Graakjaer has given us a highly original and engaging contribution to sound studies. His thorough-going comparison between the live soundscapes of football matches and their televised versions is revealing and thought-provoking.

Theo Van Leeuwen, Professor of Language and Communication, University of Southern Denmark and Emeritus Professor, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

Drawing upon his experiences as a musicologist and semiotician, Nicolai Graakjaer has created a detailed and exhaustive study of sound and music in football environments, both live and televised. In the spirit of sound studies by Pierre Schaeffer, Pauline Oliveros, and others, the work is a detailed analysis of the dynamics of sound and music in large-scale sporting events and provides keen insights into how fandom accesses musical references, how music and sound are ritualized and how both function to create emotional bonds that unifies groups of fans. A truly remarkable work in its detail and scope, and has implications on the significance of sound and music in any group dynamic.

Ronald Rodman, Dye Family Professor of Music and Director of the Carleton Symphony Band, Carleton College, USA

In an age when most people watch that most popular sport in the world – football on television screens, this important, innovative and forensic text compares the sound of football in the stadium to that experienced on the screen thereby filling a major gap in the field. A first!

Michael Bull, Professor of Sound Studies, University of Sussex, UK