Noise

Noise on vinyl: noise as a sound colour

In short: Noise turns noise, distortion and feedback into musical material. The idea goes back to Luigi Russolo, who proclaimed “the art of noises” in 1913; from the seventies and eighties Japanese musicians such as Keiji Haino and Merzbow shaped the field, while bands such as Sonic Youth explored noise within rock. The Vinyl Room currently has 17 noise records.

What is noise?

Loud and slow at once: Low are represented with “Hey What”, where distorted layers of sound envelop the songs; under this style tag we also have “The White Birch” by Codeine, a band usually counted as slowcore. Keiji Haino is here together with the band Sumac.

From electronics: Anbb – Alva Noto and Blixa Bargeld – with “Mimikry”, The Caretaker with two parts of “Everywhere At The End Of Time” and Bourbonese Qualk.

What to look for

Many noise records came out on small labels and some were reissued; label, catalogue number and year of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

→ Experimental · Industrial · Drone · Rock on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is noise? Music that uses noise, distortion and feedback as sound material.

Who is seen as a forerunner? Luigi Russolo with his 1913 manifesto “L’arte dei rumori” (“The Art of Noises”).

What is noise rock? Rock in which distortion and noise take centre stage, as with Sonic Youth.

Which noise records do you have? Here, for example, Low’s “Hey What” and Codeine’s “The White Birch”.