Description
Written by one of the most prominent thinkers in sound studies, Amplifications presents a perspective on sound narrated through the experiences of a sound artist and writer. A work of reflective philosophy, Amplifications sits at the intersection of history, creative practice, and sound studies, recounting this narrative through a series of themes (rattles, echoes, recordings, etc.). Carter offers a unique perspective on migratory poetics, bringing together his own compositions and life’s works while using his personal narrative to frame larger theoretical questions about sound and migration.
‘This is a wonderful, exhilarating read, thoroughly original. It is personal, poetic – full of literary allusions connected to significant radio productions re-visited, re-imagined and literally remade. The text is rather like a sonic Proust meeting a John Berger for the ears, in which the themes are interwoven in order to explore the opaque layers of meaning, memory, culture and creativity within each radio artwork discussed. A tour de force!‘ – Michael Bull, Professor of Sound Studies, University of Sussex, UK
‘Being simultaneously an auditory autobiography and a cultural history of sound, Amplifications is an excellent example of how to productively write about sonic experiences differently. As a piece of both literary and scholarly work, this book is a fascinating read.’ – Vincent Meelberg, Senior Lecturer, Department of Cultural Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and founding editor of the Journal of Sonic Studies
‘Paul Carter’s periautography is a uniquely rewarding meditation on voice and word as motion. Amplifications unquestionably amplifies the stakes in listening to the poetics and politics of sound histories.’ – Steven Feld, Anthropologist and Sound Artist, School for Advanced Research, USA
