Sounding Out DAESH

Abstract

Sound production has been crucial to the self-presentation strategy of the so-called Islamic State that we refer to in our video by its Arabic acronym DAESH. A cappella chants (anāshīd) often sonically enhance DAESH’s highly polished videos and have been widely disseminated on social media platforms. Anāshīd reach out to a wide audience in a variety of languages, but rarely gain the attention their popularity requires. DAESH’s videos and statements mark their singers as heroic figures, showing them with rifles, the black flag, and microphones. However, it remains difficult to see beyond this imposing staging to learn more about the composition and production of the crafted sounds and the individual men and, to some extent, women behind them. This academic video essay draws attention to the often-neglected dimension of sound among DAESH. It probes what is known about the singers and the production process of anāshīd and presents new perspectives on the potential of DAESH’s media campaign to touch through sound and poetry.