Saturday, January 21, 2012

Sounds like an Apocalypse!

This is a political blog, not a Weird Shit blog. But the political realm -- and life in general -- has left me feeling awfully bleak and blue in recent weeks. So let's welcome some good news: The Apocalypse is nigh!

At least, such is the purport of a mysterious set of videos popping up all over YouTube. These clips document a worldwide phenomenon -- strange, loud, unearthly sounds that have been heard in various locations around the world. A flurry of "unidentified auditory phenomenon" reports came pouring in from all over the world on January 12, 2012, and again on January 17. Near as I can tell, the first wave of videos documenting these sounds showed up in March of 2011, with another outburst in August of 2011.

I know what you're thinking: How do we know that these videos do not constitute a massive con job? Faking up a presentation of this sort would be child's play. Perhaps we are witnessing a viral, global leg-pull.

My response: Dude, you're harshing my buzz. I prefer to think that the Apocalypse is nigh.

On occasion, teevee news has reported on the incidents -- for example, ITN. So has the Huffington Post. Also see here and here. And here. As you'll see, at least one sports broadcast has been interrupted by these audio events.

At this point, I can offer no explanation. Can't even provide you with one of my characteristically outre theories. (Some folks are talking HAARP. Boring! There are people who blame HAARP if a cat coughs up a fur ball.) All you can do is check out the vids and come to your own conclusions.

This one comes from the Czech Republic:



Here's Conklin, Alberta, Canada. This is, perhaps, the most popular of the videos, even though it is almost certainly fake:



Costa Rica coming up. This one is more musical, more David Lynchian...



More on the Costa Rica sitch. Translation, anyone?



Helsinki, Finland, January 17, 2012 (sounding a bit too Hollywood, alas):



Same date, Boulder, CO:



Same date, same sound, Nottingham, England:



Same date, Thunder Bay:



Same date, NYC. Subtle, but cute:



Same date, Philly. Alas, this one sounds quite dubious, like a music track slowed down:



Badajoz, Spain, January 18, 2012:



Belgium, January 19, 2012:



Apparently, something similar occurred worldwide in September of 2011. For some reason, this interesting compilation segues into a commercial for a truly hideous product:



Same damned thing occurred in the south of France (always an epicenter for weirdness) in March of 2011. Here, as elsewhere, the sound resembles the noise emitted by the tripods in the Spielberg version of War of the Worlds:



At the same time France got hit, this occurred in New Jersey:



Poland, August, 2011. This one sounds cool, but methinks I hear indications of Adobe Audition at work...



Take me out to the ball game...





Kiev, in the Ukraine. August, 2011. A news report, in a language I do not understand...



Same time period, St. Petersburg, Florida (this one is subtle)...



Moscow, also in August...



Sweden, again in August...



Unspecified date and locale. But the audio is, like, totally cool.



There are many more such videos on YouTube. Let me say it again: Yes, I know that such presentations are easy to fake. I could do a damned good job of it myself in little more than an hour. But right now, I prefer to ignore your bah-humbuggery, so pooh your poohs elsewhere. In my present mood, just about the only thing that could cheer me up is a really top notch Armageddon.

And popcorn. And beer.

(Wait a minute...! If the world does end in 2012, we'll never find out how Sherlock did what he did at the end of season 2!)

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why does a strage sound automatically equate to death and the end of the world? Remember sonic booms from supersonic aircraft?

Bob Harrison said...

Friend of mine "witnessed" one of these mysterious sounds one county over from me. It was also reported by dozens of people and was on the local news. Strange booming sounds have been heard consistently off the coast of NC for centuries.

For now: solar induced magnetic activity. I'll start worrying about The End when I see Mothman.

Thanks for the compilation!

Mr. Mike said...

When our house cat neared the end of her journey across this mortal coil she kept trying to sneak out of the house to die alone and in peace. She knew her demise was imminent.

Could that feeling be universal and explain the malaise gripping people across the globe?

We feel the end is near and the noises are a sign?

Nah!

It's probably the thought of four more years of Obama-iocrity.

Anonymous said...

Probably like something that happened in southern Utah in the early 1980s.

I had gotten into wilderness deep enough that I thought I was outside the backpackers reach.

Some women backpackers,the next day, came down the creek complaining of weird noises all night long.

Wasn't weird. I was listening to The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Motorhead, etc. cranked up to ten on my boom box.

The canyons just produced strange echos. They were leaving so it didn't bother me and I didn't explain.

Anonymous said...

I read this before sleeping and had some really great dreams - thanks!

As far as being easily faked, hmmm. I looked at the link in which a music producer recreates the sound. It didn't sound like the original to me at all. So, faked, probably. Easily faked, probably not. Especially the vids with the same sound.

If one simply takes the sound from other vids, as the producer suggests, one will also take the incidental sounds. And separating incidental sounds from bg noise takes great expertise and expensive equipment.

Maybe the Kokomo hum has gone global.

SB

Sextus Propertius said...

Doubtless Gabriel playing a warmup set.

prowlerzee said...

Wait a minute...this is the 21st! the world was supposed to end on 1/21/12!

arbusto205 said...

I think your subconscious has successfully cracked another mystery. One might suspect Moriarty but only a mastermind named Benedict Cumberbatch could be responsible for these strange sounds, rehearsing for Smaug of course. Wonderful series can’t wait for the 3rd set, although it is scheduled for release post-appocalypse.

Jotman said...

Twice I heard a strange sound in the environment this past week or so. One or both occasions were around the 17th, but not postive on the day.

One sound episode was late at night. Heard something from inside. I opened the door and went outside to take a look. Sound was mysterious. It was windy and the sound faded shortly after I opened the door. I didn't think about this event again until just now, reading your post.

I also heard a sound I couldn't explain during the afternoon. This event I wondered about more because it came from the sky. Your post immediately brought this event to mind. I vaguely wondered what that sound might have been for a couple days.

The stranger sound was the one I had heard at night -- the night sound was more mysterious, more screeching. Sleepy, I convinced myself there was a small hurricane passing.

Maybe there was a funny weather system that night. Maybe that afternoon there was a plane or storm above the clouds I couldn't see. I didn't know about the videos, nor had I heard of such reports. However, I can't recalling having been perplexed by such sounds previous to this past week.

Mr. Mike said...

Jotman @ 11:44 reminded me of my parent's house that had metal weather stripping around the entrance doors. On a windy day it would vibrate like a reed in a wind insturment producing all srots of moans.

Anonymous said...

I swear it was an old czech noise band Einleitungzeit.

Purenoiz

Citizen K said...

I believe, so I hope it's the Apocalypse! However, the sounds remind me of alien invasions. I'm scared!

Thanks for dragging my mind away from politics and toward a more heavenly perspective. I still think the current clowns won't make it to the red ticket. Jeb is waiting in the wings.

Anonymous said...

Vogons.

Aeryl said...

Reminds me of the ending of Red State.

Brilliant movie BTW, Take up of the horror genre, but examines our cultures sexual repression and loss of civil liberties since the Patriot Act.

And Michael Parks and Melissa Leo are fookin brilliant.

Anonymous said...

here it is....

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaskas-haarp-blamed-snoring-skies-malaysia

B. franklin