Watch: Short Video Of 'Detroit: 138 Square Miles'
13 June 2012
Photographer Julia Reyes Taubman recently spent 7 years of her life documenting (what’s left of) Detroit, for her book titled Detroit: 138 Square Miles.
As most electronic music lovers worldwide would know Detroit’s legacy of music is longstanding. As well as contributing heavily to the development of soul, pop and hip-hop, it’s also commonly perceived as the birthplace of techno, a mecca of sorts for house, techno and electronic music fans the world over.
Many styles of techno obviously now exist, but Detroit techno is seen as the foundation upon which a number of subgenres have been built. Some of the most prominent Detroit based artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Kyle Hall, Theo Parrish and Carl Craig just to name a few.
Taubman's book 138 Square Miles explores the “abandoned homes, ballrooms and ruined factories” of Detroit which stand as regular reminders of what the city once was. Many of these buildings were once home to some of the worlds most iconic and legendary warehouse parties at the height of the rave scene of the 90s.
138 Square Miles was released in December last year. The BBC recently posted a video piece on the book, which zones in on photos with a voice-over by Taubman. The 3 minute video is a touching and fascinating insight into "the city that once was". Watch it below: