Notes on Iain Chambers and “Concrete Paris” Composition:
- Composer behind “Concrete Paris,” part of BBC Radio 3’s Between the Ears series.
- Explores the musical composition of brutalist concrete buildings from the 1960s and 70s in the outskirts of Paris.
- Approach involves using location recordings as musical components, with buildings playing lead roles.
- Founder of Langham Research Centre, known for using field recordings in compositions.
- Interest in site-specific work exploring sound within the built environment.
- Previous projects include electro-acoustic music inspired by brutalist structures, such as Trinity Square multi-storey car park in Gateshead.
- Inspiration for “Concrete Paris” came from the publication ‘Brutalist Maps of Paris.’
- Explored sites like Créteil, Ivry-sur-Seine, and Bobigny, capturing distinctive sounds of brutalist architecture.
- Utilizes stereo and contact microphones for recordings.
- Stereo microphones capture deep building sounds and threshold sounds bleeding into it, while contact microphones focus on resonant places within the architecture.
- Describes interaction with buildings using contact microphones as “playing the building.”
- Program includes interviews with key figures in the design of the buildings, providing context and insight.
- Dr. Robin Wilson, co-creator of Brutalist Maps of Paris, describes the soundscape as impressionistic, capturing an urban journey.
- Composition aims to transform familiar sounds into something that speaks to the truth of the place.
- Reflection on successful brutalist social housing, citing Ivry as an example of mixing uses effectively.
- Hopes listeners enjoy the “slightly dreamlike” and “otherworldly” results, offering an escapist virtual trip to Paris.
- Expresses interest in continuing exploration of architectural sound, mentioning the desire to work on a project at Cardross Seminary.
https://www.ribaj.com/culture/brutalism-sound-concrete-paris-ian-chambers-robin-wilson