Electromagnetic fields are all around you. Invisible and silent, magnetic ionization surrounds modern life. Cell phones, computers, radios, hair dryers, microwave ovens, TVs, anything wireless, and to a lesser extent anything electrical, are all emitting EMF energy into the environment constantly. Atmospheric events produce EMFs too- thunder, lighting, and meteors in dramatic fashion, the ionosphere and Earth’s own latent magnetic energy less so.

If you had antennae instead of ears, you could hear it all, this unintended cacophony of modern living. The sounds of EMFs can also be heard via a wide band radio receiver, an induction coil connected to an amplifier, or a number of specially designed EMF field recorders. Consider yourself encouraged.  

Rather than focusing on the everyday EMF environment, however, this edition of Special Collections features recordings of the most powerful EMF fields we could find. Sites that come with warning signs.Equipped with a Soma Ether, we took a trip to LAX to listen to the ASR-9 parabolic radar, visited LA DWP receiving station G in Atwater Village and the SoCal Edison Gould substation in La Canada-Flintridge to listen to the power flow, and strolled up Audio Road and Video Road at the top of Mount Wilson to find out what TV and radio satellites sound like.  

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