Page - 55 - in Mobile Culture Studies - The Journal, Volume 3/2017

Mobile Culture Studies. The Journal 3 2o17 Agata Stanisz | Tractor unit acoustemology 55 Throughout the entire journey, I shared with him a three-square-meter cab of the tractor unit and for the first time experienced a situation in which it was impossible to suspend my ethno- graphic research for some time. I could not hide anything and I was completely dependent on the subject of my study. I started this journey with a certain idea of what experiences I would have on the road. I only had a roughly defined conceptual line, so making a decision to travel by a tractor unit was rather connected with searching for new ethnographic fascinations moti- vated more by aesthetics than by science. Finally, I wanted to find out whether it was possible to apply in practice the ideas of sound anthropology, acoustemology in particular. I was especially interested in the ways of dwelling in the conditions created by constant movement and flow, which meant domesticating both the cab spaces and the spaces where the drivers usually park, such as parking lots, industrial zones and forwarding company bases, or simply roadsides. In order to understand and adequately describe them, I decided to use a multisensory observation method with a particular emphasis on deep and participant listening (Olivieros 2005; Forsey 2010, 558-572). My basic research technique was field recording. I assumed that I would be faced with the very heart of mobility and road culture, that I would be pacing constantly for thousands of kilometers and during breaks I would inten- sively integrate with drivers of various ethnic origins and nationalities. I was mistaken: I was on the road rather rarely, and the travelling spaces I had an opportunity to visit were mainly dominated by Poles. Mobility was replaced by immobility and stillness. During my first trip, I had an opportunity to take part in shuttle transportation, which is carried out between a few specifically defined locations. Additionally, this was also seasonal transport in Denmark and Germany, conditioned by the weather. Since my driver and I transported fruits, we circu - lated among farms, wholesale warehouses and processing plants located in specialized industrial zones. The mentioned weather conditions turned out to be rather significant as they were not Audio file 1: Hooking up a trailer. Padborg, Denmark, 2011-08-01. https://app.box.com/embed/preview/lmylculld8y2yo3n3vit?theme=dark Audio file 2: The Elbe and rainy crossing. Elbfähre Glückstadt Wischhafen, Germany, 2011-08-04. https://app.box.com/embed/preview/zu60c71cy2c67onnm41b?theme=dark