Numbers stations (or number stations) are shortwave radio stations of uncertain origin. They generally broadcast artificially generated voices reading streams of numbers, words, letters (sometimes using a spelling alphabet), tunes or Morse code. They are in a wide variety of languages and the voices are usually female, though sometimes male or children's voices are used. Evidence supports popular assumptions that the broadcasts are used to send messages to spies.
The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations is a four-CD set of recordings of numbers stations and was released by England's Irdial record label in 1997, based on the work of numbers station enthusiast Akin Fernandez. Samples from the collection have been used in numerous films and albums as well as inspiring many musicians to replicate the strange sounds. .
