Deadmau5’s newest release, a humming sine wave at 432 Hz, has a lot of people shrugging their shoulders or scratching their heads. However, there’s much more to this upload than a simple ambient track that uses intermittent phantom laughter to spook listeners into hearing the sounds of hell. Let’s start with the sine wave. What’s with musicians like deadmau5 and Aphex Twin uploading a basic principle of algebra to Soundcloud? Interestingly enough, the sine wave has influences outside of boring students in a math lecture. It has a unique acoustic quality. A sine wave is the only waveform that retains its shape when another wave is added at the same frequency, but at different amplitudes and magnitudes. This is all well and good but what does that mean? Essentially, the sine wave is the simplest form of a sound wave (think of a tuning fork), it’s the basic model of sound.
The significance of the 432 Hz is that it is supposed to be the frequency that is mathematically consistent with the natural vibration of the universe. This frequency, also known as “the cosmic 432” or the “voice of God”, is said to transmit a healing energy. It seems that by adding the basic building block of sound to a mysterious and conspiracy laden frequency, deadmau5 was trying to send his listeners into the great beyond. Experience the void for yourself.
