Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear

by Steve Goodman

An exploration of the production, transmission, and mutation of affective tonality—when sound helps produce a bad vibe. Sound can be deployed to produce discomfort, express a threat, or create an ambience 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, sonic booms (or “sound bombs”) over the Gaza Strip, and high-frequency rat repellants used against teenagers in malls. 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. In Sonic Warfare , Steve Goodman explores these uses of acoustic force and how they affect populations. Traversing philosophy, science, fiction, aesthetics, and popular culture, he maps a (dis)continuum of vibrational force, encompassing police and military research into acoustic means of crowd control, the corporate deployment of sonic branding, and the intense sonic encounters of sound art and music culture. Goodman concludes with speculations on the not yet heard—the concept of unsound, which relates to both the peripheries of auditory perception and the unactualized nexus of rhythms and frequencies within audible bandwidths.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science, Psychology, Theory, Sociology

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Tristan Bath · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of amazing information, interesting conclusions, and great historical content to be found in this book written by Kode9. Its flaw however, lies in its occasionally impenetrable, or at least consistently academic and decadent prose. It’s definitely best dipped into for stretches or for specific chapters, rather than explored as one large monolith. The 'Black Atlantic' (characterised by Kode9 as black culture from Jamaica to NYC to the UK and so on) is the lead character, and the morality of sound as a weapon remains somehow confused, even after Goodman explores it for dozens of pages. Overall, this is a great jumping off point for a large field of thought – but won't leave you with many grand conclusions all on its own.

[Lee Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a obviously a well-researched book, but unfortunately the information gets lost in cryptic prose. The inscrutable nature of the writing leaves the reader unsettled, but perhaps that is the intended effect. I did like the chapter on ultrasonics, among a few others. I like the idea of future music extended beyond the usual cliches, looking at it from an ultrasonic perspective, beyond the limits of consciousness. There is "music" beyond liminal space, in the ultra high frequencies of Gamelan or in the biophony of the rainforest that are more spiritual in nature, and not necessarily to sate our desire for ear candy (or "auditory cheesecake" as Steven Pinker would put it).

The book may be more for study, not linear reading, and so I am rating it 4 stars/3 stars respectively.

[Martina Degl'Innocenti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forse non è corretto che io recensisca questo libro, avendolo letto da completamente ignorante dell'argomento, trattandosi probabilmente di un testo destinato più che altro ad addetti ai lavori.
Il saggio tratta dei modi in cui gli elementi che riguardano il sonoro, l'udibile e il non udibile all'orecchio umano, vengono sia utilizzati come vere e proprie armi in guerra, sia più in generale manipolati e controllati nelle dinamiche culturali e sociali, dalle avanguardie artistiche alla musica pop.
Devo dire che ho trovato molto interessanti gli esempi storici di come il sonoro sia stato usato in conflitti celebri come quello israelo-palestinese o la guerra del Vietnam.
Tuttavia, la maggior parte della trattazione, che analizza dal punto di vista tecnico-filosofico il modo in cui il sonoro impatta sui nostri organi di senso, sulla nostra mente e sui nostri corpi, è veramente difficile da leggere sia per il lessico sia per la scrittura, che dà per scontato un livello di conoscenze, a mio avviso, da addetti ai lavori.
Anche il glossario iniziale non svolge la propria funzione, perché per quanto mi riguarda, ad eccezione di alcuni termini celebri della storia della filosofia che già conoscevo, non fa altro che "spiegare" le parole difficili usando altre parole difficili. Peccato.

[n]

I found some of this text to be insightful, but Goodman's work ultimately struck me as overly ambitious and theoretically unrigorous. In one particularly egregious instance, within the span of ten pages, Goodman managed to completely mischaracterize Alexander Weheliye's argument (by strangely caricaturing him as a "humanist"), while also flattening Mike Davis' work so much that it becomes unrecognizable.

[Sarah M · Rating 3 out of 5]

essay writing prep!

[Alex Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Thought I'm not in-the-know about modern afro-futurist music movements, but the analysis of sound as weapon (both literal and political) was fascinating.

[Steen Ledet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speculative musical philosophy of the best kind, Goodman's book reads like a synthesis of so many ideas and rhythms that one overflows from reading it. Personally, I find the beginning more interesting than the end, but this is a matter of my preference for sensory overload versus afrofuturism. Both subjects (and more) are richly developed.

[Justin Paul]

Skimmed for what I needed. Tawdry academia.

[S. Alberto ঌ⁻⁷ (semi-active, always yearning) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While its exploration of sound as a tool of power and control is fascinating, the dense writing and abstract theorization made it a challenging read. Goodman’s analysis of how sound operates as a force that can manipulate emotions, shape environments, and even be weaponized is thought-provoking, especially in discussions of military technology, crowd control, and urban soundscapes.

That being said, the book often leans heavily into jargon, making some sections feel unnecessarily complex. While I appreciate the interdisciplinary approach—pulling from cultural studies, philosophy, and music theory—it sometimes feels like the argument gets lost in overly academic language. I was particularly interested in the connections between sound and affect, but I think the book could have benefitted from a more structured or accessible delivery.

As someone reading this for my sociology of sound seminar, I found the ideas compelling, even if the execution was a bit dry at times. It’s worth reading if you're interested in sound studies, but be prepared for a dense and sometimes meandering text.

[melancholinary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy this hyperstitional sonic fiction. Was expected the analysis of practical 'sonic warfare' employed by the military and police state, e.g. LRAD and unsound sonic weapon, but eventually got more of cryptic sonic adventure and obscure analysis of audio virology which I like very much. Goodman provides an impressive, vast observation of audio culture, from Afrofuturism to the war of audio compression, that could create an engaging narrative of nonlinear sonic trajectory—each chapter relates to the notion of time and sonic phenomena, from geologic deep-time of vibrational force to the near future.

[Rebecca]

got to page xvi, then laughed out loud when i read the words "nonrepresentational ontology" & "preindividual & impersonal virtual ecology" hahahhh life is too short for white male sound studies scholars attempting to craft some sort of normative/totalizing conception of ~the sonic~ and to be frank, the notion of analyzing violent sounds as "nonrepresentational" and/or "impersonal" is nonsensical & borderline offensive, so this one's gonna be a no from me dawg

[Andrea Puglierin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno sguardo più alla filosofia afrofuturista che all'effettivo uso delle armi sonore, con continue citazioni ad altri autori che, ahimè non ho letto, quindi probabilmente non è neanche giusto che io recensisca questo testo. Spesso astruso e di difficile comprensione, una prosa complessa per il puro piacere di esserlo, forse appositamente. Prima edizione italiana da migliorare.
Un libro più adatto a ricerca e studio che ad una lettura classica.

[Kormak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was let down by this book, but it is mostly my fault. I was expecting something else: more details on actual research, history of experiments, science of ultra- and infrasounds, bass etc. Instead it is more philosophical musings, enjoyable in very short doses. BUT I enjoyed parts where Burroughs or Bey is mentioned, and I would love to read more about dub virology.

[mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

denser than i hoped for, though expected from a ccru member. goodman connects & merges intellectually challenging ideas in ways we couldve anticipated, him being so tied up with land &c. only thing i found lacking here was the fact he only lightly touched upon the power of sound in (exo)capitalist society, and how it is weaponised. capitalism and schizophonia?

[Cole Blouin · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the all-time best books on sound, music, listening, hearing, etc, that I've read. It's for the theory heads, sure, but it's incredible.

[Jonatan Almfjord · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picking this book for reading was moving far out on a limb to begin with. It's an extremely niche topic to begin with and I'm not sure what I expected. But I was disappointed for sure. This is one of the most boring books I ever read. It failed to grasp my interest in any way. I recommend reading Sonic Warfare only if you are already read up on the topic and want to go deeper. Without any previous knowledge, you might not gain much from it.

[Tim Jaeger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more from Kode9, who is one of dubstep's leading stars. I kept reading this, skimming around, wanting to hear more about dubstep, and how Kode9 basically spearheaded the entire Hyperdub movement. I think he is overly influenced by Kodwo Eshun (author of 'More Brilliant Than The Sun'), and it shows here. I appreciate the depth and enthusiasm he digs into sound and affect. Maybe it would help to read to this while watching his remix of Skeng, or Black Sun to orient the gentle reader to some dread sounds..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_6vFw...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z0VSv...

[raihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a huge difference between Kode9--as he exists behind his CDJs--and Steve Goodman, as he exists away from the booth. While his Hyperdub imprint has radically shaped the world of electronic music as we now hear it, his work as a scholar of sonics puts an ear to something often spoken of in his alter-ego's world of "dubstep"--the feeling. There is an entire world below the depths of your headphones and far above your speaker tweeters, and Goodman aims to explore the whole thing in this book. It isn't really an easy read, but it is thought-provoking and future-forward.

[Rob Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read pieces of this so far, but so far so good. This book reads like a doctoral dissertation with a bit more spit and polish. Which is kind of a bummer as there's some great ideas here made a little too cloudy by academic puffery.

[mao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bass materialism and virology.

[HeatherNicole]

ive been waiting to get my filthy fingers on this book for 6 months or more. thank you m.i.t. press i love your buchs!

[Matt Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult, wild, rigorous, re-readable, bizarre, unsettling, inspiring, consistent, surprising...

[my name is corey irl · Rating 4 out of 5]

ever want to know the hyperdub guys thoughts on "audio virology" and spinoza? well good news friend head on over to Goodreads® partner Amazon.corm® and for thelow price of $23.87 you can