Marie Thompson

Noise is so often a 'stench in the ear' – an unpleasant disturbance or an unwelcome distraction. But there is much more to noise than what greets the ear as unwanted sound. Beyond Unwanted Sound is about noise and how we talk about it. Weaving together affect theory with cybernetics, media histories, acoustic ecology, geo-politics, sonic art practices and a range of noises, Marie Thompson critiques both the conservative politics of silence and transgressive poetics of noise music, each of which position noise as a negative phenomenon. Beyond Unwanted Sound instead aims to account for a broader spectrum of noise, ranging from the exceptional to the banal; the overwhelming to the inaudible; and the destructive to the generative. What connects these various and variable manifestations of noise is not negativity but affectivity. Building on the Spinozist assertion that to exist is to be affected, Beyond Unwanted Sound asserts that to exist is to be affected by noise.

Noise, Affect and Aesthetic Moralism

Beyond Unwanted Sound

How does a family dig itself out of despair and destitution? In the case of the Chester family, it was through a woman named Lili. Maggie had few expectations from life. Her father and brother were lost to war, leaving her in crushing poverty in Londons East End with her dominating mother, Rose. WWI ended. Frank Chester, a handsome Cockney, swept pretty Maggie off her feet, and they were married with dreams of a bright future. Soon, paucity and Roses relentless interference turned hope to despair, and Maggie stood alone against Franks violent outbursts and infidelity. WWII broke out. London was in ruins. Frank helped free beautiful Lili Stewart from rubble where her wealthy husband and father lay lifeless beside her. He was captivated and pursued her. Mourning the loss of her loved ones and acutely aware of her physical scars, Lili resisted, but Frank was persistent and won her heart. He moved in with her, abandoning Maggie and their six children without culpability. The children were traumatized when Maggie died of cancer, and Frank and Lili took them in, leaving Rose filled with hatred. The children and Frank felt no connection, and anxiety deepened. Lili witnessed Franks rage for the first time; she became the childrens champion and gave Frank an ultimatum. Fearful of losing her, he took the first tenuous step toward redemption. Confronted by the adult children, he shared his own torment and underwent a catharsis, but the journey was plagued with challenges and tragedies. The family finally left the past behind and moved forward to love and salvation.

Storm Sparrows

Ian Biddle

Sound, Music, Affect features brand new essays that bring together the burgeoning developments in sound studies and affect studies. The first section sets out key methodological and theoretical concerns, focussing on the relationships between affective models and sound. The second section deals with particular musical case studies, exploring how reference to affect theory might change or reshape some of the ways we are able to make sense of musical materials. The third section examines the politics and practice of sonic disruption: from the notion of noise as 'prophecy', to the appropriation of 'bad vibes' for pleasurable aesthetic and affective experiences. And the final section engages with some of the ways in which affect can help us understand the politics of chill, relaxation and intimacy as sonic encounters. The result is a rich and multifaceted consideration of sound, music and the affective, from scholars with backgrounds in cultural theory, history, literary studies, media studies, architecture, philosophy and musicology.

Theorizing Sonic Experience

Sound, Music, Affect

Noise is so often a 'stench in the ear' - an unpleasant disturbance. But there is much more to noise than what greets the ear as unwanted sound. Weaving together affect theory with technical descriptions, philosophical accounts, acoustic ecology and a range of noises - from disruptive neighbours to the music of Maria Chavez -Beyond Unwanted Sound critiques both the conservative politics of silence and transgressive poetics of noise, each of which position noise as a negative phenomenon. Instead, through the development of an 'ethico-affective' approach, this book aims to account for a broader spectrum of noise, ranging from the exceptional to the banal; the overwhelming to the inaudible; and the destructive to the generative. What connects these various and variable manifestations of noise is not negativity but affectivity - the capacity to modulate, transform and perturb. Building on the Spinozist assertion that to exist is to be affected, Beyond Unwanted Sound asserts that to exist is to be affected by noise.

Marie Thompson

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