DIY Ethos

Punk is not about high-end production but raw energy. In punk sonification this means using as little technology and as much feeling as possible to achieve what you want to achieve. For example, logging your data using paper and pencil rather than a spreadsheet, or creating sounds using your body and voice rather than with code. The emphasis should be on accessibility and enabling people without a technical background to engage with data through sound.

Disruptive Presentation

Punk seeks to disrupt the status quo and examine our assumptions about how the world works. Punk sonification does this by presenting data in ways that challenge conventional or mainstream understandings of a subject. For example, it might use sound to reveal biases in data collection methods, question the ways in which data is traditionally interpreted, or reconsider our relationship with technology.

Political or Social Commentary

Punk is associated with activism and challenging societal norms. Punk sonification could be used as a tool to highlight social issues, like inequality or climate change, by turning relevant data into impactful and participatory auditory experiences. The intent is to engage people both emotionally and intellectually, encouraging them to think critically about the issues at hand.

Aesthetic Choices

Musically, punk is characterised by its simplicity, rawness, and emotional intensity. Punk sonifications aim to give the listener an experience that deviates from more 'polished' or 'academic' forms of sonification. This could mean using your voice, rather than a synthesizer, for example, or using found sounds that relate to the data in some way. Anything around you can be an instrument.

Community Engagement

Punk fosters a strong sense of community and shared values. Punk sonifications might use community-generated or crowdsourced data, or the sonifications could be created collaboratively in a community workshop. The final pieces could then be shared in communal settings, like local gatherings or small online communities, not just in academic journals or conferences.