For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound In December 2016, a US official in Havana went to the embassy medical centre to report a debilitating and confounding illness. The symptoms included headaches; nausea; hearing loss; problems with memory and vision – and its onset was characterized by hearing… something. A buzzing, hissing, grinding… sound. Soon, a second official came down with the same symptoms. Then a third. Then a fourth. By the time the story went public in summer 2017, dozens of US diplomats, as well as some Canadians, had come down with what was becoming known as “Havana Syndrome.” In this deep dive investigation, journalist Nicky Woolf peels back the layers of one of the most bizarre mysteries of the modern age. You’ll hear about how the US agencies failed to agree even on the basic premises. State department said it’s a “sonic device,” then rolled that back. The CIA have hinted microwave radiation might be involved. The FBI said there was no “there” there – now they seem to be rolling that back as well. We’ll explore the wild and wide variety of theories that have been put forward. Could it be caused by noisy crickets? Or mosquito spray? Or could it all be a mass delusion? We’ll hear from the cast of characters who inhabit this world; diplomats and spies, neurologists and physicists, skeptics and believers – and, with their help, begin to piece the evidence together. THE SOUND is a story about spycraft, technology, and the brain. It’s a story where, at every turn, you’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s an illusion. It’s a story about how the Cold War, maybe, never really ended.
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Introducing Fur & Loathing
Thanks for listening to The Sound: Mystery of Havana Syndrome. You might be interested to know that Nicky Woolf is back with a new investigative podcast – and we think you're going to like it. It's called Fur & Loathing, and this time he's digging into another very different unsolved mystery.In early December 2014 at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Rosemont, Illinois, an unusual gathering was taking place: Midwest Furfest, the world’s largest convention for a subculture known as Furries.The party was in full swing when attendees suddenly find themselves struggling to breathe. Something terrible has happened: poisonous levels of chlorine gas were sweeping through the hotel corridors. Nineteen people are hospitalized and hundreds are evacuated. Hazmat teams trace the gas to a stairwell, where they find the remains of a chemical bomb. This was an intentional attack.But almost a decade later, the identity of the perpetrator remains a mystery. In Fur and Loathing, Nicky takes on the unsolved case, working closely with Furries to find answers. It’s a journey that will bring him face-to-face with the challenges this vibrant, often misunderstood subculture faces – including the far-right extremists looking to wreck the community from within.Listen to the first episode here, or search for Fur & Loathing in your favorite podcast app to discover the whole show. For more information, visit brazen.fm/fur-and-loathing/
Introducing The Professor: Hunting for the Mafia's Missing Masterpiece
This week on The Sound we’re sharing the first episode of a new four-part series from Brazen called ‘The Professor’. William Veres is in trouble. In 2018 he was arrested following the largest ever investigation by the Italian police’s art squad. They accuse him of running a pan-European art-smuggling ring with ties to the Sicilian mafia. He is alleged to have stolen $40 million worth of art and antiquities from Italy. Charged with 14 counts, including money laundering, forgery, wire fraud and conspiracy, he faces a jail term of up to 20 years. But he has a plan to get out of trouble. In this four-part podcast, host Simon Willis follows him as he puts that plan into action. It’s a story that takes listeners deep into the underworld, and into the dark heart of the most famous criminal organization of them all – Cosa Nostra. It is a story of drug dealers, hitmen, smugglers, spies – even a corrupt prime minister. And in the middle of it all is William Veres’s quest to save himself. How? By solving the coldest cold case in the history of art crime – the theft of Caravaggio’s Nativity. The Professor is a series for Hidden Worlds, the home of unbelievable true stories and gripping investigations into shadowy places. Subscribe to Hidden Worlds and get brand new series delivered to your favorite podcast app year-round. One podcast, endless stories. For more, visit brazen.fm/hidden-worlds. Subscribe to Brazen+ on Apple Podcasts or at brazen.fm/plus to get ad-free listening.
Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal
This week on The Sound, we’re sharing a special preview of Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal. This new series uncovers Silicon Valley’s origins as a laboratory for espionage. At the dawn of the hi-tech age, Moscow’s spies opened up shop in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. In this podcast, you’ll get to know the group of FBI spy hunters who assembled to stop them—and solve the case of a lifetime. Hosted by national security journalist Zach Dorfman, Spy Valley will walk you through a maze of technology theft, double agents, and unbelievable events that put an American engineer at the center of it all. There are new episodes of Spy Valley out now. To keep listening, search for Spy Valley: An Engineer's Nuclear Betrayal, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app, or visit brazen.fm/plus to subscribe on other platforms.
Introducing Ritually: Exploring spirituality in a secular world
This week on The Sound, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Ritually, a brand new Brazen podcast exploring what spirituality looks like for our secular world. Join journalist-turned-guinea pig Nelufar Hedayat as she tries a new ritual in every episode. From sacred readings of Harry Potter to tarot cards, Nelufar dives in with the help of a different spiritual guide each week to see if these practices can actually make us feel better. In episode one, Nelufar struggles with patriarchal interpretations of Islam and decides to enlist the help of feminist spiritual practitioner Sarah Zaltash. She tries a new ritual to deepen her connection to Islam: following the daily call to prayer. It’s a practice that unites 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. But this version is different — radical, actually! — because it’s in a woman’s voice. There are new episodes of Ritually out now. To keep listening, search for Ritually, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app or at brazen.fm/plus. For more, visit ritually/fm.
Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe
This week on The Sound, we’re sharing a special preview of the first episode of Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, Project Brazen’s podcast that takes you inside the hidden world of cocaine. In this six-part podcast series from Project Brazen, host Mitchell Prothero explores Europe’s cocaine crisis through the dramatic stories of cartel leaders, cops, journalists, and the victims caught in the middle. From RPG attacks on newspaper offices to the slaughter of entire families, the war on drugs has arrived on Europe’s shores. And a lot of people are making a lot of dirty money. Reporting from Antwerp and Amsterdam, Project Brazen goes deep inside this crazy under-reported story. There are new episodes of Gateway out now. To keep listening, search for Gateway: Cocaine, Murder & Dirty Money in Europe, wherever you get your podcasts. To listen ad-free and get early access to new episodes, subscribe to Brazen+ in the Apple Podcasts app. For more, visit brazen.fm/gateway.
Free Evan Gershkovich: How a US reporter was imprisoned in Putin's Russia
This is a special episode from Project Brazen. How did Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich end up wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, and what happens now? On March 29, Russian authorities arrested Evan and accused him of spying on Russia on behalf of the US government. Evan was imprisoned in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, where he remains today. In this special podcast episode from Project Brazen, you’ll hear from those close to Evan — his friends, newsroom colleagues, even his former soccer coach — about his shocking arrest, efforts to bring him home, and how he became the journalist he is today. Evan is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since the Cold War. The charge, which The Journal vehemently denies, can carry a sentence of up to 20 years. To support the campaign for Evan’s release or send him a message of support, visit www.freegershkovich.com.
Introducing Night of Show: Prince's Super Bowl Comeback Shakes the Music Industry
This week on The Sound, we’re sharing a preview of Night of Show, the latest podcast from Project Brazen. To listen to the rest of this episode, search for Night of Show, wherever you get your podcasts. In Night of Show, accomplished concert promoter Adam Wilkes joins music industry legends as they share behind-the-scenes stories about the pressures superstar artists faced when staging some of their biggest performances. Most Prince fans forget he was once in the wilderness after his 1980s heyday. He’d walked away from his record contract and had released a slew of albums that didn’t chart. Then, with John and Paul as promoters, he stages a major comeback. Don’t want to wait for the next episode? You can listen to the full series, ad-free, by subscribing to Project Brazen’s channel on the Apple Podcasts app. Subscribe at: apple.co/night-of-show nightofshow.com
Introducing Dynamite Doug
This week on The Sound, we’re sharing a preview of Dynamite Doug, the latest investigative podcast from Project Brazen. Hosted by Ellen Wong (of Netflix’s GLOW and Scott Pilgrim), the 6-part series delves into the alleged crimes of Douglas Latchford, an art dealer who collaborated with a genocidal regime to loot Cambodia’s entire cultural heritage. Latchford’s stolen goods remain in the New York Metropolitan Museum to this day. This is the story the art world doesn’t want told. To keep listening, search for Dynamite Doug wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the entire series, ad-free, by subscribing to Project Brazen on Apple Podcasts, visit apple.co/dynamitedoug
Bonus: The Music Behind The Sound with Attacca Quartet
A behind-the-scenes conversation with Attacca Quartet, the Grammy Award-winning group that composed and performed the haunting string melodies in THE SOUND: Mystery of Havana Syndrome. Lead producer Max Johnson and audio engineer Rebecca Seidel speak with three members of Attacca Quartet—violinist Domenic Salerni, violist Nathan Schram, and cellist Andrew Yee—about how they approached the score, what it was like to hear their music included in the podcast, and what’s next for them as a quartet. Learn more about the Attacca Quartet at www.attaccaquartet.com www.soundistheweapon.com
BONUS: Live from the International Spy Museum
Back in February of 2023, host Nicky Woolf joined a panel discussion at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. In this bonus episode, we’re sharing the panel’s conversation, which was moderated by the museum’s historian and curator, Andrew Hammond. The panel included former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos and attorney Mark Zaid, who joined Nicky and Andrew to discuss their personal experiences with Havana Syndrome, their take on government responses to the anomalous health incidents, and what can be done for victims moving forward. For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound. www.soundistheweapon.com
Episode 8: Hammers and Nails
We answer our central question: What happened here? And we try to chart the path forward for “Havana Syndrome” victims. For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound. www.soundistheweapon.com
Episode 7: The Two Exits
Host Nicky Woolf goes to the scenes of the alleged crime in Cuba where we find “the sound” and see the human impact of the Havana Syndrome story. The US Embassy has reopened just as Cubans leave the island en masse. For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound. www.soundistheweapon.com
BONUS: Fresh Doubts out of Washington
While we were crafting our last few episodes, some big news dropped. A new report from the CIA and other intel agencies found that no foreign actor, attack or technology could be behind the Anomalous Health Incidents, aka Havana Syndrome. Co-creators Nicky Woolf and Max Johnston sift through the noise to find out what’s going on. For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound. www.soundistheweapon.com
Episode 6: A Silent Injury
A CIA officer in Moscow gets sick, and his story fundamentally changes the narrative surrounding “Havana Syndrome.” We hear first-hand accounts of Soviet radiation that go back decades, and learn that the Cold War may have never really ended. For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound. www.soundistheweapon.com
Episode 5: The Great British Nuke Off
Nicky heads to the UK to build a microwave device that could be the key to the mystery of Havana Syndrome. And we take a deep-dive into the American military industrial complex to see what the future of warfare and weaponry looks like. Is Havana Syndrome just the beginning of something much scarier? For ad-free listening, early access to new episodes and exclusive bonus content, subscribe to Project Brazen's channel on the Apple Podcasts app. You can try the subscription free for 7 days by going to apple.co/the-sound. www.soundistheweapon.com