By Michael Saba

on June 30, 2009 9:15 AM

Just about anyone who's heard Wilco's magnum opus Yankee Hotel Foxtrot can remember the song "Poor Places," but not necessarily for the melody, lyrics or Jeff Tweedy's inimitable crooning. No, what sticks out most is the the bone-chilling final 45 seconds of the song, where a woman's voice robotically repeats the words "Yankee. Hotel. Foxtrot." The true nature of those three words is far more eerie and mysterious than a mere disembodied voice repeating a sequence of the NATO alphabet. It's a recording of a numbers station: a broadcast of indeterminate location that transmits coded shortwave radio messages for top-secret purposes.

But where did these numbers stations come from, and what's the purpose of their clandestine messages? The recordings are always repeating shortwave transmissions of sequences numbers and letters of a phonetic alphabet, broadcasting on the high and low ends of the frequency dial. Sometimes they delve into even spookier territory: alternating sound tones, recordings of instruments playing, or people speaking seemingly nonsensical word combinations. One transmission was famously bookended by an old-timey rendition of Lincolnshire, UK's unofficial county anthem, "The Lincolnshire Poacher."

Numbers stations likely were a response to the advances in code-breaking that forced the participants of the first and second World Wars to figure out new ways of sending coded messages. The World War I-era German magazine Kurzwellenpanorama made mention of an Austrian spy radio station, the earliest known reference to these coded broadcasts. The U.S. and USSR intensified numbers station activity during the Cold War, and they've been in heavy use ever since. Most governments that employ spies are purported to have their own version of a numbers station, and it's theorized they've become a useful tool for drug smugglers, terrorists, and resistance movements around the world. They bear on recent history as well: the high-profile conviction of Walter Kendall Myers for treason involved numbers station transmissions from the Cuban Intelligence Services.

These cloak-and-dagger communiqués are still an unacknowledged apparatus of the world's major spy agencies. The closest anyone has ever come to an official acknowledgment of was a 1998 article in the UK's Daily Telegraph, where a representative of Britain's Department of Trade and Treasury was quoted as saying "These [numbers stations] are what you suppose they are. People shouldn't be mystified by them. They are not for, shall we say, public consumption."

The truth really is out there, even if the general public may never get a satisfactory answer. Of course, aspiring cryptographers can easily try their hands at decoding these missives: The Conet Project has compiled four CDs worth of numbers stations recordings, available free of charge on their website. And if you have a shortwave radio, you can be DIY about it and scan the airwaves yourself; these numbers stations aren't hidden, just virtually impossible to decode without the corresponding cryptographic cipher key.

Since they're such an effective means of sending encoded messages, it's likely the true nature of numbers stations will remain hidden until they've been out of use for a while. In the meantime, we can take comfort that military-industrial complexes the world over helped inspire Jeff Tweedy to make one of the best albums of the last decade.

disc 1

tcp_d1_10_bugle_irdial.mp3                       09-Feb-2003 20:03   470k
tcp_d1_11_5_note_version_czech_lady_irdial.mp3   09-Feb-2003 20:04   766k
tcp_d1_12_three_note_odditiy_irdial.mp3          09-Feb-2003 20:06   1.1M
tcp_d1_13_new_star_broadcasting_irdial.mp3       09-Feb-2003 20:09   3.0M
tcp_d1_14_counting_station_spanish_irdial.mp3    09-Feb-2003 20:12   2.1M
tcp_d1_15_english_lady_00000_ending_irdial.mp3   09-Feb-2003 20:14   1.6M
tcp_d1_16_attencion_3_finals_irdial.mp3          09-Feb-2003 20:16   1.6M
tcp_d1_17_4_note_rising_scale_irdial.mp3         09-Feb-2003 20:17   1.5M
tcp_d1_18_ciocirlia_irdial.mp3                   09-Feb-2003 20:20   2.4M
tcp_d1_19_czech_lady_irdial.mp3                  09-Feb-2003 20:22   1.5M
tcp_d1_1_the_swedish_rhapsody_irdial.mp3         09-Feb-2003 20:25   2.0M
tcp_d1_20_2_letter_ys_irdial.mp3                 09-Feb-2003 20:26   830k
tcp_d1_21_2_letter_el_irdial.mp3                 09-Feb-2003 20:27   542k
tcp_d1_22_5_dashes_irdial.mp3                    09-Feb-2003 20:28   778k
tcp_d1_23_2_letter_rk_irdial.mp3                 09-Feb-2003 20:30   1.1M
tcp_d1_2_counting_cia_irdial.mp3                 09-Feb-2003 20:32   1.6M
tcp_d1_3_counting_control_irdial.mp3             09-Feb-2003 20:33   942k
tcp_d1_4_phonetic_alphabet_nato_irdial.mp3       09-Feb-2003 20:35   2.1M
tcp_d1_5_5_dashes_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 20:37   1.6M
tcp_d1_6_the_lincolnshire_poacher_mi5_irdial.mp3 09-Feb-2003 20:40   2.1M
tcp_d1_7_gong_station_chimes_irdial.mp3          09-Feb-2003 20:42   1.6M
tcp_d1_8_dfd_21_irdial.mp3                       09-Feb-2003 20:43   1.2M
tcp_d1_9_ready_ready_15728_irdial.mp3            09-Feb-2003 20:45   968k
the_conet_project_cd_1.m3u                       09-Feb-2003 20:45     2k

disc 2

Parent Directory                                                09-Feb-2003 21:34      -
tcp_d2_10_spanish_lady_irdial_.mp3                              09-Feb-2003 20:46   522k
tcp_d2_11_strich_english_irdial.mp3                             09-Feb-2003 20:46   238k
tcp_d2_12_2_letter_nu_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 20:47   558k
tcp_d2_13_g3_strich_irdial.mp3                                  09-Feb-2003 20:48   300k
tcp_d2_14_yt_irdial.mp3                                         09-Feb-2003 20:49   1.6M
tcp_d2_15_5_dashes_irdial.mp3                                   09-Feb-2003 20:50   776k
tcp_d2_16_german_man_irdial.mp3                                 09-Feb-2003 20:51   820k
tcp_d2_17_english_man_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 20:54   2.3M
tcp_d2_18_english_man_german_and_german_lady_irdial.mp3  09-Feb-2003 20:55   750k
tcp_d2_19_german_lady_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 20:56   800k
tcp_d2_1_nnn_french_irdial.mp3                                  09-Feb-2003 20:58   1.3M
tcp_d2_20_chinese_numbers_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 20:59   574k
tcp_d2_21_spanish_lady_complete_sequence_irdial.mp3    09-Feb-2003 21:00   2.0M
tcp_d2_22_2_letter_md_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:01   764k
tcp_d2_23_english_man_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:01   572k
tcp_d2_24_german_lady_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:01   368k
tcp_d2_25_phonetic_alphabet_nato_irdial.mp3               09-Feb-2003 21:02   424k
tcp_d2_26_phonetic_alphabet_nato_irdial.mp3                09-Feb-2003 21:02   1.1M
tcp_d2_27_nancy_adam_susan_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:03   1.5M
tcp_d2_28_counting_control_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 21:04   606k
tcp_d2_29_nancy_adam_susan_male_irdial.mp3         09-Feb-2003 21:05   1.2M
tcp_d2_2_strich_irdial.mp3                                      09-Feb-2003 21:05   278k
tcp_d2_30_cherry_ripe_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:05   730k
tcp_d2_31_russian_lady_irdial.mp3                               09-Feb-2003 21:06   912k
tcp_d2_32_russian_man_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:06   290k
tcp_d2_33_nnn_english_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:07   886k
tcp_d2_34_frank_young_peter_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 21:07   462k
tcp_d2_35_cherta_irdial.mp3                                     09-Feb-2003 21:07   504k
tcp_d2_36_russian_counting_man_irdial.mp3                    09-Feb-2003 21:07   450k
tcp_d2_37_olx_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:08   1.0M
tcp_d2_38_6_tones_irdial.mp3                                    09-Feb-2003 21:08   444k
tcp_d2_39_high_pitch_polytone_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:09   952k
tcp_d2_3_dfd21_dfc37_irdial.mp3                                 09-Feb-2003 21:09   894k
tcp_d2_40_high_pitch_polytone_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:10   240k
tcp_d2_41_high_pitch_polytone_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:10   600k
tcp_d2_42_high_pitch_polytone_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:10   466k
tcp_d2_43_oriental_language_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 21:11   554k
tcp_d2_4_drums_and_trumpets_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 21:11   1.3M

tcp_d2_5_nnn_english_irdial.mp3                                 09-Feb-2003 21:12   836k
tcp_d2_6_english_lady_00000_ending_irdial.mp3                   09-Feb-2003 21:12 1010k
tcp_d2_7_nnn_german_irdial.mp3                                  09-Feb-2003 21:13   470k
tcp_d2_8_the_russian_man_d-va_northern_russian_voice_irdial.mp3 09-Feb-2003 21:13   732k
tcp_d2_9_phonetic_alphabet_nato_irdial.mp3                   09-Feb-2003 21:13   380k

the_conet_project_cd_2.m3u 09-Feb-2003 21:13 4k

disc 3

tcp_d3_10_oblique_irdial.mp3                            09-Feb-2003 21:14   654k
tcp_d3_11_nnn_old_incarnation_irdial.mp3                09-Feb-2003 21:14   272k
tcp_d3_12_5_dashes_i_say_again_irdial.mp3               09-Feb-2003 21:15   2.0M
tcp_d3_13_2_letter_kg_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:16   852k
tcp_d3_14_4_figure_counting_10_rough_tones_irdial.mp3   09-Feb-2003 21:16   1.2M
tcp_d3_15_2_voices_in_one_transmission_irdial.mp3       09-Feb-2003 21:17   1.6M
tcp_d3_16_tyrolean_music_station_irdial.mp3             09-Feb-2003 21:19   3.3M
tcp_d3_17_3_note_interval_signal_irdial.mp3             09-Feb-2003 21:20   358k
tcp_d3_18_10_rough_tones_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:20   726k
tcp_d3_19_achtung_irdial.mp3                            09-Feb-2003 21:20   224k
tcp_d3_1_ready_ready_irdial.mp3                         09-Feb-2003 21:21   958k
tcp_d3_20_a_irdial.mp3                                  09-Feb-2003 21:21   650k
tcp_d3_21_voice_sample_irdial.mp3                       09-Feb-2003 21:21    98k
tcp_d3_22_rapid_dots_irdial.mp3                         09-Feb-2003 21:22   458k
tcp_d3_23_strich_with_rare_message_irdial.mp3           09-Feb-2003 21:22   516k
tcp_d3_24_hier_ist_dfc_seben_und_dreizig_irdial.mp3     09-Feb-2003 21:23   1.5M
tcp_d3_25_2_letter_pn_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:24   1.2M
tcp_d3_26_sample_count_irdial.mp3                       09-Feb-2003 21:24   144k
tcp_d3_27_2_letter_vo_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:24 1010k
tcp_d3_28_2_letter_hk_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:25   324k
tcp_d3_29_2_letter_dm_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:26   1.8M
tcp_d3_2_iran_iraq_jamming_efficacy_testting_irdial.mp3 09-Feb-2003 21:26   468k
tcp_d3_30_8_note_rising_scale_irdial.mp3                09-Feb-2003 21:26   554k
tcp_d3_31_spruchnummer_1_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:26   430k
tcp_d3_32_spruchnummer_4_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:27   376k
tcp_d3_33_random_pop_irdial.mp3                         09-Feb-2003 21:27   506k
tcp_d3_34_nomer_101_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 21:28   1.3M
tcp_d3_35_okno_okno_onko_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:28   274k
tcp_d3_36_nomer_198_irdial.mp3                          09-Feb-2003 21:29   1.5M
tcp_d3_37_723_papaqui_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:29   648k
tcp_d3_38_298_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:30   884k
tcp_d3_39_815_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:30   656k
tcp_d3_3_english_lady_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:31   594k
tcp_d3_40_167_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:31   880k
tcp_d3_41_moscow_coup_attempt_irdial.mp3                09-Feb-2003 21:31   154k
tcp_d3_4_english_lady_jammed_irdial.mp3                 09-Feb-2003 21:31   264k
tcp_d3_5_english_man_version_1_irdial.mp3               09-Feb-2003 21:32   264k
tcp_d3_6_english_man_version_3_irdial.mp3               09-Feb-2003 21:32   378k
tcp_d3_7_english_man_irdial.mp3                         09-Feb-2003 21:32   450k
tcp_d3_8_magnetic_fields_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:33   1.7M
tcp_d3_9_magnetic_fields_different_voice_irdial.mp3     09-Feb-2003 21:33   702k
the_conet_project_cd_3.m3u                              09-Feb-2003 21:33     3k

disc 4

tcp_d4_10_counting_in_polish_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:34   564k
tcp_d4_11_konec_konec_irdial.mp3                               09-Feb-2003 21:35   1.2M
tcp_d4_12_pozor_irdial.mp3                                     09-Feb-2003 21:35   372k
tcp_d4_13_russian_lady_test_count_and_message_irdial.mp3 09-Feb-2003 21:35   1.0M
tcp_d4_14_russian_man_irdial.mp3                               09-Feb-2003 21:37   1.9M
tcp_d4_15_spanish_lady_2_finals_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:37   838k
tcp_d4_16_spanish_counting_irdial.mp3                        09-Feb-2003 21:37   172k
tcp_d4_17_spanish_counting_4_figure_groups_irdial.mp3    09-Feb-2003 21:37   188k
tcp_d4_18_spanish_man_irdial.mp3                               09-Feb-2003 21:38   1.1M
tcp_d4_19_spanish_lady_00000_ending_irdial.mp3             09-Feb-2003 21:38   602k
tcp_d4_1_russian_man_complete_irdial.mp3                  09-Feb-2003 21:39   1.7M
tcp_d4_20_spanish_lady_00000_ending_different_voice_irdial.mp3 09-Feb-2003 21:40   1.1M
tcp_d4_21_eastern_music_station_irdial.mp3                     09-Feb-2003 21:42   3.0M
tcp_d4_22_eastern_music_station_different_voice_irdial.mp3 09-Feb-2003 21:42   796k
tcp_d4_23_unidentified_chinese_station_irdial.mp3             09-Feb-2003 21:42   332k
tcp_d4_24_nnn_french_early_version_irdial.mp3               09-Feb-2003 21:43   678k
tcp_d4_25_nnn_hungarian_irdial.mp3                             09-Feb-2003 21:43   460k
tcp_d4_26_wiskey_tango_viente_y_uno_irdial.mp3          09-Feb-2003 21:45   2.8M
tcp_d4_27_the_crackle_irdial.mp3                               09-Feb-2003 21:45   1.2M
tcp_d4_28_the_backwards_music_station_irdial.mp3       09-Feb-2003 21:46   1.1M
tcp_d4_29_faders_irdial.mp3                                    09-Feb-2003 21:46   574k
tcp_d4_2_yt_irdial.mp3                                         09-Feb-2003 21:47   1.3M
tcp_d4_30_workshop_irdial.mp3                                  09-Feb-2003 21:48   1.3M
tcp_d4_31_the_pip_irdial.mp3                                   09-Feb-2003 21:48   390k
tcp_d4_32_the_buzzer_irdial.mp3                                09-Feb-2003 21:49   1.2M
tcp_d4_33_m1_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:49   406k
tcp_d4_34_m1b_irdial.mp3                                       09-Feb-2003 21:51   2.2M
tcp_d4_35_m2_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:51   1.4M
tcp_d4_36_m3_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:52   256k
tcp_d4_37_m3_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:52   156k
tcp_d4_38_m3_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:52   214k
tcp_d4_39_m3_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:52   134k
tcp_d4_3_555_konec_irdial.mp3                                  09-Feb-2003 21:52   262k
tcp_d4_40_m3_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:52   120k
tcp_d4_41_m3_irdial.mp3                                        09-Feb-2003 21:52   120k
tcp_d4_42_m3a_irdial.mp3                                       09-Feb-2003 21:52   174k
tcp_d4_43_m3b_irdial.mp3                                       09-Feb-2003 21:53   390k
tcp_d4_4_preska_irdial.mp3                                     09-Feb-2003 21:53   192k
tcp_d4_5_cherta_irdial.mp3                                     09-Feb-2003 21:53   204k
tcp_d4_6_count_in_russian_irdial.mp3                           09-Feb-2003 21:53   308k
tcp_d4_7_count_in_russian_different_voice_irdial.mp3      09-Feb-2003 21:54   960k
tcp_d4_8_1-10_announcement_irdial.mp3                       09-Feb-2003 21:54   488k
tcp_d4_9_1-10_announcement_female_irdial.mp3            09-Feb-2003 21:54   388k the_conet_project_cd_4.m3u                                     09-Feb-2003 21:54     3k