Hylo Narrans : Echoes of Material Marronage

Abstract

This book explores the acoustic agency of brass as a vital medium through which histories of extraction, resistance, and collective creativity resonate. Blending metalwork, experimental instrument-building, and philosophical inquiry, the book listens closely to brass not just as material, but as storyteller—what the author calls hylo narrans, echoing Sylvia Wynter’s invocation of homo narrans. Grounded in their practice spanning artisanal craftsmanship and industrial labor, the author examines how materials respond, resist, and reshape meaning within the workshop, the concert hall, and the broader social fabric. By introducing chimeracords—hybrid sound objects forged from factory detritus—and their affordance for sonic experimentation, 'Hylo Narrans' challenges Western narratives of purity, utility, and control, inviting readers to consider alternative storylines posed by materials-in-flight. Weaving theories of marronage through situated acoustic knowledge, this book is essential reading for those working at the intersection of sound, matter, and community. It speaks to experimental musicians, sound artists, artistic researchers, and theorists interested in how sonic materiality relates to social space, cultural memory, and communal wellbeing. With a deep commitment to sonic collectivity and intermaterial dialogue, this volume reimagines the workshop as a site of resistance, resonance, and relational creativity.