Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Strange to Your Ears
Jim Fassett started as a broadcaster on WBZ Boston in the 1920s. He eventually moved to New York where he took a position with CBS Radio. In the 1950s, he hosted a radio programme which highlighted his interest in the manipulation of sound on tape. The programme was called Strange to Your Ears and some of the results of that show became the basis of this LP.
Over the course of the album, Fassett plays weird and other-worldy sounds which he then proceeds to deconstruct revealing the original sound source. There are sound sources like roosters crowing and babies crying.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Nov 25, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Radio, 1950s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Chrome
Let us all know if/when you bail.The band's Wikipedia page.
Chrome is an American rock band founded in San Francisco in 1976 by musician Damon Edge and associated with the 1970s post-punk movement.[3] The group's raw sound blended elements of punk, psychedelia, and early industrial music,[4] incorporating science-fiction themes, tape experimentation, distorted acid rock guitar, and electronic noise.[5] They have been cited as forerunners of the 1980s industrial music boom.[6] They found little commercial success as part of San Francisco's 1970s music scene...
Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 16, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Eccentrics, Music, 1970s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Musical Composition based on Prime Numbers
Let us know how you enjoy it!An essay on the piece here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 05, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Music, Science, Twenty-first Century, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
How to clean your ears
Composer and acoustic expert R. Murray Schafer came up with the idea of "ear cleaning." It had nothing to do with physically cleaning the ear. Instead, it was about wiping clean the acoustical palette in order to be able to better listen to and play music.Here's an example of an ear-cleaning exercise (via Trevor Cox's book Sonic Wonderland):
For more info, Schafer's short book, Ear Cleaning, is available as a free download.
Posted By: Alex - Fri May 05, 2023 -
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Category: Noises and Other Public Disturbances of the Peace, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Wailing-Activated Rocking Cradle
Mister Muzzey had a good idea way back in 1962 and was actually ahead of his time--his patent also references a baby monitor to transmit the cries to the parents' room--but I wonder if his device ever went into production? As you can see below, there are modern versions today.
Amazon link.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Apr 03, 2023 -
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Category: Babies, Domestic, Inventions, Patents, Parents, 1960s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Eight Songs for a Mad King
Essay detailing history of the piece here.The creator's Wikipedia page.
Let us know when you bail.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Mar 31, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Eccentrics, Music, 1960s, Mental Health and Insanity, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
FINNEGANS WAKE on Audio
Ease yourself into this famously baffling masterpiece by listening to Joyce himself proclaim a passage. Then queue up the whole book on your car's sound system for a relaxing commute!
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 23, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Literature, Unexplained Historical Enigmas, 1920s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Earth Horns With Electronic Drone
Please share the chronological limits of your tolerance for this "music."The creator's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 02, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Music, Twenty-first Century, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Mutalk Voice Suppression Microphone
A new product coming soon from Shiftall:You'd look ridiculous wearing one of these things. And unfortunately the people who need to wear them (those who carry on loud conversations on their phone in crowded, public places) would never do it.
It reminds me of the "Scream Muffler" (patented in 1989).
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jan 14, 2023 -
Comments (2)
Category: Technology, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
George Crumb’s “Black Angels”
Let us all know when you jump ship.The composer's Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 20, 2022 -
Comments (8)
Category: 1970s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |