Noise music

Some music uses sounds we usually do not want.

It can sound like static or machines. This music does not always have a tune. It might not even have a beat.

Long ago, people used loud noise to shame others. They would beat on pots and pans. This was called a charivari.

Later, an artist named Luigi Russolo made new tools. He built machines to make noise. He wanted to use all kinds of sounds. He even had a noise orchestra!

Today, many people still make this music. Some use computers to create it. Others use old records or tapes. It is a way to explore new sounds.

Most music has a tune or a beat. Noise music is different. It uses sounds we often call "unwanted." This can include static, hissing, or humming. It might not have a melody or a rhythm.

Long ago, people used noise to shame others. In the 1300s, groups held parades called charivari. They made loud noise by beating on pots and pans.

In the early 1900s, artists began to treat noise as art. Luigi Russolo was an Italian artist. He felt old music was too limited. He wrote a paper called "The Art of Noises." He even built machines called intonarumori to make new sounds.

Today, many people make noise music in different ways. Some use computers or electronic tools. Others use old tools like vinyl records or tapes. Some artists even build their own machines to make sound. In Japan, a scene called Japanoise became very famous. One well-known artist is Merzbow. This music is a way to explore sounds in new ways.

Noise music is a special kind of experimental music. It uses sounds that people often call unwanted. This can include things like static, hissing, or humming. Most music uses a melody, a rhythm, or a harmony. Noise music often chooses to leave those things out. It challenges the idea of what is musical and what is not. Artists use many ways to make these sounds. They might use traditional instruments in new ways. They also use computers or electronic tools to create noise. Some use live machine sounds or recordings of the real world. Some artists even build their own special machines or software. They might use old tools like vinyl records or tapes to find unique sounds.

The history of using noise is very long. In the 1300s, people in Europe and North America had a custom called charivari. This was a mock parade used to shame people. They made as much noise as possible by beating on pots and pans.

Later, composers used sounds to tell stories. In 1813, Beethoven wrote music that included sounds of muskets and cannons. In 1880, Tchaikovsky wrote real cannon fire into his music. This showed that sounds from the real world could be part of a song.

In the early 1900s, artists began to treat noise as true art. An Italian artist named Luigi Russolo was a leader here. He felt that traditional music was too limited. In 1913, he wrote a famous paper called "The Art of Noises." He believed the modern world had many new sounds to enjoy. Russolo even built his own machines called intonarumori. He used them to lead a noise orchestra. His performances were very new and sometimes caused big arguments with the audience.

Many different groups have helped noise music grow. During the 1960s and 1970s, artists like Pauline Oliveros made early noise works. In the 1980s, new machines helped people experiment even more. This led to styles like power electronics and dark ambient. In Japan, a famous scene called Japanoise emerged. Many talented artists like Merzbow and Hijokaidan became well known. These artists helped make harsh noise a popular style in the 1990s.

Noise music is all about how we hear the world. Some people think noise is just a disturbance or a mistake. In electronics, noise can look like "snow" on a TV screen. However, noise music shows that sound can have deep meaning. What sounds unpleasant to one person might be beautiful to another. It shows us that even the most random sounds can be organized into art.

Noise music is a subgenre of experimental music. It uses unwanted noise as its primary musical element. This genre often rejects conventional music theory. It frequently lacks traditional melody, rhythm, or harmony. Instead, it challenges the boundary between musical and non-musical sound. To some, noise is a disturbance or a mistake. In electronics, it can be the "snow" on a television. In computing, it is often data without meaning. However, noise music turns these qualities into an aesthetic experience.

Artists create noise through many different mechanisms. They may use traditional instruments in unconventional ways. Some use live machine sounds or non-musical vocal techniques. Many artists use processed sound recordings or field recordings. Others rely on computer-generated noise or stochastic processes. These are methods where sounds are produced randomly. Electronic signals like distortion, feedback, static, hiss, and hum are also common. Some musicians even build their own specialized recording equipment or custom software. For example, Joseph Nechvatal used C++ software to create his work.

There are many distinct types of noise music. In the late 1970s, industrial music helped create new styles. One such style is power electronics, a term coined by the English group Whitehouse. Other post-industrial styles include dark ambient, death industrial, and power noise. In Japan, the Japanoise scene emerged from the Kansai no wave movement. This scene produced influential acts like Merzbow and Hijokaidan. By the 2000s, a style called post-noise appeared in America. This style blended ambient, drone, and progressive electronic music. It was catalyzed by the group The Skaters in 2004.

The history of noise reaches back many centuries. In the 14th century, a custom called charivari existed in Europe and North America. This was a mock parade used to shame community members. Participants made as much noise as possible by beating pots and pans. This was often called "rough music."

Later, composers used real-world sounds for dramatic effect. Beethoven's Wellington's Victory from 1813 included musket and cannon sounds. Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture from 1880 used actual cannon fire. These works showed that non-musical sounds could serve a musical purpose.

Modern noise music began with the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. In 1910, Carol-Bérard composed a Symphony of Mechanical Force. This work connected music and noise years before the Futurists. In 1913, Luigi Russolo published his manifesto, The Art of Noises. He believed the industrial revolution provided new sounds to appreciate. Russolo built noise-generating devices called intonarumori. He used these to lead a noise orchestra. His 1917 performance of Gran Concerto Futuristico caused violent reactions from the audience.

Defining noise is difficult because it is often subjective. Theorist Torben Sangild provides three ways to look at it. One is a musical acoustics definition. The second is a communicative definition involving signal distortion. The third is based on subjectivity. What is noise to one person may be meaningful to another. What sounds unpleasant today might sound different tomorrow. This shows that the definition of music changes over time. Even Beethoven's Grosse Fuge from 1825 sounded like noise to his original audience.

Noise music connects to many broader ideas about sound and perception. It explores the tension between desirable sounds and incidental sounds. Cultural critic Paul Hegarty notes that John Cage's 4'33" is a key moment. This piece consists of four and a half minutes of silence. It highlights the incidental sounds that occur during that time. Noise music also connects to the study of technology. Some artists use archaic tools like vinyl records or 8-track cartridges. They find excitement in the sounds of older audio technologies.