The Barry S. Brook Center for Music Research and Documentation and RILM Celebrate Three Extraordinary Achievements in Popular Music and Technology

On May 27, 2025, at 4:30 pm, at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City, The Barry S. Brook Center for Music Research and Documentation and Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale (RILM) and cosponsored by the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning, will feature the release of:

• Inside the Studio Spaces of Electronic Music Production. Berlin/Cairo by Dr. Matthias Pasdzierny and Gero Cacciatore
• Gear: Cultures of Audio and Music Technologies by Dr. Eliot Bates and Dr. Samantha Bennett
• The RILM Archive of Popular Music Magazines (RAPMM), overseen by Dr. Beatriz Goubert 

Inside the Studio Spaces takes readers inside the hidden studios of DJs and electronic music producers in Berlin and Cairo—spaces ranging from darkened basements and abandoned factories to converted lofts and teenage bedrooms. Through photo documentation and interviews, this volume offers intimate insights into the world of music production and paints a compelling portrait of one of the most exciting creative sectors of our time. 

Gear critically examines the 21st-century obsession with professional audio technologies and its role in the emergence of gear cultures—passionate, competitive, and sometimes bizarre communities centered around audio equipment. Using a multimodal methodology that includes interviews, fieldwork, online discourse analysis, and visual ethnography, the book explores how technology shapes music production and social identities. 

The RILM Archive of Popular Music Magazines (RAPMM) is a continuously expanding digital collection featuring over 125 independently published popular music magazines and fanzines spanning from the late 1960s to the present. With a global scope, RAPMM highlights the expansive world of punk, rock, indie, hip hop, and country, serving as a multilingual research resource and an essential tool for preserving cultural heritage. 

 

The event will feature three conversations with the key figures behind these releases, moderated by Finn Cohen (The Sun).

Held in the William P. Kelly Skylight Room on the 9th floor of the Graduate Center, the event will conclude with a reception featuring DJ Jason Lee. 

Admission is free with RSVP at cmrd@gc.cuny.edu