Caterina Barbieri and Silvia Kastel at Re-Textured

Caterina Barbieri is a sonic inselberg rising above a seemingly infinite void of artlessness in this lamentable age of creative infecundity. Her music is innovative alimentation in this bland aeon of malnutrition. In a world near bereft of meaningful artistic endeavour, Barbieri's audio creations not only serve to give hope but nourish to unambiguous satiation.

It was my privilege to photograph Barbieri during her performance penultimately closing the multi-day, multi-location Re-Textured festival, organised by Krankbrother, the reason for my attendance. Re-Textured is a festival combining and celebrating experimental music, brutalist architecture, and innovative lighting. Semi-derelict art hub The Silver Building in London's Docklands served as the venue for its final day on March 31 2019.

Caterina Barbieri. Soundcheck.

It is with ease that one can source vacuous music; soulless formulaic music, empty, meaningless music; music designed to assault the encephalon rendering it effete and impotent. Such music abounds. Barbieri's music, however, is cerebrally stimulating and reverent. It is music of substance; music for introspection; it is beautiful music to accompany and catalyse the contemplation of the meaning of all existence.

The apparatus of acoustical high art.

Calibration.

The Green Room inside The Silver Building. I was first to arrive.

The view west from the Green Room: cable car system, the Millennium Dome (to give its proper name, and not to confuse it with a certain molecule), and the Canary Wharf financial district where bankers organise the enslavement of the masses, and the raping of the earth.

Looking up at a stairway.

Looking down at a stairway.

Caterina Barbieri during her live performance.

The Green Room ceiling.

A bicycle sans saddle.

Pre-show.

The elevated Docklands Light Railway was constructed literally inches from The Silver Building, as seen from the east side of the Green Room.

Looking up at a stairway.

Another view of the stairway.

Another exemplar in the field of experimental electronic music is Silvia Kastel, who also performed in The Silver Building. I was unfamiliar with Kastel's work prior to Re-Textured but am now joyous in discovering her innovative sonic blessings to the movement of air. Together, Barbieri and Kastel are at the forefront of contemporary music, and where, with respect to evolution, music should be in this modern age.

Silvia Kastel during her performance (colour corrected).

The performance room prior to Silvia Kastel's 4-hours DJ set.

Audience members circulated throughout the performance.

Preparing for a changing of discs (colour corrected).

Soundcheck preparations.

A DJ set prior to Barbieri's performance.

Mid-performance.

Barbieri played to a capacity audience (not shown).

Video display prior to Barbieri's performance.

Pre-performance tweaking.

Perhaps if music of substance were more prevalent it would help heal the world and elevate humanity from its current abysmal anoetic condition; to propel it away from its internecine, and its psychosis. All is vibration, ergo vibration brought about through design is one of the most potent harnessing of aethereal energy. Art is, potentially at least, communication of a very pure expression. It can be isolated from the various biological, social, and cultural distractions. Music is a conveyor of vibrational energy transporting information. It can be used for benevolence or for malevolence. From the musical sphere could come a significant impact in the move towards peace. Presently, the most promoted and popular music moves humanity further away from peace, towards disharmony. The responsibility to counter this lies with those of cognition and with the capacity to act accordingly.

Barbieri in silhouette.