sonic territory is a publication that weaves a thread between sound, land, body and image through photographic portraits of musicians in the alternative music scene in Beirut and Cairo, along with two essays, a text mapping the connection(s) between the musicians and a poem.

For the London launch at Cafe OTO, Raymond will be in conversation, followed by a performance by Joe Namy (el iqaa).

The publication will be available at a reduced rate of £13 on the night.
—

Raymond Gemayel enjoys soaking it (his body) in chlorinated waters and toxic seas.

Joe Namy is a media artist, composer, and educator based between London and Beirut. He's been programming radio since 2009 as electric kahraba, released 5 albums under the moniker El Iqaa, and has exhibited/performed internationally in museums, film festivals, and public performances such as Art Night London 2019, Beirut Art Center, the Berlinale, Detroit Science Center, Nottingham Contemporary, and Sharjah Biennial 13.

A skilled technician with a grime-themed record collection that stands up against the best London has to offer, Grandmixxer has been one of the city's most colorful DJ’s for the best part of a decade. Working his way across a number of stations, including a 4 and half year spot on Rinse FM and monthly residency on NTS.

i said to myself: “ask them to choose a location and of it make a place for their sound.”

i said to myself: “hold the camera to the sounds they each make and of it make photographs.”

from the audible to the visual, sound had to momentarily sit in a place.

and there, my camera did photography, sonography and seismography.



—

music: watering for fertile ground

the verbal connection between the arabic words for irrigation channel, also known as watering, المَسْقَى  (al-masqā), and music,  المُوسِيقَى (al-mūsīqā), is clear from their pronunciation. however, this connection, instead of being similar, will actually show that the two sides of the connection are related in sequential relationship, one coming after the other, one being the other’s conclusion.


—

documenting music

the blind man’s cane has ceased to be an object for him and is no longer perceived for itself; its point has become an area of sensitivity, extending the scope and active radius of touch, and providing a parallel to sight. in exploring things, the length of the stick does not enter expressly as a middle term: the blind man is aware of it through the place of the objects rather than the position of the objects through it.

from the musician's point of view, the instrument has ceased to be an object for him, and is no longer perceived for itself; its point has become an area of sensitivity, extending the scope and active radius of his perception of the world, and providing a parallel to a sixth sense. playing his instrument, it does not enter expressly as a middle term: the musician is rather aware of the instrument through the music and not of the music through the instrument.