New York, NY (June 17, 2025)—David Byrne shares his insights into sound, exploring what it means to us and why, in “Sound is Fundamental,” the first episode of a new three-part online series, The Art of Sound.
Commissioned by L-Acoustics and produced by Black Meteor, the 17-minute short only alludes to the loudspeaker/immersive audio company’s technology in passing, preferring instead to focus on how we experience sound, the evolution of listening and perhaps its future as well.
Wrangling the RF of David Byrne’s American Utopia
The former Talking Heads leader shares his thoughts throughout the film but he’s not alone; researchers Robyn Landau (Kinda Studios) and Dr. Erica Warp, too, discuss ways that our hearing has developed over eons, such as how humans’ experience of loud sounds evolved to bypass thought and go straight to reaction as a protective instinct.
Directed by Andrew Lancaster, the documentary takes viewers from the streets of New York as Byrne rides his bicycle while discussing urban noise pollution, to L-Acoustics’ lab in London where Landau and Warp analyze data to see how the brain reacts to different soundscapes, to the beaches of Rio and audio art installations of Los Angeles.
Discover more great stories—get a free Mix SmartBrief subscription!
Along the way, Byrne recalls his earliest memories related to sound, while also exploring social experiences around sound and what they mean to us emotionally—a moment highlighted by his recounting how avant-garde composer John Cage (who wrote the legendary silent musical piece “4’33”) reacted when he first entered an anechoic chamber. Elsewhere, Warp and Landau offer how sound might be used in the near future to help improve mental health, aiding our efforts to get energized or wind down.
Gorgeously shot and easily accessible to casual viewers, “Sound is Fundamental” is a great start to the web series; we’ll be keeping an eye on it.
