Sound emphasises the importance of codes, conventions and the connotations that develop meaning and story. Certain things are expressed most clearly through different mediums as each medium creates a different aura, just as different languages have different words for different things. Radiogenic is used to describe things that are best conveyed using the language of music, language itself, voice, field sounds and other such sounds that can bring texture to a piece.
Connotation is vital in sound, as we glean so much information from it without realising it. For instance, we can hear the physical distance from a microphone, creating space in the sound’s texture. We also glean other kinds of information, such as generalisations relative to our own life and reality, allowing for an easy transition between our world and the sound-created one, as we are using objects and other such things from our own lives to help construct and give meaning to it. In this way, depending upon our own experiences, when we hear an English accent, that isn’t cockney, we may think that that person is posh or high culture due to certain connotations that come with an English accent (or at least a particular type of English accent). Due to such generalisations which most people’s minds will automatically construct without them realising, creating a sort of aura as opposed to a conscious realisation of the fact, connotation can be used really well to create the right kind of tone and emotion needed for a piece, even if it is a very slight cue, like a word or phrase referencing something, or even saying something in a particular way to create the right aura, such as emotive tone or through scripted, semi-scripted and improvised dialogue (all of which we can actually hear the textural differences between).
Due to sound’s complex, layered textural qualities, we gain so much information and meaning from each second, so it’s worth spending the time to find the right sound, the right way to express your piece through the various languages used, in order to achieve the aura you want and need. Remember, perception is a fickle thing…