RADIO BROADCAST: CONCEPT This live radio broadcast was conceived as a reflection upon cultural violence and will utilize cartoon sound effects to this end. Restricting themselves to these sounds, participants will interact as imagined opponents, rather than sympathetic allies as in most music collaboration, in an imagined theatre of conflict / struggle for domination. Animated cartoons from their inception have seduced and entertained with their union of humor and horror through a language of sounds evolved to signify aggressive and belligerent actions. The project attempts to reflect upon the above issues being played out not far from the Austrian borders, while circumventing more "nostalgic" and "romantic" forms. Slovenian theorist Slavoj Zizek says that for the Modernist it is the loss of God that creates the "central absence" in man. Contemporary ennui, though, is due the recognition that the central absence is *in man*, and in that "incarnate absence" lurks Kafka's "Supreme Being of Evil." The clearest delineation of this "absence incarnate," to me, is to be found in the characters of some of the earliest animated cartoons---rapt in endless choreographies of beating, bludgeoning and domination---all done in "good spirit" and with a sense of startling ordinariness. Given the knowledge of what the "real world" effects of cultural violence are, this radio broadcast will attempt to exhibit what is concealed beneath the surface of this familiar genre and its sound effects. RADIO BROADCAST: FORM The two groups of participants in this live broadcast event will be situated in New York City and East Orange, New Jersey. They will be linked together by radio stations WKCR and WFMU, and will each prepare a group of soundtracks that can be selectively used according to the needs of the interaction. The interaction will be informed by the 2,000-year-old Chinese text by Sun Tzu---The Art of War. In this text Sun Tzu gives prescriptions, which are often enigmatic, for handling conflict including the waging of war---the primary aim of which is to *not do battle.* But if battle is unavoidable then he gives philosophical and strategic guidelines such as planning a siege, armed struggle, fire attack, and the use of spies. Eight epigrams representing these categories will be given to the participants and they are to select and prepare a cluster of sounds which would manifest these epigrams when conducting a conflict where the terrain is in the domain of the audio. The aim of the participants will be victory, which will be to control the character of the audio event. However victory cannot be accomplished, for example, through making more noise than anyone else. That would result in nothing more than mutual self-destruction, i.e., white noise. Strategies for victory, under the guidance of Sun Tzu, will have to be subtle, cunning and commanding. To this end, participants will need to develop strategies for commanding the audio terrain and opponents may wish to contact each other prior to the event, for the purpose of espionage and surveillance. Furthermore, as Sun Tzu says, one needs to know one's opponent and what they are capable of, know the terrain of battle, and know the opponent's strengths, tactics and strategies. RADIO BROADCAST: SUN TZU'S EPIGRAMS 1 Invincibility is a matter of defense, vulnerability is a matter of attack. 2 So a skillful military operation should be like a swift snake that counters with its tail when someone strikes at its head, and with its head when someone strikes at is tail, and counters with both head and tail when someone strikes its middle. 3 When an arm is traveling, if there is hilly territory with many streams and ponds or depressions overgrown with reeds, or wild forests with a luxuriant growth of plants and trees, it is imperative to search them carefully and thoroughly. For these afford stations for bushwackers and spoilers. 4 When opponents present openings, you should penetrate them immediately.Get to what they want first, subtly anticipate them. Maintain discipline and adapt to the enemy in order to determine the outcome of the war. Thus, at frst you are like a maiden, so the enemy opens his door; then you are like a rabbit on the loose, so the enemy cannot keep you out. 5 The condition of a military force is that its essential factor is speed, taking advantage of others' failure to catch up, going by routes they do not expect, attacking where they are not on guard. In general, the pattern of invasion is that invaders become more intense the farther they enter alien territory, to the point where the native rulership cannot overcome them. 6 There are five kinds of fire attack: burning people, burning supplies, burning equipment, burning storehouses, and burning weapons. The use of fire must have a basis, and requires certain tools. There are appropriate times for setting fires, namely when the weather is dry and windy. Generally in fire attacks it is imperative to follow up on the crisis caused by the fires. When fire is set inside an enemy camp, then respond quickly from the outside. If the soldiers are calm when the fire breaks out, wait--do not attack. when the fire reaches the height of its power, follow up if possible, hold back if not. 7 Those skilled at the unorthodox are infinite as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as the great rivers. When they come to an end, they begin again, like the days and months; they die and are reborn, like the four seasons. 8 Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponents fate.