Latest from the Blog

Beats + Bass Cultures Network Launch

SST and SSO are happy to lend our support to Beats + Bass Cultures Network (BBCN), a new research effort based in Australia. For us, any inspiration our work can give others is a big plus. Join the launch event with BBCN founders and prof Julian Henriques online on Monday 15th June 10am UK time […]

  • Posted on 14 June 2026
  • by Brian D'Aquino
  • Read More

Honey Trap: A Local Female Sound System in a Global Frame

The SST project has used films as a research tool throughout the study. Although not originally planned, this approach developed organically in response to feedback from the field. Short commissioned films have proven useful not only for disseminating research but also for sparking dialogue with street culture. The filmmaking process also impacts the practitioners themselves, […]

  • Posted on 13 March 2026
  • by Brian D'Aquino
  • Read More

WRITING HISTORIES THROUGH SOUND IN BOGOTA’, COLOMBIA

The insurgent sonic practices of sound systems and other sonic street technologies not only provide entertainment for local and marginalised communities, but actively reconfigure the urban space, reflecting and reshaping shifting identities and emerging spaces of sonic possibility. In anticipation of his forthcoming book chapter in the Mobile Music Machines edited series, this blog by […]

  • Posted on 18 February 2026
  • by Guest Author
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Events

Beats + Bass Cultures Network Launch

SST and SSO are happy to lend our support to Beats + Bass Cultures Network (BBCN), a new research effort based in Australia. For us, any inspiration our work can give others is a big plus. Join the launch event with BBCN founders and prof Julian Henriques online on Monday 15th June 10am UK time […]

  • Posted on 14 June 2026
  • by Brian D'Aquino
  • Read More

Honey Trap: A Local Female Sound System in a Global Frame

The SST project has used films as a research tool throughout the study. Although not originally planned, this approach developed organically in response to feedback from the field. Short commissioned films have proven useful not only for disseminating research but also for sparking dialogue with street culture. The filmmaking process also impacts the practitioners themselves, […]

  • Posted on 13 March 2026
  • by Brian D'Aquino
  • 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.