Voices 02: Christian Olesen on Film Sound, Soundscapes and the ‘Listener’s Rights’

In this episode of the Mediapolis Now Voices series, we speak with Christian Olesen. Christian is based at the University of Amsterdam, in The Netherlands, where he is Assistant Professor of Digital Media and Cultural Heritage. His work has focused on archiving theory and history, film and media historiography, digital methods, found footage, remixing and practice-based research. We discuss with Christian various was of thinking about the film sound and soundscapes, extending from the experimental ends of film theory and cinephilia (e.g. Michel Chion, Rachel McBrinn, Robin Rimbaud, Noël Akchoté) to the creative appropriations of sonic film material in hip hop music (e.g. MF DOOM, Wu-Tang Clan and The Prodigy). Throughout, we pay a lot of attention to kinds of environments and atmospheres sound creates and makes possible in and through film, and the practice, politics, and ethics of sonic appropriation.

Throughout the interview, we discuss and play short sections of recorded material, for which we do not own the copyright. The use of this material is strictly for the purposes of criticism, commentary, teaching, scholarship and research, and hence covered under the legal provisions for ‘fair use’ or ‘fair dealing’. All credits go directly to the rightful owners, and no copyright infringement is intended.

This interview, which was recorded on 17 June 2022, is Episode 2 within the Voices podcast series for Mediapolis Now, the podcast channel of Mediapolis: A Journal of Cities and Culture. In the Voices series, we interview thinkers and practitioners about their work at the junction of cities, culture and media.

Opening and closing music: ‘Mediapolis Now Theme’ by Scott Rodgers License: CC BY-NC (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)