jo jena/imm has just launched a subscription on bandcamp. You find it here
the term ‘seminarium’ is derived from the latin ‘seminare’, meaning ‘to sow’, and refers to a seedbed. this medieval academic term, significant for german idealist philosophy, was chosen here as a deliberate departure from the marketing rhetoric of “gold”, “silver”, “platinum” and “VIP”, which usually imposes a quasi-baroque “rich” style and corresponding prices, even in the context of music products: the point at which the major labels and trumptower had already converged, both aesthetically and in spirit, by the end of the 1980s.
ultimately, this collection contains the usual outtakes, but also experiments developed into full-length albums which, in the view of imm records, do not belong in the public presentation because they do not meet the high aesthetic standards of stylistic coherence, audience focus and quality to the same extent as the official releases. however, rather than ‘squeezing’ them into the main releases as is customary with the major labels, the seminarium establishes a space where these prototypes – evolutionary offshoots of the creative process that have been left behind – can also be experienced by fans in the manner of an archive.
the subscription price has therefore been deliberately kept low – in keeping with the tradition of the old humboldt-style university with its low tuition fees. in return, a certain degree of confidentiality is expected from participants: what is found here can be studied to draw inspiration and to discuss together. but like an academic seminar, it is ultimately to be understood as a protected space, which accordingly does not exist within the harsh realm of public practice. furthermore, all material is copyright protected and GEMA certified.
upon its launch in April 2026, subscribers will initially gain access to:
- 12 audio recordings, including extensive documentation of the free solo series and an early succesful participation in the ensemble modern composition competition
- extensive sheet music, postscores, videos and materials accompanying the recordings
- access to three exclusive physical releases including scores
- a free version of “trial 721” inclusing scores
- exclusive access to similar experiments in the future and, with that, an invitation to participate in the future development of imm records, for example through comments, suggestions or exclusive listening sessions.
