Sonic warfare: sound, affect, and the ecology of fear

Sound can be deployed to produce discomfort, express a threat, or create an ambiance of fear or dreadto 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 bombs) over the Gaza Strip, and high-frequency rat repellents 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. Most theoretical discussions of sound and music…