Siren Kings

March 3, 2022 10:24 AM

You've encountered loud car stereos, maybe you're even aware of the Secret World of Competitive Car Audio, where the loudest ride wins. But how about Siren Kings? The Guardian: "A way to be heard": the New Zealand Pasifika youth subculture devoted to emergency sirens.
(archive link)

Unlike the annoying fellow next to you at the traffic light with the blown-out speakers thumping distorted bass, these guys aim for the highest, clearest tone -- and they don't just equip automobiles, but bicycles as well. Note that instead of warbling Klaxon tones, they use their systems to play music (like Celine Dion!?) Here's a Siren King battle from 2016, a 22-minute documentary, Young and A Siren King, plus a trailer for another, Siren Kings. Inspired by the Doof Wagon?

posted by Rash (15 comments total)

thanks i hate it
posted by lalochezia at 10:27 AM on March 3, 2022 [10 favorites]

It's a big issue here not just cause of the late night noise but their taste in music: for reasons I don't understand, they're really into Celine Dion.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 10:29 AM on March 3, 2022

On the plus side, the paranormal activities that used to plague Wellington are now no longer a thing thanks to the annoying county fair loudspeakers being ear-bleeding loud
posted by NoMich at 10:35 AM on March 3, 2022 [5 favorites]

for reasons I don't understand, they're really into Celine Dion.
Since the article mentions the importance of the clarity of the sound, not just sheer volume, I wonder if it has something to do with perhaps her vocal range naturally falling into the ideal frequency response of these sirens/horns?
posted by xedrik at 10:41 AM on March 3, 2022

My coworker and her husband both compete in SPL competitions. It's an amazing hobby. The level of planning, engineering, and attention to detail that goes into their builds is staggering.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:04 AM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

AUDIO ROLL COAL.
posted by srboisvert at 11:21 AM on March 3, 2022 [7 favorites]

This was a nice mini-documentary about the scene.

Honestly I thought the competitions involved blowing the actual sirens, not just using them as loudspeakers. But it's still pretty great. Kia ora.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:35 AM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]

I'm torn. I hate cars with loud stereos, motorcycles with loud pipes, all that loud stuff. But the idea of Mormon Pacific Islanders on small bicycles with giant speakers battling each other by playing Celine Dion songs at top volume? That seems like a great idea for the next Taika Waititi movie.
posted by Drab_Parts at 12:26 PM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]

Since the article mentions the importance of the clarity of the sound, not just sheer volume, I wonder if it has something to do with perhaps her vocal range naturally falling into the ideal frequency response of these sirens/horns?

Well, I'll give them credit for not instinctually reaching for Diana Krall or Brothers in Arms to show off the dynamic clarity of the speakers.
posted by NoMich at 1:04 PM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]

I kinda wanted to hate this, but I just can't.

That 2016 battle--one guy plays this, and the other plays this.

Then one of them tells the reporter "For me, it is also a story about gentrification. All these kids are in areas that are being highly gentrified, and to me it’s like: “We’re still here!” – the noise of a siren. It’s a way to be heard.”
posted by box at 1:28 PM on March 3, 2022

Honestly I thought the competitions involved blowing the actual sirens

Before I clicked through and started reading, that was my initial thought too, since my ears are still recovering from going down the rabbit hole of emergency siren culture that resulted in this here post.

This siren culture, though. Much less ear-splitting (yay for clarity!), and super-impressive in the amount of effort and engineering that goes into it.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:31 PM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

Slightly different phenomenon, but I've often seen kids in inner-city Dublin towing around speakers playing tunes to nobody in particular. I have no idea how a ten-year-old gets hold of an amp heavier than they are.
posted by kersplunk at 2:29 PM on March 3, 2022

I can straight up hate this, because as soon as the bruhs hear about this in Bako, it'll be on my street, with the motorcycles, the enhanced performance cars, eloté sellers and their hand honk horns, and the ice cream trucks, the fire trucks, the ambulances, medical helicopters, commercial air traffic, military air traffic, Hwy 178, and the trains. But, there was one morning, during the beginning of lockdown, when the loudest thing on my block, was nothing, and down on the block to the west, barked a lone chibuahua, Dang!
posted by Oyéah at 7:43 PM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

Great post - thanks! Not sure why there is so much hate being shown in the comments. They do it in a car park, they have fun, they make connections. It’s all cool as far I’m concerned.
posted by awfurby at 1:18 AM on March 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

It’s not all cool because they then take those same cars out onto the street and use their sound systems perhaps at lower levels but still horrendously loud. People like this are the reason that my husband, who suffers from bad headaches, and I, haven’t been out together in years. Do I wanna go eat sushi? Great got to go by myself. It makes me really really really angry.
posted by manageyourexpectations at 9:14 AM on March 4, 2022 [2 favorites]