Book I chose from the unit bibliography: Sounding New Media by Frances Dyson

‘The microphone and magnetic tape were essential technologies in this development [sound becoming a compositional material rather than a support for the spoken word], and both were surrounded by, and indeed produced, certain narratives about the meaning and being of sound that far exceeded the technological frame that was their foundational support’

– In this paragraph Dyson explains how, over time, sound became more of a compositional and creative tool. People like Pierre Schaeffer and Halim El-Dabh experimented with the ability to distort, loop and feedback sound through the use of tape in the 1940s, therefore exceeding the generalised idea of the potential of tape in audio.

‘Within these narratives, the three-dimensionality of the audio recording seems to absorb the presence of the technological interface, disappearing into a pseudo-animistic and spiritually inclined phenomenology.’

– From my understanding, Dyson is explaining here how a certain allure came about during this experiment with technology, how the audio recording almost became 3D and animated, completely surpassing the methodology of the technology, tape specifically, and therefore pushing the idea of experimentation with technology forward.

^ For context, this might be very wrong/not what Dyson was trying to say. I found analysing this passage very interesting regardless.