To use bad vibes is as much in the interest of the military as it is of all those who seek to break through or disrupt the regimentation of a uniform order and complacent consumerism. Strategic concepts of (asymmetric) warfare in the fields of information wars or sonic wars can be found on both fronts. Non-physical attacks or the exertion of influence (which nonetheless have a physical impact) thereby play a decisive role. This is nothing new, for the ideal of a uniform chorus (such as expressed in the national anthems that followed the French Revolution) surely upheld the pursuit of tonal-political goals. Giving voice to a physical mass is virtually indispensable if one is seeking to coordinate and move (or disband) it. Pivotal here, on both sides of the spectrum, is an instance of enmity or antagonism, and the projected images that accompany it (chaotic disbandment in the absence of a governing authority, the open or hidden exertion of totalitarian influence, and the limitation of freedom). This instance should be challenged.
AUDiNT (short for "audio intelligence") is an artistic research unit consisting of Steve Goodman, Toby Heys and Jon Cohrs, that documents and directs the military-disciplinary use of sound, contrasting the supposed "good vibrations" of musical entertainment with the "bad vibes" of conflict, control and paranoia.
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audint.net
Steve Goodman runs the record label Hyperdub and produces electronic music as Kode9. He is senior lecturer in Sonic Culture at the University of East London. His recent book Sonic Warfare (MIT Press, 2010) is a theoretical investigation of sound, affect and power. Additionally, he was a member of the autonomous research collective, the Ccru (Cybernetic culture research unit).
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hyperdub.com
Toby Heys produces music, sound and video installations as a member of Battery Operated and robotic/ electronic media projects as a member of The KIT Collaboration. He runs the sound/video label Cocosolidciti and is currently an AHRC scholar finishing a PhD at John Moores University in England as well as a resident artist at Eyebeam in New York.
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batteryoperated.net ›
cocosolidciti.com
Paul Paulun is a Berlin-based sound artist and researcher, radio producer, journalist and author. His project spectrum encompasses sound installations, radio plays, field recordings, documentaries for radio, and texts on acoustic phenomena.
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paulpaulun.de
