maralt (Warthe, Germany). I brought it with be to the EBSN "Cut-Ups Conference" in Paris, 2023, where Klaus Maeck kindly inscribed the copy, at his foreword.

Contents:

• Synopsis of the film Decoder
• Klaus Maeck: Vorwort (foreword)
• Klaus Maeck: "FuMu" (essay)
• Genesis P-Orridge: "Muzak: Ein Konzept zur Manipulation von Menschen"
• William S. Burroughs: quote from "Die unsichtbare Generation"
• Antony Balch: film still
• Klaus Maeck and William S. Burroughs: "We Are Here to Go" (interview)
• Kate Simon: photographs
• Brion Gysin: "Cut-Ups Self-Explained" (essay/cut-up)
• Ian Sommerville: photo of Burroughs and Gysin
• William S. Burroughs: "Der erste Watergate-Skandal passierte im Garten Eden" (essay)
• William S. Burroughs: "Infraschall" (essay)
• Brion Gysin: "Dreamachine"
• William S. Burroughs: "Die Städte der roten Nacht" (prose excerpt from Cities of the Red Night)
• S. Clay Wilson: illustration
• Elias Canetti: "R/H/Y/T/H/M/U/S" (essay)
• Aleister Crowley: self-portrait
• Sandy Robertson: "Aleister Crowley: Tu was du willst sei das ganze Gesetz" (essay)
• Genesis P-Orridge: "Die Verbreitung von Information" (essay)
• Klaus Maeck: "Psychic TV und Temple ov Psychick Youth" (essay)
• TOPY: "An Introduction to the Temple Ov Psychick Youth: Sex" (essay)
• Jann Riephoff: photographs
• Jean Baudrillard: "Die Szene und das Obszöne" (essay)
• various sources: on frogs
• John Heartfield: illustration
• Max Boas and Steve Chain: "Inside McDonalds" (essay)
• Paul Davis: "Freedomburger" (painting)
• Film credits
• Klaus Maeck, Muscha, Volker Schaefer, and Trini Trimpop: "Decoder Drehbuch" (film overview)
• Bibliographies
• Biographies of Muscha, Klaus Maeck, Volker Schaefer, and Trini Trimpop