Sonic Footprints

What acoustic traces do mass-produced items leave along their supply chains, and what ecological impacts do these sounds have?

Sound behaves differently in air, water, or soil, and different species perceive it uniquely—dolphins, for example, hear frequencies far beyond the human range. These distinctions raise critical questions about how to evaluate the ecological impact of industrial soundscapes.

Sonic Footprints explores the sonic connection between the industrial noise of a plastic toy dolphin’s supply chain and the sensitive acoustic habitats of real dolphins. Through interviews with four scholars, the research examines sound ecology from diverse perspectives: Gianni Pavan, assesses the harm industrial noise inflicts on marine life. Robert Rosenberger, postphenomenologist, investigates how sound data, shaped by human technologies, can reflect subjective biases. Tim Ingold, social anthropologist, redefines ecology by emphasizing the relational dynamics of sonic perception. Salomé Voegelin, sound studies scholar, reframes sound as a primary way of understanding, challenging visual-dominant knowledge systems.

This project reimagines ecology through sound, uncovering the often-overlooked consequences of industrial noise. Accompanying the text are recordings from the toy dolphin’s supply chain. Musicians Inland and SHXCXCHCXSH reinterpreted these soundscapes into compositions that are available on vinyl and online.

Sonic Footprints invites readers and listeners to listen differently, framing sound as a crucial lens for understanding the hidden interconnectedness of ecosystems and industrial processes.