Artist, writer, curator, theorist, and activist Jean-Jacques Lebel (Paris, 1936) has been a spearhead of the avant-garde since the 1950s. Lebel formed an early link between the European avant-garde and the American Beat Generation, introduced Happenings to Europe, was one of the creative minds behind the May 68 revolt, organised the Festival de la libre Expression (which evolved into the Polyphonix festivals), provided first French translations of works by Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and William Burroughs and has curated large exhibitions on Francis Picabia, Antonin Artaud, Henri Michaux, Pablo Picasso a.o. La Maison rouge in 2009 and Centre Pompidou in 2018 dedicated comprehensive shows to Lebel’s works, views and international connections.
The 12″ vinyl Kozmik Zigzag that Jan van Toorn’s Slowscan has now released, contains pieces that were recorded at Lebel’s home in Paris in 2021, a performance together with jazz improvisations by Joëlle Léandre in 1993 and a talk (in English) between Lebel and Andres Pardey of the Tinguely Museum, Basel, in 2022. The artwork of this beautiful release is by Jean-Jacques Lebel himself, the design of the sleeve by Johnny Van de Koolwijk. 30 copies of the LP are available on green vinyl.