As a pioneering producer of dubstep, Kode9 (aka Steve Goodman) has intricately explored the effects of sonic frequencies on human beings — used for positive results, his groundbreaking sub-bass tracks laid the foundation for the flourishing dubstep genre. But the doctor in Goodman (he has a PhD. in Philosophy from from the University of Warwick, and is currently a Lecturer in Music Culture at the University of East London) has now taken a more methodical approach to exploring the full range of effects sound can have on humans in his book Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear from the prestigious MIT Press. Similar to DJ Spooky (aka Paul Miller), who’s also published books on philosophy, Goodman eschews speaking personally about his own music and instead concentrates on the historical usage of audio techniques, such as weaponized “sound bombs” and sonic rat repellent used on loitering teens at shopping malls. As MIT explains: “Sound can be deployed to produce discomfort, express a threat, or create an ambiance of fear or dread—to produce a bad vibe. Sonic weapons of this sort include the “psychoacoustic correction” aimed at Panama strongman Manuel Noriega by the U.S. Army and at the Branch Davidians in Waco by the FBI, or sonic booms (“sound bombs”) over the Gaza Strip… At the same time, artists and musicians generate intense frequencies in the search for new aesthetic experiences and new ways of mobilizing bodies in rhythm.” You can see such weapons at work during shows like Whale Wars, where whalers blast the anti-whaling boats with LRADs (Long Range Acoustic Device). XLR8r writes: “Goodman’s explorations zigzag across history and science fiction, leaving behind a dizzying, often labyrinthine path for the mind to follow. Rather than simply documenting uses of sonic weaponry, Goodman views the war through the lens of various philosophers and artists in an attempt to make sense of how vibrating sounds and their hidden messages affect the subconscious, whether it be the travels of loud dub reggae basslines from Jamaican sound systems or the “earworms” that Muzak uses to tempt listeners into consuming products.” Sounds rad. Nice one, Goodman.
Available directly from MIT for $35, or click HERE to download Kode9’s “Bubble & Squeek” XLR8R mix.
Hit the Jump for Kode9 & Spaceape’s “9 Samurai” video — altho 3 years old, still one of the best electronic music vids of all time…
via XLR8R
