Five easy masterpieces: introductory albums to noise music
Now and then, you might think that you have music pinned down. Sure, there is still new stuff getting released, and there will always be a few tweaks to genres here and there, but generally, you understand what music consists of and what you like. Then, you stumble across something like noise.
This article is not for the noise music veterans. Noise music veterans will probably roll their eyes at this list, as it is a genre that seems bottomless. There are so many deep cuts and undisclosed artists who make noise music that you discover a new body of work whenever you speak to someone who is into the genre. This article is for people who simply do not understand noise music. Those who have gone into an album open-minded, with all the right intentions, and then turned it off as quickly as their thumb would let them. Let’s talk.
“It’s all just noise, isn’t it?” – well, yes, but so is all of music. You shouldn’t think of noise as one-dimensionally as that, and instead, consider it a deconstructed version of the artists you like; after all, that is how it started. Noise music was originally a political statement produced during a time when speaking openly about politics was difficult. Remember how angry people got when the sex pistols said, “I am an antichrist?” That was in 1976; imagine trying to convey a similar message in the ‘50s.
Noise was a form of sonic rebellion to take what people consider the fundamentals of music – such as sweet, comforting sounds – and completely deconstruct them. It represented how people felt about the world around them, and in that sense, it was a form of punk before punk was a thing.
What we have now is a non-academic version of something previously academic. The development of noise music started politically, where there was no such thing as structure or different versions of noise; the point was to make something as inaccessible as possible as an instrumental middle finger to the rest of the world. What happened was people became invested in noise music; as such, they listened to multiple variations of it, developed a taste in it, and now use noise to make something more emotional.
As music continues to develop and the idea of genre becomes a distant memory, noise is steadily being implemented everywhere. It can now be heard in a few pop songs to convey chaos and bring a new element to the mainstream. Consider the chorus in Self Esteem’s ‘Prioritize Pleasure’; she is far from a noise artist, yet as she sings, the backdrop is laced with feedback. That, paired with her sweet-sounding voice and the pop-heavy verse of the song, makes for an exciting and innovative listen, and it will no doubt become more and more common.
Think of it like this: when you listen to classical musicians, you might hear three different compositions and think, “Yes, that’s classical music,” even though their styles are completely different and the music was made 100s of years apart; however, we can still categorise it as “classical”, and people know what you mean. Well, if what we listen to today goes on a similar trajectory, and as the lines between genres become more and more blurred, there will be a point in 100 years or so when someone will play you Lil Wayne, Madonna and Slipknot, and rather than categorising them as hip-hop, pop and heavy metal, people will say, “Yes, that’s 20th Century music.”
With that in mind, you may as well develop an appreciation for noise music because it will start creeping up in mainstream tunes more and more. We’re here to help. Here are three albums highlighting the differences in noise music you may not have heard before and two new(ish) albums that implement noise music into more mainstream genres. Happy listening!
Fice introductory albums to noise music:
Venereology – Merzbow
The first two albums on this list are by the same person, but there is a specific reason for that. Merzbow is the biggest name in noise music, and anyone who has dabbled even momentarily in the genre will likely come across him. He has a massive discography, but the two albums listed here, released two years apart, should bring to your attention that not all noise music is “just noise”. There are distinct differences, which in this instance was an accurate reflection of Merzbow’s life at the time of making them.
When Merzbow made Venereology, it was the first record released on the American death metal label Relapse Records. As such, Merzbow intentionally made this album as reminiscent of death metal as possible. “My target was ‘death metal,’ itself…” he said. “The tone of Venereology was a little slower than in my past releases, but more heavy. Also, the tone of Venereology was lots of overlevels and dirty sound.”
Essentially, this album is not just noise; it’s noise on top of noise on top of noise on top of noise. That comes across well throughout, as there is no distinguishable line of static; there is nothing for the listener to follow. It is simply chaos from beginning to end, a wall of sound that engulfs you, and there is no escape from
Not only is this sound reminiscent of death metal, but it is also a reflection of Merzbow’s mindset at the time of making it. He was heavily into alcohol through this period, and the layered noise is a metaphor for that addiction. “It’s important to know that I made Venereology while drinking lots of beer.
Pulse Demon – Merzbow
Pulse Demon is another album made by Merzbow two years later. At the time of recording, he was completely clean, and as such, despite a lot of static and chaos embedded in the sound, it is a lot more distinguishable than Venereology. There is no layering, so the sound you hear can be followed; you can pick it out and recognise what is happening.
Both of these albums might sound inaccessible when taken in isolation, but if you listen to one and then the other, you will notice distinct differences. By getting a firm grasp on these two and picking out those differences, you are in a better position to move forward into your noise music journey.
Dryers’ Hands – Pedestrian Deposit
Pedestrian Deposit are slightly lesser known than Merzbow, but as a more modern musical outfit, they are a good reference point when understanding how far noise music has come. When you listen to the two albums referenced above, you can pick out differences and understand how the production of noise records can represent different things; now, give musicians three decades of exposure to those recording methods, and what you’re left with is something like Pedestrian Deposit.
These can convey emotion using noise music. When you listen to Dryers’ Hands, it is no longer a case of simply picking out differences in the music, but suddenly, you can assign emotion to various pieces of noise. Those emotions are subjective, but the way the record makes certain parts incoherent and others ambient and beautiful means that there are distinct mood changes throughout. Records like this are part of the reason why we now see so much noise music in genres like rock, pop and hip-hop.
Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was one of the first mainstream bands to incorporate noise into their sound. They had a complex rock sound with distorted guitars and heavy drums, but then would also use static so that the distortion would seamlessly merge into a deconstructed sound.
Though their best album is up for debate, Daydream Nation is widely recognised as a triumph and one that many fans turn to as their number one. It was released in 1988 and was relatively genre-defying at the time. The combination of noise and rock is much more common today, but Sonic Youth pioneered the movement with albums like this.
CLPPNG – Clipping
Fast forward, and it’s no longer just rock, utilising noise music. Rock and noise seem like the easiest genres to draw a parallel between, given they rely heavily on exasperated sounds and distortion, but now there are hip-hop acts who also use it to get the best out of their sound.
Clipping is one of the biggest bands out there that use this technique. With music produced by Jonathan Snipes and William Hutson and vocals provided by Daveed Diggs, the trio combines real-world sounds, general hip-hop beats and noise music to create a unique listening experience.
They rely heavily on concept, releasing horror-themed records and a sci-based album, but the self-titled CLPPNG is the best example of how they incorporate noise music into their style. As soon as the opening track starts, Daveed Diggs begins rapping over a single feedback layer before the song breaks into pure noise. Given the trio’s success and how exciting they can make their music sound, this technique is starting to get used more frequently in rap music.
