We are pleased to announce that the album Chopin Residue by Mariusz Szypura has just been released. This unique project, developed over more than two years, presents the music of Fryderyk Chopin in a bold and contemporary form for the first time — stripped of the piano, reconstructed from what remains, and filtered through the sensibilities of artists from across the world.The album features an exceptional group of collaborators, including Lee Ranaldo, Adrian Utley, David Pajo, Matthew Herbert, John Stanier, Jim O’Rourke, Fennesz, Masayoshi Fujita, Zoh Amba, Joey Waronker, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Gail Ann Dorsey, Sean O'Hagan, John McEntire, Sugar Yoshinaga, Benoît Pioulard, Abul Mogard and others. Each contributed their own sonic language, making Chopin Residue a multi-layered narrative that blends musical deconstruction, ambient, electronics, improvisation, and experiment.
You can buy the album online, including here:
Thank you for all your messages and support — this is only the beginning of what’s ahead for the project. We will soon share more information about the next chapters of Chopin Residue in 2026.
Digital / 2LP / 2CD / 2MC / Limited Edition 3LPChopin Residue is a multidisciplinary project that explores the physical and conceptual boundaries of sound through a carefully controlled process of mechanical deconstruction. The project begins with the reinterpretation of selected compositions by Fryderyk Chopin, which are transformed into experimental audio pieces emphasizing texture, fragmentation, and abstraction. These reinterpretations serve as the source material for the next stage: manual lathe cutting onto vinyl records.
Using an analog lathe cutting technique, 81 vinyl discs were individually cut in real time. This process involves engraving grooves directly onto blank discs with a heated stylus, a slow and precise operation that allows no post-production editing. As the lathe engraves the sound grooves, it produces thin, spiral vinyl shavings — physical waste that is typically discarded. In this project, however, these shavings are collected and preserved as an essential part of the work.
Rather than being mere byproducts, the vinyl shavings are transformed into large-scale visual compositions. Mounted onto panels measuring two meters by two meters, these works materialize the sonic process itself, offering a tangible record of sound’s physical transformation. Through this approach, sound is not only heard but also seen and touched, shifting from an auditory experience to a multisensory encounter.
Simultaneously, the cutting process was documented in a durational performance lasting over two days. The documentation captures the meticulous labor and mechanical rhythm involved in cutting each record, emphasizing the relationship between human gesture and machine precision. This video material becomes part of the final presentation, adding an additional layer of meaning and context.
The culmination of the project is an intermedia installation that integrates the sculptural panels, video documentation, and a complex sound environment. Within the exhibition space, multiple turntables play the cut records, while a multichannel sound system delivers a layered composition built from the reinterpreted Chopin pieces. Light and laser projections animate the sculptural elements and surrounding architecture, creating a dynamic environment where sound, image, and object interact.
Crucially, the music exists not only within the installation but also as a double album release, which is an integral part of the entire work. The album is divided into two complementary parts: Deconstructions and Reworks. Deconstructions feature new arrangements of Chopin’s pieces by participating artists, who add layers and textures to create fresh interpretations. Reworks go a step further — inspired by these transformed sounds, artists compose entirely new pieces that extend the project’s creative exploration. Across both parts, the piano — a central element of Chopin’s music — has been deliberately removed. By setting aside the original instrument and its associated virtuosity, the focus shifts to what remains: tonal fragments, harmonic residue, and the emotional tension embedded beneath the surface.
The two discs - Deconstructions and Reworks - are designed to function not only sequentially but also simultaneously: listeners are invited to play both parts of the album at the same time — on two turntables or devices — to create evolving, layered soundscapes that mirror the spatial and temporal complexity of the installation. This open-ended format reflects the project's modular and durational nature.
The musical approach bridges experimental guitar, electronic music, and jazz, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of contributors such as Adrian Utley (Portishead), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), David Pajo (Slint, Papa M), Joey Waronker (Atoms For Peace, Beck), Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie), John McEntire (Tortoise), John Stanier (Battles), Jim O’Rourke, alongside new-generation musicians like Masayoshi Fujita and Zoh Amba.
The visual design of the album also forms part of the broader artwork. Photographic documentation of the large-scale vinyl shavings panels is integrated into the physical editions, reinforcing the connection between sound and materiality, and allowing the tactile, sculptural dimension of the project to echo through the experience of listening.
Through this multilayered process, Chopin Residue challenges conventional understandings of music and heritage. Destruction — whether of physical media or classical forms — is not an end, but a creative act that opens space for transformation, memory, and new meanings. The project invites us to rethink Chopin’s legacy not as a fixed canon but as living material, capable of continual reinvention.
With its precise technical execution and careful integration of media, Chopin Residue reframes the act of destruction not as an end but as a catalyst for new forms of artistic expression, challenging traditional notions of music, heritage, and materiality.