Latest from the Blog

Musical Youth pt. 4: Young Sound Systems

In the second instalment of the Musical Youth blog series we saw how, from the 1950s to the early 1990s, reggae sound systems provided a refuge for first and second generation African Caribbean communities in the UK who were facing racism and persecution in wider society. After a hiatus during the rise in electronic music, […]

  • Posted on 25 June 2025
  • by Guest Author
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‘Feel The Sound’ Exhibition Review

Sonics, long neglected as a sensory realm, has gained increasing attention over the past few decades — both in academia, with the rise of sound studies, and in the arts world. This renewed interest has opened up new ways of thinking about how we experience and engage with sound beyond the purely auditory. In this […]

  • Posted on 18 June 2025
  • by Guest Author
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KNOCK EM DOWN SOUND SYSTEM WORKSHOPS

With sound system culture emerging across a vast territory and among a diverse population, Australia has been a key country in the SST research (see a previous blog post on Melbourne’s sound system scene by Moses Iten). The SST Australia team, led by Douglas Kahn and Clare Cooper, has not only explored the influence of […]

  • Posted on 14 May 2025
  • by Guest Author
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Events

‘Feel The Sound’ Exhibition Review

Sonics, long neglected as a sensory realm, has gained increasing attention over the past few decades — both in academia, with the rise of sound studies, and in the arts world. This renewed interest has opened up new ways of thinking about how we experience and engage with sound beyond the purely auditory. In this […]

  • Posted on 18 June 2025
  • by Guest Author
  • Read More

KNOCK EM DOWN SOUND SYSTEM WORKSHOPS

With sound system culture emerging across a vast territory and among a diverse population, Australia has been a key country in the SST research (see a previous blog post on Melbourne’s sound system scene by Moses Iten). The SST Australia team, led by Douglas Kahn and Clare Cooper, has not only explored the influence of […]

  • Posted on 14 May 2025
  • by Guest Author
  • Read More

Sonic map

Launched in September 2022, the Sonic Map aims to provide an extensive coverage of different type of sound systems operating across the globe. It focuses on the three main elements which make an SST: the sound technologies employed, the crew which operates them, and the environment in which they operate. It aims to give exposure to the diverse but equally vibrant street sonic cultures, allow comparison between different SST, foster mutual recognition and cross-fertilisation between practitioners and aficionados from different backgrounds, and provide fellow researchers and academic institutions with a glimpse of what is currently happening out on the streets.

The Sonic Map is an open-project which relies on the crucial collaboration of the SST communities involved. If you know, own or operate an SST which is not currently listed on the map, or if you notice some amendments needed in an existing entry, please contribute!

Sonic Street Technologies (SST) is a European Research Council (ERC) funded research project (2021 – 2025)

The project aims to map the distribution and history of these SST worldwide; to investigate the social, economic and cultural conditions from which they are born; and to achieve a deeper understanding of the nature of technology itself and its uses for social and economic progress.