Hearing Sounds - photography and music

Tilman Dominka's book ‘I am already hearing sounds’ combines black-and-white photography and music. Closely connected to the DIY music scene, he travelled to various places to visit musicians he met at shows.

In this book, which is dedicated to the close connection between photography and music, he has compiled images from the last 15 years and asked musicians and bands to provide a piece of music; there are 30 images and accompanying pieces of music, which can be accessed via a QR code.

There’s music from Canada, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia and the UK included. The style varies but mirror Tilman’s love and engagement for the DIY music scene, both in Europe and North America, for the past 30 years. 

The book compiles pictures from the last 15 years to tell a story about the deep affective connection between Tilman’s photography, done with a Rolleicord, and music. The photograph’s specific aesthetic, generated by the medium format, frames urban landscapes, rural geographies and quotidian scenes. 

The frame, so classical, almost archetypal for black-and-white photography, is repeated throughout the book which also starts with an empty frame, which is continuously filled as it progresses and each side is turned. The book showcases slow photography which draws the viewers in to dive deep into 

both the picture and the music. The music, taking away the constant noise that often surrounds us, helps us to concentrate. Just as Tilman takes a deep breath before he takes the picture, the music supports the viewers’ to pause, slow down and enjoy the scenery as much as the sounds. 

This temporal dimension is characteristic for Tilman’s work, which appreciates slowness to truly work through a visual complexity represented through the photographs.

The book is introduced by an essay by political theorist Mareike Gebhardt, who has been part of Tilman’s photographic journey for the last two decades. 

In their first collaboration, ‘I am already hearing sounds’ not only echoes Tilmans’ love and activism for DIY music but also their companionship.

The book is a collective endeavour, where photography, music, and text become intertwined. Moreover, it is a book about the meaningful entanglements weaved through many encounters on concerts and travels.

With contributions from: Andres | Goering, ALBIN, Ben Benson, Bring The Mourning On, Carpenter Merchant Inc., Cheescake Honeybee, Craig Bjerring, Cranial, Crushing, Emmer, Happy Accidents, Hope, Johan G Winther, Kristoffer Bolander, Least Carpet, Lymland, Masada, Me Rex, Mount Logan, Natalie Stern, NYOTA, Shawn William Clarke, Small Hours, Solander, Tennis Bafra, Uptights, Viic Woods, Zement und 7AM.