BEBE & Louis Barron

Louis and Bebe Barron were pioneers in the electronic music and composition genre and settled their base of operations in what is now The Mansion at Ideal Glass’s 9 West 8th Street. They are best known for their work on the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, the first fully electronic film score, in which they are credited for their “Electronic Tonalities.”

Louis and Bebe began their career in 1947 when Louis’ cousin, an executive at the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M), gave the couple their first tape recorder. From there, the Barrons built an extensive and exclusive studio which catered to their own experimentations, as well as the likes of John Cage, Henry Miller, Tennessee Williams, Aldous Huxley, Anaïs Nin, and others. 

We at Ideal Glass are honored to know what rich history is within our Mansion’s walls. Louis and Bebe Barron are as much a part of the Ideal Glass family as our staff, clients, and contributors. Ideal Glass prides itself on creating and providing a home for innovative and cutting-edge works of art across all platforms. Knowing that Louis and Bebe Barron once performed such revolutionary experiments in the field of electronic music excites us and invigorates our projects.