I love noise music. It's very psychedelic in a way. I love putting on a Merzbow or Prurient record and just walk around with headphones on. It's a super wierd feeling, especially if you got good noise cancelling headphones. It's like the whole world just glitched out. You watch a pigeon fly by and you just hear KRRRRRRRKRKRKRKRKRRKKRKRKRRKRRK WRHYYYYYYYYYY it's almost like a drug trip. I'd recommend the noise compilation that adult swim put out last year as a starting point to get into noise. They have all aspects of noise represented from noise rap and rock to power electronics.
FULL AGREE on the Adult Swim noise compilation. It was my starting point into noise music where before I thought it was just meaningless crash, buzz, and distortion.
@Indigo Aztec you must have never listened to whitehouse, i have the lyrics memorised for the entirety of bird seed (ok minus the title track) because i listen to it that often
Interesting video mate: always thought Noise was ambient music pushed to its extreme since there’s some sort of similarity between the two, glad you pointed that out.
liamthemusicreviewer Noise and ambient? How? Not to mention the sheer craftsmanship of someone like Brian Eno compared to literally anyone with a laptop, UA-cam tutorials and a DAW. Noise is a daring component of rock, industrial, modern electronic music, but in itself it's extremely limited and limiting. Any sonic exploration of it is done in a matter of hours by anyone with a laptop.
As a noise artist, I've never considered it music, more so art in an extreme form. It's a sound scape, it's something you experience, not exactly listen to if that makes any sense.
Sounds like you are simply explaining music... sounds that form something you experience with your ears is kinda the entire point of music. Noise music is just extreme music.
@mrcarrot5008 I can slap my asscheeks then record that and edit it into irregular timings does that make it music? Noise does not have the form or expression found in the textbook definitions of music. You can't just call every recorded sound music there has to be a line somewhere. Alternatively, if I edited the slapping of my asscheeks to sound like the instrumentals for the single Scaring the Hoes, I would say yes that is music because of its new structure and intention And I'm saying this as a noise enjoyer. There is noise music for sure but there's also a lotta stuff that's not music just noise. Not saying this in a derogatory way although that type of phrasing is usually associated in derogatory wats
To me noise was always a social experience. Nearly everyone at a gig was also making noise and performing. You could walk up to a stranger and ask them what kind of instruments or software they were using or building or what concepts they were working with, and nearly always they would have something interesting brewing. If you found the one person there who wasn't a maker they would be the mandatory token "audient" and you could talk about CDs and whatever. I guess that's the case for a lot of other genres too, at least in the early days, but it was great to experience it. We even had a sociologist who would turn up and take notes at gigs.
Bacon looks like a psychological problem, but every single thing is placed with surgical precision. He is actually a very sleek painter who only paints the minimum required to convey an image. To me comparing Bacon to Noise music, is like comparing baroc to a truck droven through a shop window
I think the best way to get into noise music is to approach it slowly. People on here recommending their favourite noise record may find that this isn't that helpful. For someone who has listened to, for example, rock music all their life, listening to a Merzbow record is not going to get them interested. The trick is to listen to rock music (or whatever genre you're interested in) with elements of noise music, then slowly delve into more and more extreme and experimental music. Eventually, you will be able to have an appreciation of the arrhythmic harsh noise end of the spectrum that you would not have if you'd tried diving right in. This is based on my own experiences, but I imagine this would be the easier way for MOST people to get into the genre.
This. A really good approach, and what actually happened to me slowly. I began listening to increasely noisier shoegaze (Astrobrite, Medicine, Xinlisupreme, then finally The Goslings), Hip hop (Death Grips, Clipping, Dälek) and faster than I ever planned or wanted, I was loving Prurient, Yellow Swans, Kevin Drumm, Sutcliffe Jugend, and others.
I’d say a good introduction into noise music is Sonic Youth. Thurston Moore has done a bunch of recordings and collaborations of noise music. After listening and getting used to the noise walls they implemented in their works. And listen to their SYR Series for an introduction to that scene of improvisational noise and electronic noise.
Some of my favorite noise tracks Prurient - Greenpoint Prurient - Pipes and Water Prurient - Red Poppy Laughter (one of my favorite tracks of all time) Merzbow - 1930 Merzbow & Xiu Xiu - Merzxiu A Merzbow & Maurizio Bianchi - Am Symphony
Noise is weird, for me to "enjoy" noise it needs to be, either really textured and rich with a variety of sounds (whitehouse, prurient, merzbow) or mixed with another genre of music (clipping, dreamcrusher, the angelic process, yellow swans, maybe death grips?) Loving these videos man, keep it up
Prurient's Frozen Niagara Falls is what got me into noise. The bridge between typical compositions and added abrasion, field recordings and layering made me understand the appeal. Sometimes it's almost like alternative poetry, where the poetry isn't necessarily in words.
yes I can vouch for this, this is the best album to start with noise or power electronics in general, synths used in this reminded me of Suicide in a way
I completely agree in the connection you make between ambient music and noise music. Both of this genres are possible the most expressive ways to say something with music. The texture, the sense of space, volume and weight... I am an Ambient artist in my solo work, and I use exactly the same approach and ambition creating music for my Noise Rock band. People may find it incoherent, but it takes the same level of experimentation, approach to silence, both of the genres defy the definitions of sound and music. Great video, as usual! :D
The album that turned me on to noise was Merzbow's Hybrid Noisebloom, it's not an easy listen but it really made me appreciate that timbre alone can be a powerful compositional tool. It's so deeply textured and complex, it made shapes form in my mind.
Eric Taxxon , I ended up listening to this album as my first noise album because of your recommendation. It's very good and definitely accessible. Just wanted to say thanks
Me too! I've never known anyone to say that before, it's usually Pulse Demon, or maybe some more ambient noise thing. I can still remember how I felt the first time I listened to Minotaurus. It might sound silly, but thank you for posting that; I loved reading your comment.
I find myself coming back to this video a lot, it's one of the only videos that discusses the genre with respect, I find a lot of videos on youtube talk about noise as outsiders to the genre and tend to focus on the people who make the music rather than the music itself, and it's nice to be able listen to an analysis on noise as it's pretty rare to here one, as when you bring up the topic to people they tend to give you odd stares
Wonderful video, Oliver. Once I learned to appreciate noise, my musical landscape broadened significantly and I eventually got into free jazz, musique concréte, electroacoustic improvisation and various modern classical subgenres. I would encourage everyone to have an open mind and try out different things without trying to analyze or understand everything.
Huge fan of noise, especially Merzbow here, been waiting for this video. I'm glad you mentioned the ambient quality of noise, and the fact that you shouldn't expect this genre to get your head bobbing and remember the "good parts". I've liked Fantano's video about this topic too, but your approach to noise is way more similar to mine. I've always said that if someone enjoys any form of texture-/mood-based music (ambient, cool jazz, certain kinda symphonic, post-rock, etc.) AND they enjoy any form of extreme music (metal, industrial, glitch, certain kinda experimental, etc.), then they pretty much get the appeal of noise. To anyone who wants to get into the genre but their ear just refuses to accept the lack of traditionally musical elements, I'd recommend some Merzbow albums that have rhythmic and/or melodic quality to them: Aqua Necromancer, Door Open at 8AM, Merzbeat, Merzbird, Merzzow, Sha Mo 3000. Also, while not too musical, Amlux, Merzbuddha and Vibractance are lighter on the ears.
Lg Yes he is, and one of my favorite musicians in general. He's pretty much the best at the kind of noise he makes. The only thing comparable to his stuff that I've heard was Skin Crime's Urge. Electric Salad is super good album. If you liked that, check out Rainbow Electronics too, very similar, but its flow is way less linear, the shifts in sound are more abrupt in that one (which makes me like it a bit less then Electric Salad, but it's still a great record). Don't miss out on Pinkream and Flare Gun either. They're not "entry level" like the ones I recommended in my previous comment, but you having heard Venereology, I assume you're not in need of crutches like beats or melody anyways, and they're two of my favorite albums.
“Let the music have it’s way with you”, is pretty well said when it comes to experiencing noise music (any kind of extreme/intense musical experience). It’s like taking dropping acid, in a way. You have to really let go, allow the sounds to wash over you, and let it take your consciousness wherever it may be. In fact, that’s a good way to get into some noise music, or at least experience it (take drugs, lay back, listen). Very good vid, Oliver. Great points. ✌🏼
great vid! noise was always an impregnable genre for me. I bought Merzbow - Pulse Demon cause of the cover. I enjoyed moments, but I felt like it was too much of a challenge to get into. years later I found Wolf Eyes. being heavy into BL (Black Metal) I immediately fell in love. from there I started to dig to get some cassettes they put out. then I made sure to listen to all their side projects. Now, I have emotional reactions to shifts in oscillating sin wave pattens, have cathartic experiences to bands like Whitehouse (and other power electronics), and go to noise shows (I'm sure I gave myself a concussion at a Aaron Dilloway show.) it is truly a worthwhile experience to dive in; well, even just to tip your toe in the water. the ways it's expanded my appreciation of music is immeasurable. I can't wait to join you on discord.
I know this is an old comment but it's a good one. Wolf Eyes are so damn good. Ever listen to Blank Hellscape? I think any fan of Wolf Eyes would enjoy those guys
As a fan of noise, I have no clue what type of album to recommend as an "intro." Its hard to get the full idea of what noise is while at the same time trying to find a middle ground between conventional music and noise as an introductory step
@cat with camera oooof this is tough one. I recommend people who are not already introduced to noise to listen to Maurizio Bianchi - Neurohabitat or his now well known record Symphony for a Genocide.
PHARMAKON is a great noise/power-electronics act that I feel is a bit more melodious and possibly more accessible to people attempting to "get" the genre. And seeing a noise performance is different from any other genre I've seen live. These shows draw quite a unique crowd, and they're in much smaller "venues." Lots of old school crust punks, some metal heads, a random joe, goths, etc. I've noticed a bit of every scene showing up. Very intense experience overall.
I came to noise from a roundabout journey, starting with a discovery of industrial music as a 19 year old. I listened to stuff like Nurse With Wound and SPK and found the organization of harsh noise and feedback into a loose musical structure challenging and satisfying. not entirely happy with the 2nd generation of industrial's (eg Ministry, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails) more dancefloor-oriented approach, I began drifting into an appreciation of the early electronic pioneers such as Pierre Henry, Stockhausen, David Tudor, etc... in 2008 I began playing in a band called Frogwell. one of my bandmates was roughly 20 years younger than me and was really into the NYC noise scene. our band (through his association) got booked at a lot of noise gigs although we probably have more in common with AMM than Merzbow. I can appreciate some of the music, but I found the audiences started to weird me out with their sado/masochistic machismo. as a performer, I'm happy to challenge and confront, but I'm a bit uncomfortable with straight-up punishing my audience.
Incapacitants and Hijokaidan were definitely the groups that got me into noise. I like the point you made about comparing ambient music to noise since I think both can be listened to and appreciated in the same way.
I do love that you mention the elements of classical music in the formation of the genre. It's a hard one to discuss, but to give a little color, Edgard Varese and Luciano Berio that really experimented with the genre in the early days with the tape recorders: cutting up and arranging, looping, etc. Great start to the conversation!
I remember listening to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Macronympha for the first time around 2007 and it blew me away and one of the albums that got me into noise. Been a fan since of the whole genre.
And I wanna say thank you for just having talk about noise music. One descriptor You may have left out that I use when trying to describe it is "texture". Like with paintings or sculptures, texture plays a huge roll in noise music. And I've always had an appreciation for things that refuse to go anywhere near mainstream. Like you said, those are often times the most pure forms of expression.
I love how you mention that there is a real experience you tend to feel with this genre. I remember listening to We Spit On Their Graves by Sutcliffe Jugend for the first time in one sitting. I felt like I was being sucked into the world that the album created, and I just became totally immersed. I even started reading up on the album while it was playing, and ended up reading the entire wiki about Peter Sutcliffe, the serial killer the album is based on. By the time the album was done, I remember there being a semi-brief moment (maybe about 3 seconds) where everything in life felt like it stopped. It was almost like a transition period to go from one reality to another. Truly an incredible experience.
The most difficult album I've ever listened to is "arrived in gold" by sightings, I had it saved in Spotify for ages then one day I was in the right mood to listen to the whole thing, it really took me out of my body, and made me feel a very strange way towards the whole human race, very weird but incredibly powerful.
Robert Anderson haven’t listened to that, but Sightings - Through the Panama is amazing!! They take their most experimental sounds, lower the volume up the texture, and pretty much make pop formula rock songs with them!! I’ve heard pretty much all their other albums are way more harsh, so you might not like it, but it’s interesting that they tried a more conventional noise / noise rock style at least once.
As someone who makes Noise music, I have to admit that I could't listen to much more than a couple tracks until I actually worked on it. Basically I had this issue with not being able to grasp it, understand what I was looking (or hearing) at. After working on both Noise and Ambient for a while, I got the feeling of it and kind of fell into it.
I love noise music.. Merzbow definitely, especially his collabs with Sunn O))).. And Yoko Ono & John Lennon.. & Lou Reed.. and a few i've found through facebook groups.. I'm so glad you talked about it.. Noise music doesn't get much light, and when someone like you sheds some light, it feels great.. Thanks..
Hats of to you bro. I think this video is one of the most approachable way to describe how we enjoy this form of "music". I sometimes still thought that I'm the one who has a weird taste of music by listening to Whitehouse, Deathpile, Ramleh, Merzbow, Prurient, etc. among other "normal" people, but in fact, we're the one that can really savor and understand the joy and feeling listening to noise music.
Knocked this one out of the park! Recently wrote a research paper on noise music! About 3 weeks before this vid came out. Very interesting stuff! I love it.
I just started experimenting with noise/ambient. My latest record was based on it almost entirely, along with improvisation and vibe. It’s really quite the expressive form, noise, lots of fun to morph into any sort of wicked abstraction, wild highs and lows and everything in between.
My work involves reading and writing all day, so I mostly listen to music that doesn't have vocals (I should say lyrics, which I find too distracting). Noise has become a favorite genre to listen to while working. Still, nothing beats the catharsis of a great noise group performing live. You feel it through your whole body.
The feelings you described reminded me of the ones I had when I first heard Riverrun by Barry Truax (electroacoustic music), it was the first time I felt so isolated and lost into music. I ever cried. I will definitely check noise music, thanks for your recommendation! :)
The New Blockaders - Changez Les Blockeurs, Male Rape Group - On to '83, and Yellow Swans - Psychic Secession are a few of my favorite noise records (albeit crossing over into other genres, like musique concrete, power electronics, and power noise).
Will you make a video on speedcore and extratone at some point? I can show some artists and scenes, that (kind of) represent the speedcore genre, including extratone. Diabarha - He's probably most famous for his Uranoid extratone song, which gives a really bad impression to someone who has never heard music like that (It's also not really famous in the extratone community, but some like it). He also makes other core and distorted genres, but mostly speedcore. His works often come with something to say, let it be about his life, experiences, the song, or something else. He really pours his soul into his music, and with the right ears, it can give a really intense experience. His newer albums are much more listener friendly than his older ones. Sunhiausa/Ahekloria - An underrated french artist, who's been making music for a long time (just like Diabarha) and is very experienced at making music. He makes less distorted music, but more melodic songs, and makes various genres of music too. Some of his songs are one of the most beautiful and intense songs I've ever heard. Kobaryo - Probably the most known japanese speedcore artist, whose music is one of the most enjoyable to first timers. There's not much to say about him. His music is kind of unique and he's also talented at other genres too. There are much much more speedcore and extratone artist, but I think these 3 can be a good starting point. You can always dive deeper into it, as speedcore outside of japan has a relatively small community, and lots of people try and make their own songs. What I like about speedcore and extratone is that it's a really intense genre. It's also limited by speed, so there is no speedcore formula, since you can mix it with almost anything. Ambient, noise, pop, rock, metal, (almost) any genre. The thing I like about extratone, is that it's really intense, and some songs use this to their advantage, to give a really powerful experience. It may seem like "just a tone" but it can also be really calming, and be like just background noise. I really enjoy listening to them on buses, as falling asleep with it gives a really good experience. The western scene is usually more distorted and harsh, and it's also where speedcore originated. For speedcore, it's better to start with japanese one's since they're less distorted, and can often have a happier theme, giving an intense happy vibe For extratone, I can have some suggestions. One can be "Annoying Ringtone - Extratone Pirates" which is also kinda popular. It's not the easiest song, but it's more like an intense blast, and it also has vocals too. It was the song which got me into it. Another one could be "Ahekloria - Came Back to Life", a really nice melodic extratone song, that could be a great start. Both "Kobaryo Web 33,260.8" and "Kobaryo Usb 50,176.0" are great examples of what extratone can be, and last "t+pazolite - BPM=RT" is a really great song too. I really hope this will be seen, and appreciated, and sorry if my english is bad somewhere.
Thumbs up for mentioning Deathpile's GR - that was the album that got me started with noise. Discovered it completely be accident and was blown away and fascinated all at once.
Love that you made a video on noise music, love how you made it. As with all forms of art, I enjoy it very much when I find it a sincere expression of the producer. Even when it sometimes feels like an experiment on the audience, I can still enjoy if there's a "chosenness" about it. Can be very meditational, it's good to stop thinking and just submit to noise once in a while.
My gateway to noise was Norwegian black metal. After the high of that music slightly faded, and the need for something harsher and more extreme was there I went on to listen to Merzbow.
I first was introduced to noise music and specifically power electronics by a friend who showed me Why You Never Became a Dancer and Daddo. It took about 6 months to stomach it, 10 to enjoy it, and an entire year to realize the beauty of this genre. The realization of beauty first came when I listened to Ramleh's Hole in the Heart. I've mostly stuck being a fan of Whitehouse and Grim, so hearing this album that despite being a gargantuan clusterfuck of static and pained groans, felt so lonely, saddened and cold compared to the genres usual violence and horror, stuck with me. It's what showed me all that noise music can be. A pure form of art in the audible sense more than nearly any other genre. Still can't seem to be a big fan of Merzbow though.
The best show I saw last year was by Otomo Yoshihide and the brazilian noise and experimental band Althima, even Sigur Rós couldn't top them! And it's pretty much like you said, Oliver, the main attraction to noise music (at least to you and to me as well) lies with the catharsis. When Yoshihide's concert ended I was so baffled that took me yet five minutes to stand up and the whole way back home the music remained with me. I felt like waves were overwhelming me. It was incredibly powerful, I'm looking for other things to make me feel that way ever since.
I hate to make a comment so early in my viewing of this video: but thank you. You know, I feel stupid sometimes when I don't comprehend an obvious answer. Noise music isn't for me because I like music and I approach it like music. I love music, I don't like noise music. It's nothing more than that. Talking to someone who likes noise music is hell sometimes. Not to pin this as a stereotype, but many noise fans I've spoken to tend to be elitist assholes. I hate not understanding something, it's almost like an anxiety trigger. So when I lack understanding of something that elitist snobs talk down on me like I'm an idiot for, I get angry and I feel an unneeded spite towards noise music. So I feel like I can understand and appreciate noise music the best I can: by realizing it's not for me because it isn't music as I know it, thusly, it's not the music I love. It's noise music, doing it's own thing, existing for the sake of existence. Treating it like a higher class of art for being a little more nonsensical and less about meanings of lyrics is probably what makes people think Noise music only exists for the sake of making Anthony Fantano stans and edgy teenagers feel smarter than everyone else, which I now can understand isn't the case.
5:30 the best example of that I can think of comes from Clipping's track inside out where they represent gunshots, which have become a rap cliche at this point with bursts of harsh static out of nowhere so you feel that impact. I thought that was really clever.
Although many people find Noise music to be scary or distressing, I can find it relaxing, even at its most dissonant, as long as there are no vocals. Sometimes I even listen to Merzbow at low volumes when falling asleep!
For me noise music, or at least harsh noise, seems to clear my mind and increase my awareness in terms of my sense of hearing. After listening to noise music I hear faint sounds in my house that I either forgot existed or take for granted.
Growing up in the providence music scene coming into contact with noise music was inevitable. There was a point where i was going to shows weekly with at least one noise artist on the bill. Luckly for me i fell in love with the genre right off the bat, cant say the same for alot of my friends tho... Providence has a rich history of noise, and noise-rock artists and i recomend anyone interested in the genre to take a deep dive into what our little city has produced.
To this day, a noise album that is both engaging and sombre is Going Places by Yellow Swans It's prolly the safest pick if you want to start getting into noise music imo
Got into noise music through Kraus’s End Tomorrow record - it’s kinda noise-lite, but it’s a good starting point if anyone’s keen to get into that cathartic feeling
i've read several comments which recommend slowly dipping into the genre. i would suggest the opposite. my personal favorite is merzbow's album *pulse demon* and i have to say that there is something about the wash of timbres and the movement of sounds make that album a comfort to me. there have been times at the end of a difficult day dealing with sixth graders in my classroom where the only thing that truly settles me is listening to "worms plastic earthbound". i say dive in at the deep end and see how it feels to come out the other side.
This in my opinion is the CORRECT answer as well, but theres many mentally undeveloped people out there so who knows how theyve designed their brains to work.
Some tracks that I think tie Noise and Ambient together: Oval - Do While (look for the full 24min track) Tim Hecker - Virginal II Tim Hecker - Norberg William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops II Track II William Basinski - Watermusic II
Essential records for taking the first dive into noise in order of accessibility: Shredded Nerve - Self Titled (Slow ambient textures slowly weave skull splitting cut up in and out alongside manipulated tape loops) LR and Puce Mary - The Female Form (pseudo-minimalist modular electronics) Breached Hull - Into the black (Industrial noise/power electronics) Facialmess - You Trip Me Up (Cut up over dark ambient drones) Whitehouse - Birdseed (power electronics) Jason Crumer - either Walk With Me or Ottoman black (cinematic noise or harsh noise, your choice. Both are phenomenal)
Finally!, thank you Oliver for this video... the only thing to add is, if you wanna get into Noise, I recommend to start listening old Musique Concrete or Electroacustic; like John Cage would be a good start, or Schaeffer.
Worth hearing is Atomized's album "Hits of the 80s", on the excellent Kovorox Sound label - noise "covers" of Madonna, Visage and Howard Jones tunes by Lea Cummings (Kylie Minoise) and Russell MacEwan of Black Sun.
I must say I've never experienced the enjoyment of silence after noise music as you've mentioned. That normally happens with me when I turn the radio off at work when it's blaring out some sexist obnoxious pop shit, not that I don't appreciate pop music - anyway. The most catharic moment I ever experienced during a noise set, was while watching Jaako Vanhala scraping a contact mic across a rough metal sheet. It was beautifully horrible. And so loud. People starting moshing and writhing around. Crazy moment. And for those not into noise, but who like ambient and are looking to bridge the gap: Aube, especially "Cardiac Strain", anything by Yellow Swans (especially 'Going Places' and 'At All Ends') and Absconding Life, with 'Dead Dreams' or 'IV'. There's a long droney track after a lot of very short electronic harsh noise bursts with heaviness, melody and distorted field recordings of rain falling in a city at night. Great for listening to with the lights out and a candle burning
when i first heard merzbow i quit in the first fourty seconds. 7 months and a fuck ton of new music and ideas later i listened to pulse demon and merzbeat all the way through and couldnt stop smiling.
Noise is interesting to me in the same way modern conceptual art is because the viewer or listener is in some ways just as important to the music as the musician or artist. From what I’ve heard from musicians like merzbow and Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music, it provides a backdrop for you to think and imagine and it makes me feel like im part of the music which is something that I don’t find as present in other music which is why its so unique.
Great video! Many thanks. Brought up on classical, moved into avantgarde guard jazz, now working in trance, outer space/ inter stellar etc., & "noise" / pure sound- energy. Noise gives/ brings something no other form can. Total openness... freedom.
Hijokaidan's Togawa Kaidan is a great way to get into noise, they combine noisy rock cuts with pure noise, but the noise tracks are a bit more accessible, you won't here much of the screeching electronics that you might hear from Merzbow, more heavily distorted and reverberated guitar, but it feels more down to earth and relatable if you're into punk and rock, and the more conventional punk songs that are on every other track can help ease you into the abrasive and unconventional sound.
Amazing video man gotta say this was a really informative video as I'm relatively outside the noise music scene I'm more of a black metal guy but this video peaked my interest and made me listen to merzbows promotion man and that record was a really I wouldn't say good but like enlightening album all thanks to you man thank you
I've gotten into noise through artists in other styles/genres incorporating noise/experimental elements and sounds in their music. The most notable and important ones for me would be Phil Elverum(the microphones and mount eerie) and Godspeed You..(really just post-rock in general can get pretty noisey). Tim Hecker was probably the first ambient/noise artist I actually got into. Noise is a really interesting world that's difficult to put into words for sure but I definitely see it as being a pure form of catharsis. The shit is loud as fuck and my ears ring like shit after watching a set but there's nothing like getting ur ears fucked for a good 15 minutes and then just having it end all of a sudden. thank you for coming to my ted talk
6:16 That's because our method of describing music isn't sophisticated enough. You can play the tube distortion or the pitch delay or the vocoder just like you could the scream or the guitar you send into it. If we gonna separate instruments out, we could separate processing methods too. As a producer, I relish listen to shitty music that has one good sound in the middle cause I can hear that RM or that keytracked comb filter and new sound excites me.
Noise music to me is like an astringent/disinfectant bandage for the soul, mind and psyche. Both as a listener and as a creator. I've struggled with mental health issues for the last couple of decades and noise is the best source of solace I've found so far.
ive always wanted to delve into the noise genre but ive never known the right mood to go into it with. the first noise record i heard was aaron dilloways modern jester and i really enjoyed it but never felt compelled to go back to it. this new outlook youve presented has sort of motivated me to give other artists a try and possibly revisit aarons stuff. great video btw, keep this shit up!!
Getting into noise music for me was simple steps from favorites of mine like Full of Hell and dälek. It's like the kids that think Slipknot is heavy as all hell and into high school discover Morbid Angel and Entombed.
I love noise music. It's very psychedelic in a way. I love putting on a Merzbow or Prurient record and just walk around with headphones on. It's a super wierd feeling, especially if you got good noise cancelling headphones. It's like the whole world just glitched out. You watch a pigeon fly by and you just hear KRRRRRRRKRKRKRKRKRRKKRKRKRRKRRK WRHYYYYYYYYYY it's almost like a drug trip. I'd recommend the noise compilation that adult swim put out last year as a starting point to get into noise. They have all aspects of noise represented from noise rap and rock to power electronics.
FULL AGREE on the Adult Swim noise compilation. It was my starting point into noise music where before I thought it was just meaningless crash, buzz, and distortion.
@Indigo Aztec you must have never listened to whitehouse, i have the lyrics memorised for the entirety of bird seed (ok minus the title track) because i listen to it that often
But how would I hear noise music if I was wearing noise cancelling headphones? /s
Especially Merzbow’s Noisebloom album. Great record.
hollywoodraptor0016 I think you just perfectly described the appeal of noise music...
You should do a 5 album intro for Noise music.
i second that
he said he's doing one for Power Electronics which is like the biggest noise subgenre
Mine for what its worth:
1. Wolf Eyes- Burned Mind
2.Whitehouse- Mommy And Daddy
3.Merzbow- Venerology
4. Non- God and Beast
5. Throbbing Gristle- CD1
Get one of Prurient's albums in there and you're good.
Keith Thomas I'd go with antimounment instead of venerology, I feel like that album shows off a more interesting side of Merzbow's work
Interesting video mate: always thought Noise was ambient music pushed to its extreme since there’s some sort of similarity between the two, glad you pointed that out.
liamthemusicreviewer Yellow Swans' Going Places is a nice blend of both
Yeah that’s a good starting point.
João Pedro Silva de Queiroz shall jump into that ASAP!
liamthemusicreviewer Noise and ambient? How? Not to mention the sheer craftsmanship of someone like Brian Eno compared to literally anyone with a laptop, UA-cam tutorials and a DAW. Noise is a daring component of rock, industrial, modern electronic music, but in itself it's extremely limited and limiting. Any sonic exploration of it is done in a matter of hours by anyone with a laptop.
y u so angry at laptops tho
As a noise artist, I've never considered it music, more so art in an extreme form. It's a sound scape, it's something you experience, not exactly listen to if that makes any sense.
i agree, when im making my sound collages music is part of its structure but its purpose is not music necessarily
I disagree, yes it's an extreme artform, but I think it's also definitely music
Sounds like you are simply explaining music... sounds that form something you experience with your ears is kinda the entire point of music. Noise music is just extreme music.
You’re a pretentious asshole. It’s music
@mrcarrot5008 I can slap my asscheeks then record that and edit it into irregular timings does that make it music?
Noise does not have the form or expression found in the textbook definitions of music. You can't just call every recorded sound music there has to be a line somewhere. Alternatively, if I edited the slapping of my asscheeks to sound like the instrumentals for the single Scaring the Hoes, I would say yes that is music because of its new structure and intention
And I'm saying this as a noise enjoyer. There is noise music for sure but there's also a lotta stuff that's not music just noise. Not saying this in a derogatory way although that type of phrasing is usually associated in derogatory wats
some noise records make me want to bite into the music and chew it ahhh
To me noise was always a social experience. Nearly everyone at a gig was also making noise and performing. You could walk up to a stranger and ask them what kind of instruments or software they were using or building or what concepts they were working with, and nearly always they would have something interesting brewing. If you found the one person there who wasn't a maker they would be the mandatory token "audient" and you could talk about CDs and whatever. I guess that's the case for a lot of other genres too, at least in the early days, but it was great to experience it. We even had a sociologist who would turn up and take notes at gigs.
If Noise was a painting, it would be a Francis Bacon, or Jackson Pollock. It's messy, and violent, and not for everyone.
mysterywhiteboy72 or it could be like Joan Miro, beautifully strange.
or frank Auerbach
Francis Bacon >>>>>>> Jackson Pollock
and Jackon Pollock looks like a man shitting on a tuba
Bacon looks like a psychological problem, but every single thing is placed with surgical precision. He is actually a very sleek painter who only paints the minimum required to convey an image. To me comparing Bacon to Noise music, is like comparing baroc to a truck droven through a shop window
I think the best way to get into noise music is to approach it slowly. People on here recommending their favourite noise record may find that this isn't that helpful. For someone who has listened to, for example, rock music all their life, listening to a Merzbow record is not going to get them interested. The trick is to listen to rock music (or whatever genre you're interested in) with elements of noise music, then slowly delve into more and more extreme and experimental music. Eventually, you will be able to have an appreciation of the arrhythmic harsh noise end of the spectrum that you would not have if you'd tried diving right in. This is based on my own experiences, but I imagine this would be the easier way for MOST people to get into the genre.
This. A really good approach, and what actually happened to me slowly. I began listening to increasely noisier shoegaze (Astrobrite, Medicine, Xinlisupreme, then finally The Goslings), Hip hop (Death Grips, Clipping, Dälek) and faster than I ever planned or wanted, I was loving Prurient, Yellow Swans, Kevin Drumm, Sutcliffe Jugend, and others.
Start with boredoms - super ae
Then maybe mr bungle - disco volante
And then maybe hanatarash 4 and 3
Girl band got me started
I started with Death Grips then Clipping and now I'm at Whitehouse.
yep i guess that makes sense i listened to glenn branca as a way to try to introduce myself to noise music
I’d say a good introduction into noise music is Sonic Youth. Thurston Moore has done a bunch of recordings and collaborations of noise music. After listening and getting used to the noise walls they implemented in their works. And listen to their SYR Series for an introduction to that scene of improvisational noise and electronic noise.
Or Hair Police, a group that seems to be one of Kim's favorites.
Listen to SYR 8. It's Sonic Youth x Merzbow
Some of my favorite noise tracks
Prurient - Greenpoint
Prurient - Pipes and Water
Prurient - Red Poppy Laughter (one of my favorite tracks of all time)
Merzbow - 1930
Merzbow & Xiu Xiu - Merzxiu A
Merzbow & Maurizio Bianchi - Am Symphony
thank you for the Prurient recommendation. This album is going on repeat.
@@bryanbusey which one
Listen to Pedestrian Deposut and Aaron Dilloway
Noise is weird, for me to "enjoy" noise it needs to be, either really textured and rich with a variety of sounds (whitehouse, prurient, merzbow) or mixed with another genre of music (clipping, dreamcrusher, the angelic process, yellow swans, maybe death grips?) Loving these videos man, keep it up
Prurient's Frozen Niagara Falls is what got me into noise. The bridge between typical compositions and added abrasion, field recordings and layering made me understand the appeal. Sometimes it's almost like alternative poetry, where the poetry isn't necessarily in words.
yes I can vouch for this, this is the best album to start with noise or power electronics in general, synths used in this reminded me of Suicide in a way
dude dragonflies is rad, dont vibe w the screaming tho lol
This. FNF and History of Aids teached me what noise can truly achieve.
And HOA is his personal favorite as well..
Atrax Mourge is a great noise artist, and his backstory makes his music even better
Marco was a genius.
I fell into noise from industrial. So much of it is the expression of my life.
This comment section is beautiful, thank you everybody and thank you Oliver
Karen: death metal is just *N O I S E*
Merzbow: hold my *O)))*
Sunn O)))
I see what you did there
I completely agree in the connection you make between ambient music and noise music.
Both of this genres are possible the most expressive ways to say something with music. The texture, the sense of space, volume and weight...
I am an Ambient artist in my solo work, and I use exactly the same approach and ambition creating music for my Noise Rock band. People may find it incoherent, but it takes the same level of experimentation, approach to silence, both of the genres defy the definitions of sound and music.
Great video, as usual! :D
The album that turned me on to noise was Merzbow's Hybrid Noisebloom, it's not an easy listen but it really made me appreciate that timbre alone can be a powerful compositional tool. It's so deeply textured and complex, it made shapes form in my mind.
Mine was Kevin Drumm’s album, Land of Lurches
Also worth mentioning that Hybrid Noisebloom is easily one of the best, if not the best album Merzbow put out in the 90's.
Eric Taxxon , I ended up listening to this album as my first noise album because of your recommendation. It's very good and definitely accessible. Just wanted to say thanks
Ayyy, it's Eric Taxxon! I love your music dude, nice to see you here
Me too! I've never known anyone to say that before, it's usually Pulse Demon, or maybe some more ambient noise thing. I can still remember how I felt the first time I listened to Minotaurus. It might sound silly, but thank you for posting that; I loved reading your comment.
I find myself coming back to this video a lot, it's one of the only videos that discusses the genre with respect, I find a lot of videos on youtube talk about noise as outsiders to the genre and tend to focus on the people who make the music rather than the music itself, and it's nice to be able listen to an analysis on noise as it's pretty rare to here one, as when you bring up the topic to people they tend to give you odd stares
Wonderful video, Oliver. Once I learned to appreciate noise, my musical landscape broadened significantly and I eventually got into free jazz, musique concréte, electroacoustic improvisation and various modern classical subgenres. I would encourage everyone to have an open mind and try out different things without trying to analyze or understand everything.
Huge fan of noise, especially Merzbow here, been waiting for this video.
I'm glad you mentioned the ambient quality of noise, and the fact that you shouldn't expect this genre to get your head bobbing and remember the "good parts". I've liked Fantano's video about this topic too, but your approach to noise is way more similar to mine.
I've always said that if someone enjoys any form of texture-/mood-based music (ambient, cool jazz, certain kinda symphonic, post-rock, etc.) AND they enjoy any form of extreme music (metal, industrial, glitch, certain kinda experimental, etc.), then they pretty much get the appeal of noise.
To anyone who wants to get into the genre but their ear just refuses to accept the lack of traditionally musical elements, I'd recommend some Merzbow albums that have rhythmic and/or melodic quality to them: Aqua Necromancer, Door Open at 8AM, Merzbeat, Merzbird, Merzzow, Sha Mo 3000.
Also, while not too musical, Amlux, Merzbuddha and Vibractance are lighter on the ears.
Norbicsek Have only listened to Merzbeat, Venereology, and Electric Salad, so thanks for the recs!! Is Merzbow your fav noise musician?
Lg Yes he is, and one of my favorite musicians in general. He's pretty much the best at the kind of noise he makes. The only thing comparable to his stuff that I've heard was Skin Crime's Urge.
Electric Salad is super good album. If you liked that, check out Rainbow Electronics too, very similar, but its flow is way less linear, the shifts in sound are more abrupt in that one (which makes me like it a bit less then Electric Salad, but it's still a great record).
Don't miss out on Pinkream and Flare Gun either. They're not "entry level" like the ones I recommended in my previous comment, but you having heard Venereology, I assume you're not in need of crutches like beats or melody anyways, and they're two of my favorite albums.
Pinkream is vey good, I cannot recommend it enough.
“Let the music have it’s way with you”, is pretty well said when it comes to experiencing noise music (any kind of extreme/intense musical experience). It’s like taking dropping acid, in a way. You have to really let go, allow the sounds to wash over you, and let it take your consciousness wherever it may be. In fact, that’s a good way to get into some noise music, or at least experience it (take drugs, lay back, listen). Very good vid, Oliver. Great points. ✌🏼
The only time music stops being music is when all emotion is cut out of it.
great vid! noise was always an impregnable genre for me. I bought Merzbow - Pulse Demon cause of the cover. I enjoyed moments, but I felt like it was too much of a challenge to get into. years later I found Wolf Eyes. being heavy into BL (Black Metal) I immediately fell in love. from there I started to dig to get some cassettes they put out. then I made sure to listen to all their side projects.
Now, I have emotional reactions to shifts in oscillating sin wave pattens, have cathartic experiences to bands like Whitehouse (and other power electronics), and go to noise shows (I'm sure I gave myself a concussion at a Aaron Dilloway show.) it is truly a worthwhile experience to dive in; well, even just to tip your toe in the water. the ways it's expanded my appreciation of music is immeasurable. I can't wait to join you on discord.
I know this is an old comment but it's a good one. Wolf Eyes are so damn good. Ever listen to Blank Hellscape? I think any fan of Wolf Eyes would enjoy those guys
Princess Army Wedding Combat - UFOCATCHER
Drumcorps - Better Days
aimaii - 2mbst1
As a fan of noise, I have no clue what type of album to recommend as an "intro." Its hard to get the full idea of what noise is while at the same time trying to find a middle ground between conventional music and noise as an introductory step
Noise incorporated in other genres is a great intro to appreciating noise like Noise-Rock
Pulse Demon.
@cat with camera oooof this is tough one. I recommend people who are not already introduced to noise to listen to Maurizio Bianchi - Neurohabitat or his now well known record Symphony for a Genocide.
going places by yellow swans>>>>>>>>>
Well I jumped into noise headfirst with "My dad is car" by hanatarash. I heard about their live performances and as a punk/metal guy, I was humbled.
PHARMAKON is a great noise/power-electronics act that I feel is a bit more melodious and possibly more accessible to people attempting to "get" the genre. And seeing a noise performance is different from any other genre I've seen live. These shows draw quite a unique crowd, and they're in much smaller "venues." Lots of old school crust punks, some metal heads, a random joe, goths, etc. I've noticed a bit of every scene showing up. Very intense experience overall.
I've never been able to put my finger on it, but when you said that bit about the silence afterwards, that really clicked with me. Thanks for that.
Flying Testicle Space Desia, Incapacitants Default Standard, Pain Jerk Gallon Gravy, Merzbow Metalvelodrome, Masonna Shock Rock.
I have never heard anyone articulate so well the joy/'function' of such an inaccessible genre
You have some great takes on such a niche genre. Nailed it.
I came to noise from a roundabout journey, starting with a discovery of industrial music as a 19 year old. I listened to stuff like Nurse With Wound and SPK and found the organization of harsh noise and feedback into a loose musical structure challenging and satisfying. not entirely happy with the 2nd generation of industrial's (eg Ministry, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails) more dancefloor-oriented approach, I began drifting into an appreciation of the early electronic pioneers such as Pierre Henry, Stockhausen, David Tudor, etc... in 2008 I began playing in a band called Frogwell. one of my bandmates was roughly 20 years younger than me and was really into the NYC noise scene. our band (through his association) got booked at a lot of noise gigs although we probably have more in common with AMM than Merzbow. I can appreciate some of the music, but I found the audiences started to weird me out with their sado/masochistic machismo. as a performer, I'm happy to challenge and confront, but I'm a bit uncomfortable with straight-up punishing my audience.
Incapacitants and Hijokaidan were definitely the groups that got me into noise. I like the point you made about comparing ambient music to noise since I think both can be listened to and appreciated in the same way.
I recently got into noise and industrial music and I'm so glad you made a video about this genre.
even though her albums are a little shotty, seeing Pharmakon live is a life-changing experience. RECOMMENDED TO EVERYONE!
I could see that.
Missed her last time she was in the area. Not next time.
+der todesking lol. I got a picture with her, she signed my record, and I asked her a bunch of questions. she was super nice
Pharmakon scares the shit out of me lol
Just saw her in Berlin. So fking goood
I do love that you mention the elements of classical music in the formation of the genre. It's a hard one to discuss, but to give a little color, Edgard Varese and Luciano Berio that really experimented with the genre in the early days with the tape recorders: cutting up and arranging, looping, etc. Great start to the conversation!
I remember listening to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Macronympha for the first time around 2007 and it blew me away and one of the albums that got me into noise. Been a fan since of the whole genre.
And I wanna say thank you for just having talk about noise music. One descriptor You may have left out that I use when trying to describe it is "texture". Like with paintings or sculptures, texture plays a huge roll in noise music. And I've always had an appreciation for things that refuse to go anywhere near mainstream. Like you said, those are often times the most pure forms of expression.
I love how you mention that there is a real experience you tend to feel with this genre. I remember listening to We Spit On Their Graves by Sutcliffe Jugend for the first time in one sitting. I felt like I was being sucked into the world that the album created, and I just became totally immersed. I even started reading up on the album while it was playing, and ended up reading the entire wiki about Peter Sutcliffe, the serial killer the album is based on. By the time the album was done, I remember there being a semi-brief moment (maybe about 3 seconds) where everything in life felt like it stopped. It was almost like a transition period to go from one reality to another. Truly an incredible experience.
Noise makes me feel like a god while I listen to it.
The most difficult album I've ever listened to is "arrived in gold" by sightings, I had it saved in Spotify for ages then one day I was in the right mood to listen to the whole thing, it really took me out of my body, and made me feel a very strange way towards the whole human race, very weird but incredibly powerful.
Robert Anderson haven’t listened to that, but Sightings - Through the Panama is amazing!! They take their most experimental sounds, lower the volume up the texture, and pretty much make pop formula rock songs with them!!
I’ve heard pretty much all their other albums are way more harsh, so you might not like it, but it’s interesting that they tried a more conventional noise / noise rock style at least once.
As someone who makes Noise music, I have to admit that I could't listen to much more than a couple tracks until I actually worked on it. Basically I had this issue with not being able to grasp it, understand what I was looking (or hearing) at.
After working on both Noise and Ambient for a while, I got the feeling of it and kind of fell into it.
I love noise music.. Merzbow definitely, especially his collabs with Sunn O))).. And Yoko Ono & John Lennon.. & Lou Reed.. and a few i've found through facebook groups.. I'm so glad you talked about it.. Noise music doesn't get much light, and when someone like you sheds some light, it feels great.. Thanks..
Hats of to you bro. I think this video is one of the most approachable way to describe how we enjoy this form of "music". I sometimes still thought that I'm the one who has a weird taste of music by listening to Whitehouse, Deathpile, Ramleh, Merzbow, Prurient, etc. among other "normal" people, but in fact, we're the one that can really savor and understand the joy and feeling listening to noise music.
Knocked this one out of the park! Recently wrote a research paper on noise music! About 3 weeks before this vid came out. Very interesting stuff! I love it.
I just started experimenting with noise/ambient. My latest record was based on it almost entirely, along with improvisation and vibe. It’s really quite the expressive form, noise, lots of fun to morph into any sort of wicked abstraction, wild highs and lows and everything in between.
after listening to noise music non stop for 6 months, I cant go back. I'm addicted :(
My work involves reading and writing all day, so I mostly listen to music that doesn't have vocals (I should say lyrics, which I find too distracting). Noise has become a favorite genre to listen to while working. Still, nothing beats the catharsis of a great noise group performing live. You feel it through your whole body.
Yellow Swans ftw
going places is the best noise album of all time
That's one of my favourite albums of all time of ANY genre. Utterly stunning and beautiful in every way.
rb driftin listened to it today and found it mediocre
Roffbist aww oh well. At least you gave it a go ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
rb driftin yeah I prefer harsher stuff
The feelings you described reminded me of the ones I had when I first heard Riverrun by Barry Truax (electroacoustic music), it was the first time I felt so isolated and lost into music. I ever cried. I will definitely check noise music, thanks for your recommendation! :)
The New Blockaders - Changez Les Blockeurs, Male Rape Group - On to '83, and Yellow Swans - Psychic Secession are a few of my favorite noise records (albeit crossing over into other genres, like musique concrete, power electronics, and power noise).
Discussing Noise instead of narrowing down to 10 albums is really special
Will you make a video on speedcore and extratone at some point?
I can show some artists and scenes, that (kind of) represent the speedcore genre, including extratone.
Diabarha - He's probably most famous for his Uranoid extratone song, which gives a really bad impression to someone who has never heard music like that (It's also not really famous in the extratone community, but some like it). He also makes other core and distorted genres, but mostly speedcore. His works often come with something to say, let it be about his life, experiences, the song, or something else. He really pours his soul into his music, and with the right ears, it can give a really intense experience. His newer albums are much more listener friendly than his older ones.
Sunhiausa/Ahekloria - An underrated french artist, who's been making music for a long time (just like Diabarha) and is very experienced at making music. He makes less distorted music, but more melodic songs, and makes various genres of music too. Some of his songs are one of the most beautiful and intense songs I've ever heard.
Kobaryo - Probably the most known japanese speedcore artist, whose music is one of the most enjoyable to first timers. There's not much to say about him. His music is kind of unique and he's also talented at other genres too.
There are much much more speedcore and extratone artist, but I think these 3 can be a good starting point. You can always dive deeper into it, as speedcore outside of japan has a relatively small community, and lots of people try and make their own songs.
What I like about speedcore and extratone is that it's a really intense genre. It's also limited by speed, so there is no speedcore formula, since you can mix it with almost anything. Ambient, noise, pop, rock, metal, (almost) any genre.
The thing I like about extratone, is that it's really intense, and some songs use this to their advantage, to give a really powerful experience. It may seem like "just a tone" but it can also be really calming, and be like just background noise. I really enjoy listening to them on buses, as falling asleep with it gives a really good experience.
The western scene is usually more distorted and harsh, and it's also where speedcore originated.
For speedcore, it's better to start with japanese one's since they're less distorted, and can often have a happier theme, giving an intense happy vibe
For extratone, I can have some suggestions. One can be "Annoying Ringtone - Extratone Pirates" which is also kinda popular. It's not the easiest song, but it's more like an intense blast, and it also has vocals too. It was the song which got me into it. Another one could be "Ahekloria - Came Back to Life", a really nice melodic extratone song, that could be a great start. Both "Kobaryo Web 33,260.8" and "Kobaryo Usb 50,176.0" are great examples of what extratone can be, and last "t+pazolite - BPM=RT" is a really great song too.
I really hope this will be seen, and appreciated, and sorry if my english is bad somewhere.
Thumbs up for mentioning Deathpile's GR - that was the album that got me started with noise.
Discovered it completely be accident and was blown away and fascinated all at once.
Love that you made a video on noise music, love how you made it. As with all forms of art, I enjoy it very much when I find it a sincere expression of the producer. Even when it sometimes feels like an experiment on the audience, I can still enjoy if there's a "chosenness" about it.
Can be very meditational, it's good to stop thinking and just submit to noise once in a while.
My gateway to noise was Norwegian black metal. After the high of that music slightly faded, and the need for something harsher and more extreme was there I went on to listen to Merzbow.
OP: No other can express a serial killer experience.
Death Metal: I am a joke to you?
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 death metal 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
lmao ok dad
I first was introduced to noise music and specifically power electronics by a friend who showed me Why You Never Became a Dancer and Daddo. It took about 6 months to stomach it, 10 to enjoy it, and an entire year to realize the beauty of this genre. The realization of beauty first came when I listened to Ramleh's Hole in the Heart. I've mostly stuck being a fan of Whitehouse and Grim, so hearing this album that despite being a gargantuan clusterfuck of static and pained groans, felt so lonely, saddened and cold compared to the genres usual violence and horror, stuck with me. It's what showed me all that noise music can be. A pure form of art in the audible sense more than nearly any other genre. Still can't seem to be a big fan of Merzbow though.
The best show I saw last year was by Otomo Yoshihide and the brazilian noise and experimental band Althima, even Sigur Rós couldn't top them! And it's pretty much like you said, Oliver, the main attraction to noise music (at least to you and to me as well) lies with the catharsis. When Yoshihide's concert ended I was so baffled that took me yet five minutes to stand up and the whole way back home the music remained with me. I felt like waves were overwhelming me. It was incredibly powerful, I'm looking for other things to make me feel that way ever since.
First person I ever found explaining noise music unironically
I hate to make a comment so early in my viewing of this video: but thank you. You know, I feel stupid sometimes when I don't comprehend an obvious answer.
Noise music isn't for me because I like music and I approach it like music. I love music, I don't like noise music. It's nothing more than that. Talking to someone who likes noise music is hell sometimes. Not to pin this as a stereotype, but many noise fans I've spoken to tend to be elitist assholes. I hate not understanding something, it's almost like an anxiety trigger. So when I lack understanding of something that elitist snobs talk down on me like I'm an idiot for, I get angry and I feel an unneeded spite towards noise music.
So I feel like I can understand and appreciate noise music the best I can: by realizing it's not for me because it isn't music as I know it, thusly, it's not the music I love. It's noise music, doing it's own thing, existing for the sake of existence.
Treating it like a higher class of art for being a little more nonsensical and less about meanings of lyrics is probably what makes people think Noise music only exists for the sake of making Anthony Fantano stans and edgy teenagers feel smarter than everyone else, which I now can understand isn't the case.
5:30 the best example of that I can think of comes from Clipping's track inside out where they represent gunshots, which have become a rap cliche at this point with bursts of harsh static out of nowhere so you feel that impact. I thought that was really clever.
OLIVAH is back!!!
Although many people find Noise music to be scary or distressing, I can find it relaxing, even at its most dissonant, as long as there are no vocals. Sometimes I even listen to Merzbow at low volumes when falling asleep!
I love noise music! And now I create it!
For me noise music, or at least harsh noise, seems to clear my mind and increase my awareness in terms of my sense of hearing. After listening to noise music I hear faint sounds in my house that I either forgot existed or take for granted.
Growing up in the providence music scene coming into contact with noise music was inevitable. There was a point where i was going to shows weekly with at least one noise artist on the bill. Luckly for me i fell in love with the genre right off the bat, cant say the same for alot of my friends tho...
Providence has a rich history of noise, and noise-rock artists and i recomend anyone interested in the genre to take a deep dive into what our little city has produced.
Dreamcrusher is noise music with normal music structure, for some of his songs.
Melodic noise, you can identify progressions and rhythms within it.
To this day, a noise album that is both engaging and sombre is Going Places by Yellow Swans
It's prolly the safest pick if you want to start getting into noise music imo
Got into noise music through Kraus’s End Tomorrow record - it’s kinda noise-lite, but it’s a good starting point if anyone’s keen to get into that cathartic feeling
I remember hearing Merzbow's Pulse Demon for the first time. It was the first noise album I listened to, and it fucking scared the shit outta me.
i've read several comments which recommend slowly dipping into the genre. i would suggest the opposite. my personal favorite is merzbow's album *pulse demon* and i have to say that there is something about the wash of timbres and the movement of sounds make that album a comfort to me. there have been times at the end of a difficult day dealing with sixth graders in my classroom where the only thing that truly settles me is listening to "worms plastic earthbound". i say dive in at the deep end and see how it feels to come out the other side.
This in my opinion is the CORRECT answer as well, but theres many mentally undeveloped people out there so who knows how theyve designed their brains to work.
Some tracks that I think tie Noise and Ambient together:
Oval - Do While (look for the full 24min track)
Tim Hecker - Virginal II
Tim Hecker - Norberg
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops II Track II
William Basinski - Watermusic II
Essential records for taking the first dive into noise in order of accessibility:
Shredded Nerve - Self Titled (Slow ambient textures slowly weave skull splitting cut up in and out alongside manipulated tape loops)
LR and Puce Mary - The Female Form (pseudo-minimalist modular electronics)
Breached Hull - Into the black (Industrial noise/power electronics)
Facialmess - You Trip Me Up (Cut up over dark ambient drones)
Whitehouse - Birdseed (power electronics)
Jason Crumer - either Walk With Me or Ottoman black (cinematic noise or harsh noise, your choice. Both are phenomenal)
This is a very good description.
Finally!, thank you Oliver for this video... the only thing to add is, if you wanna get into Noise, I recommend to start listening old Musique Concrete or Electroacustic; like John Cage would be a good start, or Schaeffer.
Worth hearing is Atomized's album "Hits of the 80s", on the excellent Kovorox Sound label - noise "covers" of Madonna, Visage and Howard Jones tunes by Lea Cummings (Kylie Minoise) and Russell MacEwan of Black Sun.
Sonic Youth live with Mats Gustafsson and Merzbow is my favourite noise album
I must say I've never experienced the enjoyment of silence after noise music as you've mentioned. That normally happens with me when I turn the radio off at work when it's blaring out some sexist obnoxious pop shit, not that I don't appreciate pop music - anyway. The most catharic moment I ever experienced during a noise set, was while watching Jaako Vanhala scraping a contact mic across a rough metal sheet. It was beautifully horrible. And so loud. People starting moshing and writhing around. Crazy moment. And for those not into noise, but who like ambient and are looking to bridge the gap: Aube, especially "Cardiac Strain", anything by Yellow Swans (especially 'Going Places' and 'At All Ends') and Absconding Life, with 'Dead Dreams' or 'IV'. There's a long droney track after a lot of very short electronic harsh noise bursts with heaviness, melody and distorted field recordings of rain falling in a city at night. Great for listening to with the lights out and a candle burning
when i first heard merzbow i quit in the first fourty seconds. 7 months and a fuck ton of new music and ideas later i listened to pulse demon and merzbeat all the way through and couldnt stop smiling.
Noise is interesting to me in the same way modern conceptual art is because the viewer or listener is in some ways just as important to the music as the musician or artist. From what I’ve heard from musicians like merzbow and Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music, it provides a backdrop for you to think and imagine and it makes me feel like im part of the music which is something that I don’t find as present in other music which is why its so unique.
congrats on 50k!!! love your channel!!
Just got done with my first noise record, Merzbeat by Merzbow. Loved it. I also checked out Noisebloom by Merzbow. Great works/introductions to noise.
Great video! Many thanks. Brought up on classical, moved into avantgarde guard jazz, now working in trance, outer space/ inter stellar etc., & "noise" / pure sound- energy. Noise gives/ brings something no other form can. Total openness... freedom.
When is the King Crimson discography guide coming out ? I'm very excited for it !
Hijokaidan's Togawa Kaidan is a great way to get into noise, they combine noisy rock cuts with pure noise, but the noise tracks are a bit more accessible, you won't here much of the screeching electronics that you might hear from Merzbow, more heavily distorted and reverberated guitar, but it feels more down to earth and relatable if you're into punk and rock, and the more conventional punk songs that are on every other track can help ease you into the abrasive and unconventional sound.
Kazumodo Endo's While You Were Out will always be one of my favorite noise albums. It's a lot of fun.
Amazing video man gotta say this was a really informative video as I'm relatively outside the noise music scene I'm more of a black metal guy but this video peaked my interest and made me listen to merzbows promotion man and that record was a really I wouldn't say good but like enlightening album all thanks to you man thank you
happy 50k, Oliver
pink squad!!!!!
hello!!!!!!! what is your discord name?
ellie parsons I'm gryme
watch "people who do noise" on youtube. that documentary got me into noise so i gotta shout it out.
GREAT doc.
good shout - watched that myself very interesting doc
Ill have to find that
Good suggestion. Great doc.
Probably the worst documentary on noise Ive ever see
Deep Cuts: Let's talk about noise music
Fantano:
*Whomst has awakened the ancient one*
I've gotten into noise through artists in other styles/genres incorporating noise/experimental elements and sounds in their music. The most notable and important ones for me would be Phil Elverum(the microphones and mount eerie) and Godspeed You..(really just post-rock in general can get pretty noisey). Tim Hecker was probably the first ambient/noise artist I actually got into. Noise is a really interesting world that's difficult to put into words for sure but I definitely see it as being a pure form of catharsis. The shit is loud as fuck and my ears ring like shit after watching a set but there's nothing like getting ur ears fucked for a good 15 minutes and then just having it end all of a sudden. thank you for coming to my ted talk
6:16 That's because our method of describing music isn't sophisticated enough. You can play the tube distortion or the pitch delay or the vocoder just like you could the scream or the guitar you send into it. If we gonna separate instruments out, we could separate processing methods too. As a producer, I relish listen to shitty music that has one good sound in the middle cause I can hear that RM or that keytracked comb filter and new sound excites me.
Noise music to me is like an astringent/disinfectant bandage for the soul, mind and psyche. Both as a listener and as a creator. I've struggled with mental health issues for the last couple of decades and noise is the best source of solace I've found so far.
This is what an Awesome Comment Section looks like
ive always wanted to delve into the noise genre but ive never known the right mood to go into it with. the first noise record i heard was aaron dilloways modern jester and i really enjoyed it but never felt compelled to go back to it. this new outlook youve presented has sort of motivated me to give other artists a try and possibly revisit aarons stuff. great video btw, keep this shit up!!
Thank you so much for making this. I'm glad to see your appreciation for noise. It's a very taboo genre.
Throbbing Gristle started it all.
No
Great video, well-spoken and researched. Got me to subscribe.
Getting into noise music for me was simple steps from favorites of mine like Full of Hell and dälek. It's like the kids that think Slipknot is heavy as all hell and into high school discover Morbid Angel and Entombed.