betonpfad

the concrete path

by kay seaborn

introduction
We are drawn to places where our values are shared. This book documents my travels to places of electronic music, where I followed a concrete path of sorts through objects and marks, no matter how mundane, that stood out to me and my camera. A pilgrimage to understanding through the little things that seem the same everywhere, and yet always differ, however slightly, in each places uniqueness. In 1940s France a composer, and catalyst for electronic music, named Pierre Schaeffer coined the term musique concrete (concrete music) to describe a style where anything could be a source of music. Correspondingly, and the reason for the title of this book, I believed in the potential of anything to be a photographic subject for it. It was my faith that by concentrating on details, a larger descriptive picture could then be drawn up, which would intimate more closely than photographs with more overview, the feeling of being there, and the similarities and differences between the four areas. These places were chosen by a personal preference, all of them being locations I had visited before and was familiar with, but had not gone through thoroughly, as the usual tendency is to go quickly from A to B.

I wanted to return and really explore these areas which release/sell/host electronic music which then goes anywhere in the world, as it could be argued that the music created in/for each place bears something of its surroundings general feeling. Which Ill leave to you, dear reader, to find out for yourself. Enjoy this small journey. - Kay. London, May 2012 Specifications All photographs taken on a medium format camera using 400 ISO film, within one kilometer of the places listed below. Cologne: Media Park Kompakt record label and shop. Berlin: Mitte BPitch Control record label. London: Farringdon Fabric label and nightclub. London: Elephant & Castle Ministry of Sound international label and nightclub.

kln
mediapark

berlin
mitte

london
farringdon

london
elephant & castle