When we look back to the early moments of the pandemic, many of us may recall eerie moments of silence as some of the crisis’s first sensible features. Not the sight of masks. Not the splashy colors of graphics in the news. Not the flashing skin of politicians trying to present possible dangers as a … Read more
For twenty years now I am writing with, through and about sound. That is not an incredibly long time. I did not write about sound for the first thirty years of my life. By now it has become a habit, a daily practice, a craft, a part of my lifestyle, breathing, and existence. But why … Read more
In this regular Q&A series, we interview authors and major figures in the field about their work, interests, and overall thoughts on sound studies. This week, we spoke to musician, music editor and writer, Alan Licht. What are you working on right now? Common Tones: Selected Interviews 1995-2020, a collection of my interviews with various … Read more
This blog post examines the thesis, often stated in sound studies (Goodman, Hartford, Porcello, Daughtry), that war transforms the ways in which humans engage with sound. Much of this recent work has focussed on the idea that, as Hartford puts it, war ‘challenged prior understandings of the relationship between “listening”, “noise”, and “music”.’[1] There is … Read more
It was the power of music that seeded my interest in sound studies. Music was a time, as a child, when there was maximum happiness in the family home. Often, it meant socializing with others, the drinks were flowing and there were smiles all round. And the dancing – the rhythmic movement of bodies, the … Read more
In this regular Q&A series, we interview authors and major figures in the field about their work, interests, and overall thoughts on sound studies. This week, we spoke to Brandon LaBelle, an artist, writer and theorist working with sound culture, voice, and questions of agency. Brandon develops and presents artistic projects within a range of … Read more