About us

Jan van Toorn – Slowscan Records

Meet Jan van Toorn, founder of Slowscan Records. Already as a teenager, Jan van Toorn, born in The Netherlands in 1953, was interested in artists ́ records and cover art. He was only seventeen when he got as a present the famous Frank Zappa album `We’re Only in It for the Money` with an art cover by the American designer and painter Cal Schenkel. It was the start of a passion. The beginning of a lifelong interest in the intersection of sound and image, the possibilities of the album (LP) as a medium of art. His personal obsession would result in one of the largest collection of artists` records in Europe.

 

Van Toorn studied the Institute for Sonology in Utrecht. But he soon chose to follow his passion for collecting tapes, cassettes and later mainly vinyl records with mind-broadening audio art and visual designs. He became part of the scene, speaking with artists and producers.

Van Toorn`s passionate collecting impels him to take one more step. While looking for documents, he often comes across material that has either remained unpublished or was published in unsatisfying small editions. Therefore he set up his own label, in 1983: Slowscan Records. A fitting name for an independent label that is dedicated to publishing audiovisual art in small editions. Slowscan Records made a name for itself, up to now, the label has issued 34 cassettes and vinyl boxes.

 

The most interesting and exclusive cover art albums of Jan van Toorn are presented in the book Visual Vinyl, and during a well-attended exhibition in Museum Schunck in Heerlen, The Netherlands, his collection was shown to the public.

 

On this website we will present the 150 most interesting art covers from the book and collection of Jan van Toorn. This collection will be updated with new releases from Slowscan Records and other interesting artists ́ records and cover art.