sound — a dynamic, emergent, and contextual phenomenon
by Johannes Scherzer | February 5, 2025We at spæs lab understand sound as a dynamic, emergent, and contextual phenomenon rather than a passive reception of auditory stimuli. Sound as an aesthetic phenomenon integrates sensory input from hearing with complementary perception modalities and cognitive processes, such as prior knowledge, memories, emotions, and imaginative engagement, all within the listener's sociocultural context.
phenomenology as the foundational perspective
spæs lab defines sound based on phenomenological theories, particularly Merleau-Ponty's ideas, which highlight the embodied nature of human experience. Sound is a phenomenon experienced through the body and shaped by both the physical environment and the subjective interpretations of the perceiver, rendering it inherently situated, relational, and contextual.
sound as emergent perception
In "Sonic Virtuality" (2015), Grimshaw and Garner conceptualize sound as an emergent perception. This perspective emphasizes that sound arises from a dynamic interplay between external stimuli, internal cognitive and emotional processes, and the broader environmental and cultural context. Grimshaw and Garner describe sound as a "sonic aggregate," a concept that includes both external (exosonic) and internal (endosonic) components.
The exosonic component refers to the measurable acoustic properties and the physical context in which the sound occurs, while the endosonic component encompasses the internal, subjective dimensions of perception, such as knowledge, imagination, and emotional resonance. Together, these components dynamically interact to produce what we perceive as sound. Notably, although the exosonic component (sound wave) is optional, the endosonic component (such as when interpreting or imagining a sound) is essential for sound to emerge. Consequently, sound is not synonymous with sound waves.
Sound waves, as measurable acoustic vibrations, are inherently meaningless until a listener perceives and interprets them. Hence, meaning is not encoded in the sound waves but emerges through the listener's interpretive processes. Acknowledging the objective properties of sound (exosonic) and its subjective dimensions (endosonic) offers an inclusive perspective, bridging positivist and interpretivist approaches to sound.
subjective and intersubjective dimensions of sound
While sound is a subjective experience, it is also inherently intersubjective. In the context of soundscape research, Schafer (1977) emphasizes that auditory perception is not solely an individual cognitive act, while Jonathan Sterne (2003) examines how media influence listening habits and the construction of meaning. For instance, the significance of silence differs across cultures. In Western concert halls, quietness is often seen as a sign of respect, whereas some cultures incorporate background noise as a natural part of shared experiences.
Additionally, the physical aspect of sound—sound waves as vibrations—can possess an intersubjective dimension. When multiple individuals listen to the same broadcast, occupy the same acoustic space, or engage with the same mediated soundscape, they share a sonic reality. It becomes evident that the intersubjective dimensions of sound phenomena emerge from spatial contexts, shared experiences, collective histories, social norms, technological mediation, and mass media.
the cross-modal nature of experiencing sound
Furthermore, sound is not just a product of auditory processing; it arises from the interaction of multiple sensory inputs, making it a fundamentally multisensory phenomenon. Neuroscience has shown the effects of intermodal perception (Stein & Meredith, 1993), demonstrating that sound interacts with complementary sensory modalities, such as vision and touch, to create a cohesive and immersive experience.
Michel Chion's (1994) concept of "added value" illustrates how sound enhances the perception of visual elements, highlighting the integration of multiple senses. Similarly, Don Ihde (2007) emphasizes the inherent interaction between sound and its spatial and sensory context in exploring sound's relational and embodied nature. This reinforces the idea that sound co-produces the space we experience just as much as space influences the sound we perceive.
For instance, in a crowded café, we don’t just hear voices; we depend on lip-reading, body language, and environmental cues to grasp conversations. Similarly, synchronizing audio and visual elements creates a unified experience when watching a movie. When sound and image are out of sync, it becomes difficult to recognize both. Careful observation in our daily lives can yield many more examples. Sound perception isn’t confined to the auditory system; it arises through multisensory integration.
the reciprocal relationship between sound and space
The interplay between various sensory modalities highlights the interconnectedness of sound and space. Sound and space are mutually constitutive—each defines and shapes the other. Sound is not just an occurrence within space; it actively creates the experience of space, just as the qualities of space influence how we perceive sound. Hence, as sound is an integral quality and constituting element of space, sound is inherently spatial.
the production of sound
Understanding sound as a dynamic, emergent, and contextual phenomenon carries significant implications for its design and, more broadly, sound production. Just as sound arises from emergent perception, its production includes external physical elements (exosonic) and internal interpretative aspects experienced by the listener (endosonic).
The exosonic component represents the tangible, measurable, and potentially repeatable aspects of sound that we shape as designers, artists, performers, or musicians. Its properties—frequency, amplitude, and spatial distribution—constitute an objective reality independent of human perception. For instance, multiple individuals can experience a sound event in the same physical space or through the same media or recordings. Therefore, the exosonic component also includes an intersubjective dimension.
The production of sound also involves an endosonic component, which pertains to our intuitive or explicit anticipation of how other listeners may interpret the sound we produce. This anticipation considers the immediate multisensory, temporal, and spatial context during the perception process and the broader sociocultural context shared among expected listeners. While we can actively control the exosonic component, our ability to influence the endosonic component is limited to consideration and possibly indirect influence.
Finally, sound production is not solely confined to working with sound waves. By acknowledging the cross-modal nature of perception, sound production can also incorporate elements like lighting design, built scenography, (interior) architecture, and other methods of staging space. For example, film sound editing is not limited to editing the technical soundtrack; it also encompasses editing the picture track, as sound and picture influence each other and co-constitute the meaning that emerges in the film medium. The same is true in staging space or spatializing sound: When the space changes, the sound changes—and vice versa.
After all, a particular medium's physical and technical specifics define how we can shape the external, physical reality in which the exosonic component exists. While the medium of the radio play can limit our design activities to shaping sound waves, the medium of a museum exhibition potentially encompasses all elements that constitute the experience of space through our senses.
re-production
We cannot experience a sound identically twice. Each act of perception creates a unique experience. For instance, if you listen to the same track on headphones twice, having already listened to it changes your experience the second time you play it. You probably focus on different details in the music or the mix, or new associations may arise while listening again.
Perception is subjective and constantly evolving, influenced by shifting attentional, emotional, and cognitive states. This perspective suggests that sound is inherently (but not primarily) temporal, existing at the sole moment we perceive it. It is tied to the flow of time in ways that distinguish it from past perceptions. Hence, we can technically reproduce sounding events such as those emitted from recorded media, but reproducing the experience of sound is impossible.
conclusion
spæs lab defines sound not merely as an acoustic event, an objective reality, or an isolated perceptual process but as a dynamic, emergent, and contextual phenomenon. Sound as a phenomenon results from a multisensory, interpretive process. That process is influenced by cognitive, emotional, spatial, and sociocultural factors. By adopting this perspective, we emphasize that sound is inherently temporal and spatial, subjective and intersubjective.
This understanding significantly impacts how we experience and design the sound of and as space. Instead of treating sound as an isolated design element, we better understand it as integral to spatial experience and meaning-making. Acknowledging sound's intermodal and contextual nature enables a more nuanced approach to the production of space, where all auditory qualities contribute to the interpretive act through which we experience space.
literature
Chion, M. (2019). Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. In Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. Columbia University Press.
Grimshaw, M., & Garner, T. (2015). Sonic virtuality: Sound as emergent perception. Oxford University Press.
Ihde, D. (2007). Listening and Voice—Phenomenologies of Sound. State University of New York Press.
Merleau-Ponty, M., & Landes, D. A. (2012). Phenomenology of perception. Routledge.
Schafer, R. M. 1933-2021. (1994). Our sonic environment and the soundscape the tuning of the world. Destiny Books [u.a.].
Stein, B. E., & Meredith, M. A. (1993). The Merging of the Senses. MIT Press.
Sterne, J. (2003). The audible past: Cultural origins of sound reproduction. Duke University Press.
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