Abstract

The link between data capitalism, listening practices and value creation are central themes in Life Chronicles of Dorothea Iesj S.P.U., a sci-fi film and audio novel produced by ALMARE and curated by Radio Papesse. Set in an imaginary society, the film narrates the many adventures of researcher Dorothea, as she extracts – and smuggles – sound finds from the past, thanks to a sound extracting technology called ECHO; it reflects on the use of archaeological artifacts, archives and memory as instruments of power and control. 

By reviewing and listening to Life Chronicles of Dorothea Iesj S.P.U., and by deploying the lens of sonic thinking through the work and critical stance of artists and authors such as Audrey Amsellem, Berit Fisher, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Robin James, Stephen Neville and Jordan Scott, we aim to question the very idea of ‘generic sound’ in the face of the ever growing datafication of the mundane, in times where we are already ubiquitously listened, voice enabled technologies are now legitimizing listening and recording in domestic settings and sound and voice have been enmeshed in the data logic, and eaves mined at the edge of acoustic space and digital infrastructure.