Abstract: In the American film Apocalypse Now , the emergence of sound design as a practice and stereo surround sound as a technology signals the reawakening of Wagnerian aspiration. This resolutely audio-visual film is not only a landmark in modern sound design, but also a sustained reflection on the meaning of technology, spectacle and politics of sensory experience. The author traces the history of sensory experience and sound design: in the 19th century, sensory technologies became the central component of the collective apparatus perception, which allowed the human sensorium to encounter with technological modernity; in 1915, Edison’s series of “Tone Tests” witnessed the fundamental transformative phonograph as opposed to live performance; in 1958, Culshaw’s recording of Wagner’s Das Rhineland severed the finished representation from any real “original” performance, which restored the ability for sensory experience; In 1979, the film Apocalypse Now severed sound representation from a documentary function, replacing the world of actual human experience with prosthetic sensory experience, which eventually promoted the critique of “anesthetic impulse”.

Key words: Apocalypse Now, sound design, sensory technology, historical reflections