Event overview
Sonic Space Exploration: The reggae sound system as scientific and creative laboratory
In this talk, Julian Henriques takes his audience on a journey into sonic space to discover how we can best recognise ourselves as embodied, social and imaginative beings. Henriques’ mission has been inspired by his film and research work with music, style, and fashion of Jamaican popular culture both on that island and in the UK.
He is happy to recognise that much of what has learnt about sonic space has been from the true connoisseurs of sound – the audio engineers who design and build the huge out-on-the-street sound systems. At the core of the Jamaican dancehall scene, these “street technologies” provide an invaluable source of entertainment for Kingston’s inner city communities.
Sound system performance techniques, shared social use and the most sophisticated DIY construction methods also provide an invaluable resource for the critique of consumer media technologies, cognitivist psychologies and rationalist epistemologies. Most important, the dancehall sessions are a living example of what a bottom-up, power-with, embodied shared social experience feels like. The voyage is illustrated with reggae dub vinyl tracks, extracts from sound art installations and clips from some of Henriques’ films. It makes full use of the 12.2 surround sound and multi-screen projection of the SIML (Sonics Immersive Media Lab).
Julian Henriques biography:
Professor Julian Henriques is convenor of the MA Scriptwriting and the MA Cultural Studies programmes, director of the Topology Research Unit and a co-founder of the Sound System Outernational practice research group in the Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London. Prior to this, Julian ran the film and television department at CARIMAC at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica. His credits as a writer and director include the reggae musical feature film Babymother and We the Ragamuffin short. Julian researches street cultures, music and technologies and is interested in the uses of sound as a critical and creative tool. His sound sculptures include Knots & Donuts (2011) at Tate Modern and his books include Changing the Subject (1998), Sonic Bodies (2011) and Sonic Media (Duke, UP, forthcoming).
Lecture at 6pm, followed by drinks reception until 8pm.
Part of a series celebrating Goldsmiths academics who have recently become professors.
Free event, all warmly welcome.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 20 May 2019 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm |
Accessibility
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