Henry Lefebvre's rhythmanalysis as a tool for comprehensive listening of the city

Abstract

In the 1980s French Marxist philosopher and sociologist Henri Lefebvre made an attempt to define a new science with practical consequences that would enable to gain a new form of knowledge, which he titled the rhythmanalysis. It is a theory which emphasizes a comprehensive perception of various aspects that shape the everyday experience of a man in modern city as well as conceptual method of multimodal and metaphorical listening. The rhythmanalysis involves cyclical (cosmic) and linear (mechanic) rhythms which are based on the spatiotemporal principles and the expenditure of energy within the subjects. The listening experience is then placed into the broader context of biologic, social and environmental conditions. The aim of the writing is to stress the necessity of a complex approach to the perception of the urban soundscape when the listener is aware of the great variety of aspects which form the acoustic ambiance of particular site.