WORDS BENJAMEN JUDD
Sound is all around us. It propels us, it soothes us. In the UK, Transport London has been known to play classical music at its busiest tube stations to deter antisocial behaviour. It can stop us in our tracks, like when we hear the harsh blare of a car horn. Sound is a part of us in a way that touch or taste can never be because it overlaps upon our personal space.
Studies in the field of sonic affect – the research of how states of response or awareness are created within the body through sound – show that as humans we are hardwired with responses to certain auditory stimuli. For example, the sound of rain. Rain sound is generally between 0 and 20 kHz and when humans hear the sound of it, the brain begins to unconsciously relax and begin producing alpha waves. These are very close to the state our brain is in when we experience sleep. When it comes to pleasure, however, sound is as diverse as our sexual tastes. The sound of chewing or whispering so frequently sourced on ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos can just as easily make the next person’s skin crawl.
Sound is also how we create space – personal, shared, sacred. It can take us elsewhere. While our bodies are mediating suburban streets, our auditory perception can be on a distant beach. Or a rainforest. Or another city. Through sound, we can experience a world without leaving our homes. Over the following pages, we’ve created an interactive meditation of soundscapes, or sound escapes, to take you elsewhere. Hold your phone over each QR code to activate the experience. Use this whenever you need a moment to pause, or achieve a sense of stillness. Or simply when you want to escape the day.
