Sound Fragments - From Field Recording to African Electronic Stories

Noel Lobley

Summary

Winner of IASPM Book Prize, given by IASPM, 2023Winner of the Bruno Nettl Prize, given by the Society for Ethnomusicology, 2023Joint-Winner of the Ruth Stone Prize (with Jessica Perrea), given by the Society for Ethnomusicology, 2023This book is an ethnographic study of sound archives and the processes of creative decolonization that form alternative modes of archiving and curating in the 21st century. It explores the histories and afterlives of sound collections and practices at the International Library of African Music. Sound Fragments follows what happens when a colonial sound archive is repurposed and reimagined by local artists in post-apartheid South Africa. The narrative speaks to larger issues in sound studies, curatorial practices, and the reciprocity and ethics of listening to and reclaiming culture. Sound Fragments interrogates how Xhosa arts activism contributes to an expanding notion of what a sound or cultural archive could be, and where it may resonate now and in future.

Available since: 05/10/2022.

Print length: 345 pages.

Other books that might interest you

To Learn About Oneself One Has...

Jiddu Krishnamurti

"To perceive 'what is' is the basis of truth," 7 February 1971. Duration: 86 minutes.
Where there is division, there must be conflict. A mind in conflict must inevitably be distorted, and therefore it cannot possibly see clearly what is truth.

We need a total change, a deep revolution, psychological revolution, the inward revolution, without which you cannot possibly create a new society. Is it possible to observe, to perceive without the observer?

How are images formed? Can the image building come to an end? Knowledge is absolutely necessary. Is it possible that knowledge, which the brain has accumulated through centuries, does not interfere with relationships?

"Direct perception is freedom," 10 February 1971. Duration: 80 minutes.
Can the mind living in this world ever be free, not only superficially but profoundly, at the very root of its existence? 'Freedom from' is an abstraction, but freedom in observing 'what is' and going beyond it is actual freedom.

How do I observe greed? Do I observe it as an outsider looking in, or do I observe it without the observer? Without the mind being free, you cannot live in order. Three years have passed; I have no energy to be aware of my reactions. Can we seek God through observation?

"Love is that quality of mind in which there is no division," 14 February 1971. Duration: 89 minutes.
To live in this world with intelligence, in spite of all the complications. Is it possible to be free of fear, not only the superficial fear in relationship but the deep-rooted fear? Thought nourishes, sustains and gives continuity to fear and pleasure.

When you are learning, your mind is awake. Truth isn't second-hand; you can't get it through a guru, a book; you have to learn about it. The beauty of learning is that you don't know what truth is.

What is love? A man who has not love in his heart but the things made by thought will make a monstrous world, will construct a society that is totally immoral. To find out, you must undo everything that you have done.

What does it mean to die?

"A mind in meditation is concerned only with meditation, not with the meditator," 17 February 1971. Duration: 87 minutes.
If you can put aside your favourite systems, if you can understand that concentration is merely a resistance and therefore constant conflict and wastage of energy, then we can find out for ourselves what is necessary for a mind that is in a state of meditation. To learn about oneself, a living thing, you have to watch, learn anew each minute.

What is will? Consciousness is heritage, the result of time. Consciousness is the content of itself, which is time, sorrow, confusion, misery. Intelligence has no heritage.

What is a mind that is completely silent? How does one cope with the extraordinary energy that human beings have?

Show book

Mortimer and the Witches - A...

Marie Carter

Under the pseudonym Q. K. Philander Doesticks, P. B., humor writer Mortimer Thomson went undercover to investigate and report on the fortune tellers of New York City's tenements and slums. When his articles were published in 1858, they catalyzed a series of arrests that scandalized and delighted the public. In Mortimer and the Witches, author Marie Carter examines the lives of these marginalized fortune tellers while detailing Mortimer Thomson's peculiar and complicated biography. 
 
 
 
Nineteenth-century fortune tellers offered their clients answers to all questions in astrology, love, and law matters. Yet Doesticks saw them as the worst of the worst. His investigative reporting aimed to stop unsuspecting young women from seeking the corrupt soothsaying advice of these so-called clairvoyants and to expose the absurd predictions of these "witches." 
 
 
 
Carter views these stories of working-class, immigrant women with more depth than Doesticks's mocking articles. She presents them as three-dimensional figures rather than the caricatures. 
 
 
 
Mortimer and the Witches offers new insight into the neglected histories of working-class fortune tellers and the creative ways that they tried to make a living.

Show book

Mexican History - Facts about...

Kelly Mass

This book deals with the following topics: 
1 - Emiliano Zapata: Emiliano Zapata Salazar was a revolutionary in Mexico. He was a key figure in the Mexican Revolt of the years 1910 until 1920, and also the primary leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos and the creator of the Zapatismo agrarian movement. Zapata was born in the rural town of Anenecuilco in the state of Morelos, at the time of a period when peasant communities dealt with increasing pressure from the small-landowning class, which monopolized land and water resources for sugar-cane production with the support of totalitarian Porfirio Daz (President from the year 1877 to 1880 and from 1884 to 1911). 
2 - Mexican Revolution: The Mexican Revolution was a great revolution that included a series of army local battles instead of a single united struggle. It destroyed the Federal Force and changed it with an innovative army, changing Mexican civilization and governance at the same time It also culminated in the adoption of a new constitution that included the revolutionaries' ideal visions. In spite of the fact that President Porfirio Daz's (from about 1880 to 1911) rule had grown progressively out of favor over the prior 31 years, there was no indicator that a transformation would break out in the year 1910.

Show book

Cam's Chance

Lisa Oliver

Arrowtown Book 5
Can be listened to as a standalone
Camden "Cam" Stone had a long past and a hard life. For the past ten years he'd kept up the façade of a businessman, running the only bar in Arrowtown. The hours were long, but the people were friendly and if he didn't share much about himself, no one seemed to care. But all that changed when a new baker came to town - a baker with a flippant personality and skills the whole town were soon talking about. Nobody could be that perfect, could they?
"Fabulous" Fergus Ferdinand was a bull shifter, and yes, his momma did have a sense of humor, once. Having been away from his fold for years, he'd come to the shifter town, in the hopes of building a business that would be good enough to convince his momma to come and live with him. From the moment he opened his bakery doors, people flocked to buy from him, eager for the new sweet sensations his business offered. So, it was understandable, when the gruff bar owner seemed immune to his sweet things and his sunny personality, that Fergus was a bit surprised.
Unfortunately, Cam's suspicious nature, and his subsequent investigation into Fergus creates a whole stack of problems for the unlikely pair. Throw in a pair of pink unicorn pants, a momma in desperate need of saving, and a wolf with an éclair addiction and the couple are kept busy twenty-four seven. Just when they get to the point where the two men can take a breath, Fergus gets sick... and a whole stack of new challenges crop up.
This is an MM Mpreg Fated Mates story. Although, it can be read as a standalone, reading the previous books will give you more understanding of the secondary characters. There is snarky humor, some violence, and a lot of sweet treats. As this book is intended for adults only, please store your entertainment responsibly.

Show book

Tomorrow with Bayonets - Dublin:...

Derek Molyneux, Darren Kelly

The raw intensity of the Irish Civil War is brought to life in this gripping, fast-paced journey from July 1921 to July 1922 – a year of change and conflict. Dublin's descent into violent unrest surpasses the turbulence of the Easter Rising. Treaty debates spark dissension, and as tensions mount, Dublin becomes a tinderbox of espionage, betrayal, and guerrilla warfare. Former allies who fought shoulder to shoulder in the IRA now find themselves divided and entrenched in an ideological struggle that threatens to tear Dublin and Ireland apart. More than a historical recount, 'Tomorrow With Bayonets' offers a visceral portrayal of a nation grappling with its identity and sovereignty, seen through the eyes of combatants, leaders, and civilians caught in the crossfire.

The Provisional Government's National Army and the IRA engage in sporadic but fierce clashes as unrelenting violence and chaos engulf the country. In Northern Ireland, there is growing disillusionment among IRA units due to the diminishing credibility of assurances from Michael Collins. Ongoing assaults on their communities, the nationalist population experiences a rising number of casualties due to rampant brutality from unionist militias. A suppression of inquiries into killings leads to a widespread feeling of abandonment by the Provisional Government.

On June 4 1922, the Provisional Government implemented 'a policy of peaceful obstruction' towards the Belfast Government, explicitly forbidding any troops from the twenty-six counties from entering the six-county area. In an apocalyptic climax, Dublin is engulfed in explosions, assassinations and relentless urban warfare. This powerful account, not for the faint-hearted, leaves a lasting impact, resonating with the reader long after the final page.

Show book

Widespread Panic in the Streets...

Gordon Lamb

In April 1998, legendary southern jam band Widespread Panic held a free open-air record release show in downtown Athens, Georgia, its home base. No one involved could have known that the predicted crowd of twenty thousand would prove to be nearly five times that size. The show, now known as "Panic in the Streets," went on to become a cult favorite of fans and a decisive moment in Athens music history. This event holds the record for the world's largest record release party, but the story of how the it came to be has not been told until now. 
 
 
 
Widespread Panic in the Streets of Athens, Georgia places listeners at the historic event, using in-depth investigation and interviews with the band, city officials, and "Spread Heads" who were there. Music journalist Gordon Lamb's narrative takes the listener from conception to aftermath and uncovers the local controversies and efforts that nearly stopped the show from happening altogether. 
 
 
 
This deeply researched and richly sourced book follows every stage of the concert's development from the spark of an idea to approximately one hundred thousand people packing the streets of a legendary music town. Taking us back to 1990s Athens through vibrant, on-the-scene writing, Lamb gives us the story of a band on the verge of greatness and a town reckoning with its significant place in music history.

Show book