SONIC FRONTLINES
Sonic Frontlines is a project by EarthSonic and In Place of War that explores the connections between war, climate, and biodiversity loss.
The project strives to collect and archive audio recordings of structural and direct violence in affected areas–airstrikes, collapsing infrastructure, water contamination, sirens, drones, displaced voices, and even pre-escalation recordings of everyday life–as source material for music projects that anchor collective resistance and ground solidarity.
Conflicts, wars, and structural violence in their many forms leave deep scars not only on communities but also on the ecosystems they depend on.
From deforestation and contaminated water sources to the poisoning of soil and air, the environmental toll of war is often overlooked. By capturing and repurposing the sonic traces of this damage, the project repositions listening as a political and emotional act.
CALL-out for submissions
We are launching a call-out for sound submissions for Sonic Frontlines for areas affected by conflict or structural violence, which will be turned into a sound collection by EarthSonic Archives. Musicians from or connected to affected regions will then be invited to create new works using the submitted sounds.
The resulting compositions will be shared through an album on the EarthSonic record label, online platforms, and potentially, exhibitions and educational workshops in the future.
We're working with local partners and field recordists to document sounds from conflict-affected regions, with an initial focus on Palestine, Lebanon, and South Sudan - but welcome submissions from any place affected by conflict.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 31 AUGUST 2026
How your sounds will be used
All sounds submitted will be stored in EarthSonic Archives.
If sounds are selected for use on the Sonic Frontlines album, contributors of sounds will be given a choice of whether they want to receive a share of the royalties.
PARTNERS
We have partnered with a range of incredible organisations across the world to engage with communities impacted by conflict. This project would not be possible without the support of:
LIKIKIRI COLLECTIVE
Likikiri Collective is a multimedia arts and education organization located in Juba, South Sudan that uses the arts and humanities, cultural heritage and creativity to work with communities on social issues.
They are dedicated to initiating, organising and collaborating on arts and humanities-based projects that document the life, explore the cultures, and voice the concerns of South Sudanese.
They take an intercultural and interdisciplinary approach to our work, seeking connections across various sectors, including education, culture, development, and peacebuilding.
Instagram: @likikiri
Space of Urgency
Space of Urgency (spaceofurgency.org) is a Berlin-based network of founders of non-dominant cultural spaces, collectives, and community initiatives.
Together they work to improve conditions for self-organisation and access to physical space, resisting the legal, political, and economic pressures that push independent culture out of the room.
Instagram: @spaceofurgency
Beirut and Beyond
Beirut and Beyond provides assistance to Palestinian refugee communities across the Middle East.
Their partnership with Palestinian-led organisations involves providing them with necessary support, including funding, projects, resources, and manpower.
In the United States, their primary focus is to educate on Palestinian refugee narrative. They are committed to advocating for the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Instagram: @bbimf
Turba تُرْبَة
Turba تُرْبَة (turbasoil.org) is an independent media and mutual aid platform based in Berlin, for artists, activists, healers, and practitioners working under war, siege, and repression.
Its work asks what post-systemic infrastructure for culture can look like when built across geographies, sustaining cultural resistance in both diaspora and homeland, and carrying voices across distance through documentation, mutual aid, and solidarity.
Instagram: @turba_soil
Wonder Cabinet
Wonder Cabinet is a space for art production and cultural development in Bethlehem, Palestine. It aspires to be both, a container and incubator of ‘stories’, and a building whose spatial and formal qualities represent the spirit of a community striving for independence and collaboration.
Wonder Cabinet is home to projects like the now infamous community radio station Radio alHara and Sounds of Places, a research and
residency project dedicated to the sonic identity of places, launched in Spring 2024 amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the increasingly restrictive annexation practices in the West Bank.
Instagram: @wonder.cabinet
Sound Matters
Sound Matters - Mike Edwards and Harry Coade - is widely acknowledged as a global leader in the use of sound and the art of listening to help individuals and organisations understand, and help solve, the most fundamental challenges facing the world. Sound Matters has a clear mission which is to create a universal culture of listening whereby every individual and organisation can access the power of sound and listening to create a better world.
Instagram: @soundmattershq
