Monthly Archives: October 2015

I Nonlinear Vocalization. You Nonlinear Vocalization

Cover image by Mario on flickr

THIS WEEK IT’S ALL ABOUT SCREAMS (AAAAA!!!!) Horror and fear screams. It’s not just talking with some extra juice. There is much, much more at work. Physically and psychologically, a scream is a unique thing in human sound production.

Mike explores the what and how, and that they aren’t like shouts or yells. Plus a deep dive into what they mean. And how they function in film. Especially as delivered by women.

MUSIC

-Scream by 2NE1 from Crush
-Physical by Olivia Newton John, Covered by Ten Masked Men from ‘Revenge Of The -Ten Masked Men’
-The Breaking of the Scream by Jose Halac from Sonic Circuits VII
-Murderer by Low from Drums & Guns

SOURCES

The Hard Work of Screaming: Physical Exertion and Affective Labor Among Mexico City’s Punk Vocalists
Author(s): Kelley Tatro
Source: Ethnomusicology, Vol. 58, No. 3 (Fall 2014), pp. 431-453

‘The scream’: Meanings and excesses in early childhood settings
Rachel Rosen
Childhood 2015, Vol. 22(1) 39–52

Phenomenology of the Scream
Author(s): Peter Schwenger
Source: Critical Inquiry, Vol. 40, No. 2 (Winter 2014), pp. 382-395

Nonlinear analysis of irregular animal vocalizations
Isao Tokudaa, et al
J. Acoust. Soc. Am., Vol. 111, No. 6, June 2002

Human Screams Occupy a Privileged Niche in the Communication Soundscape
Luc H. Arnal, Adeen Flinker, Andreas Kleinschmidt, Anne-Lise Giraud, David Poeppel
Current Biology 25, 2051–2056

Do film soundtracks contain nonlinear analogues to influence emotion?
Daniel T. Blumstein1,*, Richard Davitian1 and Peter D. Kaye2
Biol. Lett. (2010) 6, 751–754

The Voice in Cinema by Michel Chion, 2009

And a special thanks to these Reasonably Sound Patrons: Brandon Bennes, Hans Buetow, Xander C, Talia F E, Camilla Greer, Parker Higgins, Anthony Kirkpatrick, Joe Krushinsky, Tod Kurt, Ethan Rose, and Susan Rugnetta.

Bits and Chips

Cover image by ChrisGampat on flickr

It’s all about nostalgia and limitation as Mike chips away (ahhh?!?!?) at the world of chiptunes music. If you played video games years and years ago, you’ll hear a set of sounds that will be completely familiar, even when used in unfamiliar compositional genres. Mike explores the anatomy of chiptunes sounds and composition, and looks into chiptunes’ relationship to hacking and the counterculture.

PLUS: lots of clips of music from the video games of bygone times. And Mike pronouncing more European names. And the line “making bonk-bonk noises.”

MUSIC

Intro and Outro – Square and Enjoy by Goto80
Break #1: Can’t Stop Us by Chipzel
Break #2: Chango Island by Kupa
Break #3: mushroom giggles by minusbaby

SOURCES

  • Endless Loop: A Brief History of Chiptunes by Kevin Driscoll and Joshua Diaz
  • Game Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practice of Video Game Music and Sound Design  by Karen Collins
  • Playing with Sound by Karen Collins
  • Music in Video Games, ed. Donnelly, et al
  • The Sound of Playing: A Study into the Music and Culture of Chiptunes by A. Yabsley

And a special thanks to these Reasonably Sound Patrons: Brandon Bennes, Hans Buetow, Xander C, Talia F E, Camilla Greer, Parker Higgins, Joe Krushinsky, Tod Kurt, Ethan Rose, and Susan Rugnetta.

Acoustic Body

Cover image by Jeffrey Montes on flickr

It’s the stethoscope and the sampler as Mike leads us through “the alien nature of [our] own interiors.” In this journey into the sounds of the body, he explores the work of corporeal sonification as music, as well the history and meaning of sounds in medicine.

There are lots of sound puns that are sure to resonate (HA!), and the pleasure of hearing Mike work his way through European names of the 19th century. Also the word “auscultation.”

Music
Intro/Outro: My Body by Perfume Genius from Too Bright
Break 1: Suddenly by Herbert from Bodily Functions
Break 2: Lipostudio by Matmos from A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure

And a Special Thanks to these Reasonably Sound Patrons: Hans Buetow, Xander C, Talia F E, Camilla Greer, Parker Higgins, Joe Krushinski, Tod Kurt and Ethan Rose!