David Novak

David Novak is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in ethnomusicology, media circulation, and the globalization of popular music. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2006) and is affiliated with departments including East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies, Anthropology, and Film and Media Studies. His research focuses on transcultural media flows, sonic intersubjectivity, and the politics of music technology, particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia. Notable works include Japanoise: Music at the Edge of Circulation (2013), exploring noise music’s global trajectories, and Keywords in Sound (2015), co-edited with Matt Sakakeeny, a foundational text in sound studies.

His research has been recognized with awards such as the British Forum for Ethnomusicology Book Prize and the Richard Waterman Prize. Novak directs the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music and has contributed to podcasts and festivals addressing topics like post-Fukushima cultural revival. His courses cover sound studies, global music cultures, and ethnomusicological methods.

Recent publications analyze feedback loops in electronic music, gentrification’s impact on public spaces, and post-disaster cultural practices. He actively engages with interdisciplinary projects bridging music, technology, and sociopolitical contexts.