Sawt, Bodies, Species. Sonic Pluralism in Morocco

by Gilles Aubry

How do the Moroccan sound archives of the writer Paul Bowles from the 1970s sound today? What does it mean for musicians from back then to listen to these recordings again today? What does an earthquake in Agadir have to do with a Japanese science fiction film? What sound do stones have? And what do we learn about environmental pollution by listening to the agar-agar algae?

In his audio-visual publication "Sawt Bodies, Species”, Gilles Aubry draws on critical sound studies, ethnographic research and artistic practice. His research on the sonic dimensions and acoustic practices in Morocco ranges from animal, plant and mineral voices to ritual practices and technological infrastructures. The Arabic word for these voices in both the physical and technological sense is "sawt". In collaboration with local musicians, artists and scientists, Aubry explores listening in experimental settings as the basis of "sonic pluralism".

The dense descriptions of the multidisciplinary research are supplemented by a series of photographs and linked to compositions by the artist.

The book has been published by adocs Verlag in print and as an open access version:

https://adocs.de/de/buecher/sound-open-accessebooks/sawt-bodies-species-sonic-pluralism-morocco

In addition, there are further materials and reviews of the publication on the platform for contemporary music, research and multimedia projects Norient: https://norient.com