Sonic Self Control: The Sensory Experience of Orphic Media
Bahadırhan KoçerIn this research, the conceptual basis of orphic media, which has the utilization that allows the individual to achieve sonic self-control by abstracting from the sonic space, has been analyzed. With this analysis, orphic media has been adopted as a tentative concept in order to examine the fictional soundscape, which is an internet-based media format, due to its relation with mythos, its connection with concepts such as abstract space and milieu, and its political scope. With its structure focused on the concept of sonic self-control, the orphic approach—which is meant to provide a current framework for future sound and music research—has been put to the test with the issue of determining whether any components of the fictional soundscape can be categorized as orphic media. In this qualitative research, the mediation of orphic media has been clarified with the conceptual analysis method and it has been concluded that the fictional soundscape, which has been evaluated in this mediation, has orphic media characteristics in terms of both production and consumption style.
Sonik Öz Kontrol: Orfik Medyanın Duyumsal Deneyimi
Bahadırhan KoçerBu araştırmada ilkin bireyin sonik mekândan soyutlanıp, sonik öz-kontrolünü sağlamasına olanak tanıyan bir medya cinsi olarak orfik medyanın temellendirildiği kavramsal zemin irdelenmiştir. Bu irdelemeyle birlikte orfik medya, mitos ile ilişkisi, soyut mekân ve milieu gibi kavramlarla olan bağlantısı ve politik kapsamı dolayısıyla, internet bazlı bir medya formatı olan kurgusal soundscape’in irdelenmesi adına tezgen bir kavram olarak benimsenmiştir. Sonik öz-kontrol fikrini merkezine alan yapısıyla ses ve müzik araştırmaları için güncel bir çerçeve sunduğu varsayılan orfik yaklaşım, kurgusal soundscape’in, şayet öyleyse, hangi yönleriyle orfik medya olarak ele alınabileceği problemiyle sınanmıştır. Bu nitel araştırmada, orfik medyanın dolayımı aydınlatılmış ve bu dolayım içinde değerlendirilen kurgusal soundscape’in hem üretim hem de tüketim biçimi bakımından orfik medya karakteristikleri taşıdığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Orphic media is a relatively new concept created by Mack Hagood, who has been researching digital media, audio technologies, and popular music. Being one of the current frameworks created to perceive different media formats emerging in new contexts, orphic media was found significant and examined as the primary subject of this research. Hagood presents a unique perspective on the idea of relaxing media. According to Hagood, the orphic media we consume for relaxation serves as a tool to detach ourselves from the aural stimulus of environmental information. Although it is considered in tandem with relaxative media, several concepts that it is connected with on the theoretical ground seem to bring profound characteristics. Orphic media prevents us from disturbing and unwanted external stimuli. These stimuli can be considered natural or artificial sounds that mostly interrupt the quasi-calm nature of individual space and can be diversified in this sense. It constantly protects against the power of capitalist space and occasionally simply satisfies the desire to become desolate. Unlike other media formats, orphic media is abstracted from content. Taking advantage of the tools of orphic media with a desire to isolate from unwanted and compulsive stimuli enables individuals to attain sonic self-control.It seems reasonable to consider sonic self-control as a matter of power that begins with isolation from the ambient. Hagood suggests that wearing headphones, for example, could provide a person an advantage over the background sound. By doing so, the individual blocks out the noise which is certainly unwanted, and attains the freedom to choose the sound to expose to. In this case, the individual gets isolated from the external environment and obtains sonic self-control by reshaping the sonic sensory. Emphasizing the insulating, directing, and ecstatic power of sound, Hagood makes an allegorical quote from Argonautica and associates the concept with the mythos. According to Hagood, Orpheus, who saved five sailors from death in the relevant part of Argonautica, fends off the danger by using the power of sound and directs the sailors with the ecstatic power of the sound, changing the chain of events in the opposite direction. With this allegoric quote, Hagood emphasizes the enduring, primal power of sound in contemporary conditions. It is clear that orphic media serves as a means for individuals to process and absorb the overwhelming flow of information in the present. In this respect, orphic media puts individual comfort at its center by including several discussions on the philosophical ground. The fact that orphic media seem to have qualities worth exploring in more than one field is what makes the concept the focus of this study. By creating links with many references, Hagood goes into the context, uses abstract space, and depicts the orphic media on a solid background. Although orphic media is discussed and analyzed only at the initial level in this work, it constitutes intriguing examination opportunities for fields such as philosophy, sociology, psychology, musicology, and politics thanks to the mentioned relations.The soundscape was accepted as a secondary subject for this paper to exemplify the overarching theme of orphic media and to test the perspective created by Hagood since it has been identified as a phenomenon that continues to be in demand in the internet medium. The soundscape phenomenon has been discussed in this research specified as a fictional soundscape. Although reviewing and defining orphic media is the primary purpose of this research, discussing fictional soundscapes from a given perspective can be accepted as the secondary purpose. The fictional soundscape is represented by three major examples taken from Nemo’s Dreamscapes, a YouTube channel. Ultimately, in this study, it was a question to examine a new internet phenomenon with a new concept that is thought to be functional in the disclosed context.As a result, indications about the connections between orphic media and other concepts were discovered. To address the phenomenon of fictitious soundscapes, found hints have been used. In this manner, a final study of both subjects—orphic media and fictional soundscape—was completed. As was mentioned earlier, the term “orphic media” is relatively new. For this reason, it was not possible to reach an inflated number of related sources which may constitute a shortcoming. On the other hand, the ethical obligation to bring recent issues into the academic context motivated me to work on the subject. In conclusion, it may be claimed that orphic media deserves the attention of more researchers from various fields. Hence, I hope that this paper may constitute an illumination for further research.