DJ Audio$var is an artistic endeavor led by Danish/Faroese experimental musician Kristian Vester, also known as Goodiepal. This project initially emerged as a series of audio comments related to his Radical Computer Music theory, accompanied by an "audio walkthrough" tape. In June 2009, Goodiepal began sharing YouSendIt links to voice messages—ranging from 2 to 10 minutes, featuring an acoustic intro "jingle"—in the comments section of a recent article from Geiger.DK, a notable Danish indie music magazine. This article discussed his contentious expulsion from DIEM, igniting extensive discussions about his work on the magazine's forum.
As the project progressed, DJ Audio$var transformed into professionally produced mixtapes and podcasts, often lasting between 3 to 5 hours. These compilations included unreleased albums, alternative mixes, and recordings of Goodiepal's talks and festival performances. Some of the Audio$vars were designed to be played alongside specific records. For example, three limited-edition "add-ons" to Goodiepal's infamous album Route 66 Eksperimentet, released in March 2011, included a URL on the LP center labels for downloading corresponding DJ Audio$vars.
In May 2014, following the acquisition of Goodiepal's personal collection by the National Gallery of Denmark for a permanent installation, he made the first comprehensive Audio$var archive available via a public Wi-Fi network for visitors. Kristian Vester had previously experimented with a similar concept of peer-to-peer data sharing; in November 2004, he purchased a full-page advertisement in The Wire to promote "Hacker Packs," which comprised nine-disc packages filled with unique content, including music, videos, pirated software, and a library of conspiracy theories.
In addition to the Audio$vars, Goodiepal has also released several "Text_$var" documents and a collection of over 160 "snappidags," which feature photographs, musical scores, handwritten notes in both English and Danish, screenshots, postcards, documents, images of rare releases (such as his debut solo tape from 1991), and various quirky objects, including a DIY sound device concealed within a hollow book, reminiscent of SHOZYGs from the 1960s. This collection even includes a scanned bank statement detailing the costs associated with Route 66 Eksperimentet. Goodiepal elaborated on some of the snappidags in a June 2012 episode of the documentary series A Day in the Mouth.
In October 2019, an online collection featuring over 100 Audio$vars was posted. The following August, The Lake Radio's "Podcast for Contemporary Art" dedicated an entire episode to Goodiepal's Audio$vars, with the presentation led by museum curator Magnus Kaslov.
Notable DJ Audio$var Releases:
Several Audio$vars have been officially released, including:
- DJ Audio$var #19
"A Message To The International Hacker Community" (Razoff, 04/2017, Cassette)
Originally self-published in 2001; later posted on SoundCloud by Institute Of Contemporary Arts in May 2012. The original text and artwork are part of the SMK collection.
- DJ Audio$var #36
"Tilbage Til Havet" (Reckno, 2014, Cassette)
One of Goodiepal's earliest solo albums, self-released as a '93 demo tape.
- DJ Audio$var #57/58
"Søsterhøj Mysteriet & Hessdalen" (Infinite Waves, Feb 2015, Cassette)
Early solo works.
- DJ Audio$var #61
L.x.x.P-Ghost-HACK-2000 (Passive/Aggressive, Apr 2013, SoundCloud)
An unreleased/cancelled electro-acoustic/ambient album for Irdial Discs, humorously dedicated to Jakob Boeskov.
- DJ Audio$var #79
[(((Pruttipal)))] at Podcast for Samtidskunst (The Lake Radio, July 2020)
"The Pole Impostor & The Databar" (Takuroku, Feb 2021, Digital)
A 3-hour episode detailing the early '90s collaboration with Pelle Krøgholt and Goodiepal's candid reflections on the "Pole/FatCat controversy."
- DJ Audio$var #83
"Hele Gp@Pls Radioen På 2 X Cd" (Pork Salad Press, 2019, 2xCD-R)
A hand-assembled release available exclusively through in-person trades with Pals or members of Bananskolen.