Sonic Deep Map

http://theradius.us/episode48

Sonic Deep Map, released in 2014, by Radio Aktiv, is an hour and a half long sound piece comprised of interviews, spoken, and sonic poetry. It uses direct quotes from residents of Pyhäjoki, Finland, along with abstractions of the negative emotional reaction to the potential threat of a nuclear power plant being placed in their town, to give a voice to further articulate and organize the rejection. An industrial pulse weaves in and out of the human voices as they describe the natural beauty of their seaside town, creating a cyborg landscape to listen in.

“To produce the audio content for Sonic Deep Map, Radio Aktiv conducted interviews with local activists of the organization Pro Hanhikivi, which is led by two mothers — local community members Hanna Halmeenpää and Helena Maijala — who fight every day to stop the proposed power plant; made field recordings in the stunning seaside landscape of the Hanhikivi Cape; did group vocalization exercises — humming and screaming to conjure the rage and sadness that the threat of the power plant proffers; traveled by boat; and documented the sounds made in a Geiger counter building workshop led by Erich Berger and Martin Howes.” 

This reminds me of the rejection the residents of Nevada had (and still have) for the plans for Yucca Mountain. This piece is an example of a way artists can speak out against nuclear power, or for it. The piece is completely biased against nuclear power, but it could also be biased completely for it. I think the reason people choose to have extreme biases, particularly in this issue, is because it’s so complicated to explain the positive and negative aspects that are inherent to it.

This piece is an episode from Radius, which is “an experimental radio broadcast platform based in Chicago, IL, USA.” One of the directors of Radius, Jeff Kolar, came in to speak to one of my classes about his work. He talked about Radius, and mentioned some of the more recent works produced under it, including this. Radius is local, and active. 

http://theradius.us

-Ava Threlkel