Siren kings

Siren kings are members of a primarily Pasifika underground youth subculture, originating in South Auckland, which gained popularity in the mid-2010s. The siren scene involves competitions where

History#

The origins of the siren scene are the early 2000s in South Auckland, New Zealand, primarily among Pasifika youth. The scene grew from car owners adding stolen car battery-powered speaker systems to cars (known as “stacking”), and in 2010 battles between different siren crews began in public areas. Popular locations for battles include carparks and reserves around Henderson, Avondale, the Onehunga shoreline and Māngere. Police reports to media also associated siren battles as being associated with gangs. In 2019, the Auckland Council created barriers to close off an Auckland public reserve at night time, however this was ineffective at stopping siren battles from taking place. In 2021, a half-hour documentary on siren kings was released by TVNZ, entitled Young and a Siren King.

Competitions#

Siren battles are typically judged competitions where contestants battle for the loudest sound. Battles are usually done to win the title of siren king, but some battles can be to win each other’s sirens. After the initial rounds, some battles end with a drownout round, a knockout round where contestants use their sirens together so judges can decide who has the more overwhelming sound. To compete in a competition, a car or bike must be outfitted with a sound system including sirens, typically a mix of megaphones, stolen industrial public address systems, pulled apart radios, and Bluetooth speakers. For bicycles, sirens need to be strapped to the bike (typically the handlebars), usually powered by a car battery.

Music#

Song selection for siren battles is important, as the songs will need to showcase treble over bass, because of how loudspeakers are intended to project speech. Some siren crew members produce their own music to use, known as siren jams or siren beats. and are intended to sound best while played through siren speakers, taking into account the Doppler effect. Most siren jams are shared online through sites such as YouTube and TikTok.

Siren kings

History#

Competitions#

Music#

See also#