The Process: How To Listen in a World of Noise

From alternative modes of listening to live performance as a form of time travel, the Black political economy of music and the platform conditions of distribution, musician, curator and theorist, DeForrest Brown Jr. wants to discover new ways of relating to audio. In a world of noise and an oversaturated music industry, what new worlds might we discover if we reimagine how we make and listen to music?  

In this sonic essay for The Process, DeForrest reveals some of the ideas generated from his one-month residency at Somerset House Studios in 2025. Drawing on his research project, Rhythmanalytics, where he explores electronic music at the end of the music industry, DeForrest gives insight into his multi-media project, Synoptic Audio.   

In a richly textured dialogue between sound and words, DeForrest shares his experience of returning to Somerset House Studios to perform live as part of Assembly 2026 programme.  

Credits:
Contributors: DeForrest Brown Jr  
Executive Producer: Eleanor Ritter-Scott 
Producer: Tess Davidson  
Sound Engineer: Mike Woolley 
Host: Laurent John 
Theme Music: Ka Baird  

Additional sound: DeForrest Brown Jr (live recording, Assembly, Somerset House Studios, 2026)