Ubiquitous Listening: Affect, Attention, and Distributed Subjectivity

by Anahid Kassabian

How does the constant presence of music in modern life―on iPods, in shops and elevators, on television―affect the way we listen? With so much of this sound, whether imposed or chosen, only partially present to us, is the act of listening degraded by such passive listening? In Ubiquitous Listening, Anahid Kassabian investigates the many sounds that surround us and argues that this ubiquity has led to different kinds of listening. Kassabian argues for a new examination of the music we do not normally hear (and by implication, that we do), one that examines the way it is used as a marketing tool and a mood modulator, and exploring the ways we engage with this music.

Genres: Music

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Trace Reddell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kassabian's work has made significant contributions to the field of "sound studies," and I have used her shorter essay on "Ubiquitous Listening" in some of my classes, but this was my first time to work with her full book. I have a mixed reaction to the book. Though published in 2013, most of the chapters in fact date back to research and previously published essays from as far as 20 years earlier, giving the project's case studies an overly dated feel -- fortunately, the conceptual outcomes of this research are still highly relevant, and at times even come across as almost prophetically forward-looking (at least in retrospect). In other words, then, the book has a weird feeling to it, time-wise.

The mishmash of case studies across which Kassabian's work runs is at times exhilarating insofar as it reinforces her idea of a "distributed subjectivity" that is unevenly constituted through occasionally very discontiguous sources and sonic experiences. But a couple of these -- the chapter on three Armenian video artists (and the role of the sound in their projects) and the other on musical moments in mostly American TV series (the chapter that has, more than any others, lost its feeling of contemporaneity) -- feel very out-of-place and aren't convincingly drawn into the discussion of either distributed subjectivity (though they illustrate it, they have little to contribute to what Kassabian has to say about it) or, more crucially, her key concept of ubiquitous listening. The more compelling pair of chapters are those that contrast the author's late discovery of Armenian jazz fusion and her encounter with the Putumayo CD label and the use of sonic branding in spaces like Starbucks. I wish that these chapters had been put into more of a fruitful dialogue, however, as there is a useful clash between the role of cultural hybridization that emerges from the Armenian jazz fusion and the cultural whitewashing of Putumayo. I remain unconvinced by Kassabian's efforts to valorize sonic tourism, which speaks of a visit without lasting consequences other than the souvenirs acquired, where her experience of jazz fusion speaks to the more lasting encounters and tensions around issues of identity formation (particularly in terms of the Armenian diaspora) and its mutations.

Ultimately, I came away from the project with mixed feelings. I really want to like the book more than I do, and again some of the key concepts (which are reiterated more than developed over the course of the book) are very useful and, perhaps most importantly, accessible to a wide range of students. But the datedness of the case studies less usefully age the project, which ultimately requires more effort to fill in the gaps from the '90s and first decade of the 2000s to the present than is worth doing. I'll probably end up sticking with the shorter essay on "ubiquitous listening" found in the "Audio Culture" reader in the future.

[Jürgen De blonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me quite some insights into several manifestations of how music is used to shape our idea of an environment and eventually how we feel about ourselves whilst consuming. Kassabian offers a clever insight into how World Music is constructed and how it is used, exposing us to exotic sounds without alienating us by imposing a Westernized filter on top of it all. Nevertheless this 'music' is everywhere, telling us how to feel and not feel bad about it.

Besides that, the book also offers unique perspectives on Armenian culture and music. I didn't quite expect that but was nevertheless very charmed by this.

The style is rather academic, but if you get past that, it's a nice and informative read that has challenging ideas. It sticks.

[Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even though this is published in 2013, she relies on research and data from a decade earlier for many parts of this.

The choice of case studies are bizarre and I did not follow the reasoning.

This seems like a book I should love as the subject matter is something I research, but unfortunately due to the dated data, as well as the odd confusing case studies-mish-mash I can not recommend this book. It has a 2006 feel to it, and as such is not really useful to current media studies.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great book, but it might be a little much for the casual reader. This book is very much oriented towards sound studies and film music/sound scholars. I especially like the book's Deleuzian framework and the chapter on the sonic experience of new action films.