The Destruction of Acoustic Specificity by Amplified Sound Ray Gallon

Already for some time, people concerned with the acoustic environment have spoken about the effects of motorization. Above all, motors are dangerous for the acoustic specificity of a given place because of their acoustic masking effect. However, it is also important to consider the effect of amplified sound, which has become practically omnipresent in cities and towns throughout the world. Most often, amplification is used to broadcast sounds without specific character, whether it be MUZAK – a music concocted by a psycho-industrial process to be “neutral ” – or another music, that of the global commercial entertainment culture. The presence of this music that is not specific to a place has the effect of erasing or overwhelming any sound that gives an acoustic identity to that space. We are thus overwhelmed by this non-specific sound, and we lose the possibility of using our ears to give us the sense of belonging to a specific place. This paper explores aspects of this phenomenon: • A rough attempt to define what makes a sound environment specific to a place • Anecdotal examples • A deontology of amplified sound by social function and physical disposition • Rave parties and other “overload” situations as special cases.