Inspired to create noise by non noise music

Started by Cranial Blast, February 08, 2026, 11:43:01 PM

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Cranial Blast

I was curious if anyone in the PE/Noise interest or noise creation, has ever been inspired to create noise or power electronics type music, by being influenced by artists whom are complete contrasts or complete different genre of music to the genre? I consumed a shitload of THC last night. I do this every so often as a chance to break away from everyday use of alcohol. Anyways, often times I'll lay down space out and let music become this euphoric playground in my mind. I mostly in this phase listen to more electronic type of music and that can be anything from Tangerine Dream, Steve Roach to some of the most modern pop music that almost utilizes this type of Italo Disco in a modern sense without even maybe recognizing it. Anyways, I had past out last night, earbuds still in tact. I had awaken at the witching hour to a song by,which I guess one could say bubblegum French pop singer called Angéle song entitled - Mauvais rêves. I had consumed this blindly, knowing nothing about it whatsoever, but had a great sense of euphoria about it, upon first seconds in going forward, that to me personally had some weird experiences unexpectedly attached to it. I won't go into my own personal experience of this matter, but will say it was deeply profound in such state of mind, so much so that it's inspired and influenced a new tier into my own personal thinking about the world as it sits currently. I had some very profound visions of what our future looks like given the current paradigm and this was almost like a broken mirror splinter of that reality. I did not translate any of the lyrics, merely just the title of song and it translates if not to "bad dream" it feels very cathartic in a social sense that everything is changing... In my personal interpretation was one not for the best, but one that gives birth to a new era of renaissance or appreciation of art through endless struggle and defiance.

Balor/SS1535

I started playing noise because of Burzum.  I wanted to play black metal, but I didn't have drums or a bass.  As a result, I thought I would do what Varg did and play "dark ambient."  However, I didn't own a synth either---just a digital recorder.  As a result of this, I started making field recordings, editing them on a computer, and assembling them into collages.  Over time, I realized that what I was doing was much more noise than black metal!

SSRI

Interesting topic. I'll be curious to hear people's thoughts on this.

Sometimes when recording my own stuff, I might think something like how am I going to achieve similar sense of danger as Birthday Party or Big Black, or similar atmosphere as early 70s Pink Floyd but by means of noise. Just to give a couple of examples. Or constructing a track like a prog band would do. Come to think of it, I'm probably usually more inspired by non-noise than noise.

Cranial Blast

Another thing that comes to mind while thinking of this topic was from this one man black metal band documentary series I had a saw awhile back and Xasthur was one of the bands featured. He had talked about listening to a variety of different types of music artists and he had said something like black metal doesn't inspire black metal or to create black metal and I always found that interesting and somewhat relatable in the sense that one can be inspired to create one form of music, by being inspired by one completely different.

jmbto

That sounds like it's a main tenet of creativity and making art in general: coming up with new concepts and pieces that have not been done before. If you start from "I want to sound like big name of noise" to make something, and copy the approach/gear/themes, it's likely to end up in limbo with all the other forgettable, unnoteworthy stuff that used the same line of thought. On the other hand, if you come at a music genre from an angle or background foreign compared to the usual influences and ingredients, then what is obtained is much more likely to be noticed and highlighted. However, what's considered as fresh and original can and will vary from a person to another (nothing new under the sun). There is still work to be done by the spectator in finding the references and influences present in an artist. Another way of appreciating a work beyond mere nerve prodding.

Balor/SS1535

Quote from: Cranial Blast on February 09, 2026, 02:25:43 PMAnother thing that comes to mind while thinking of this topic was from this one man black metal band documentary series I had a saw awhile back and Xasthur was one of the bands featured. He had talked about listening to a variety of different types of music artists and he had said something like black metal doesn't inspire black metal or to create black metal and I always found that interesting and somewhat relatable in the sense that one can be inspired to create one form of music, by being inspired by one completely different.

I think this is an important point, and Malefic is certainly right.  So much of the Bandcamp/Reddit/online-only noise is boring because they clearly listen solely to their "inspirations," whatever they might be, which results only in a shallower, more redundant copy.  If you want your noise to contribute something new to the genre, then you have to add something new to your noise at the level of inspiration/composition.

(And I don't necessarily mean totally new either, just something that interrupts the repetition of the same.)

Greg

"You're The Only Woman" by Ambrosia and "Reminiscing" by Little River Band are one of my inspirations in creating noise.

Minus1

#7
Quote from: Greg on February 09, 2026, 07:06:16 PM"You're The Only Woman" by Ambrosia and "Reminiscing" by Little River Band are one of my inspirations in creating noise.

I get it! (I think?) 😂

(Although, I hate to admit this, but I like me some schmaltz, and Reminiscing is fucking good! Ok?)

Edit: I went to an LRB concert in 1982. 😂
Give Me CDs Or Give Me Death.

Minus1

#8
Anyway, I don't know if this is relevant to this thread or not, but for me, Noise is the final link in a long chain:

Pop music - not so poppy music - stranger pop music - jazz - stoner doom - classical - modern composition - experimental - Noise.

There were many intersections in the Venn diagram along the way.

I always wanted more! There was always something beyond what I was hearing that was pulling me towards it. What was the next step?

So, my main interests by decade might have been:

60s - Beatles.
70s - ELO.
80s - Sonic Youth.
90s - John Coltrane.
00s - John Cage.
10s - Merzbow.
20s - Vomir - maybe? Knurl?

You get the point. (Yes, I'm fucking old.)

But I think, at 14 I became a Noisehead without really knowing it: A train trestle - longass freight trains occasionally - one day in 1976 I got the courage to go under the trestle where it begins - a bank - sit 3ft below - the train sounded the horn from far away - the anticipation was unbearable - when it finally arrived it was beyond breathtaking / frightening / loud - for a few minutes! What a thrill! I did this many, many times. To this day it's one of the great thrills of my life. (Insert your joke about my life right here.) 😂
Give Me CDs Or Give Me Death.

Cranial Blast

Quote from: Minus1 on Today at 12:49:59 AMAnyway, I don't know if this is relevant to this thread or not, but for me, Noise is the final link in a long chain:

Pop music - not so poppy music - stranger pop music - jazz - stoner doom - classical - modern composition - experimental - Noise.

There were many intersections in the Venn diagram along the way.

I always wanted more! There was always something beyond what I was hearing that was pulling me towards it. What was the next step?

So, my main interests by decade might have been:

60s - Beatles.
70s - ELO.
80s - Sonic Youth.
90s - John Coltrane.
00s - John Cage.
10s - Merzbow.
20s - Vomir - maybe? Knurl?

You get the point. (Yes, I'm fucking old.)

But I think, at 14 I became a Noisehead without really knowing it: A train trestle - longass freight trains occasionally - one day in 1976 I got the courage to go under the trestle where it begins - a bank - sit 3ft below - the train sounded the horn from far away - the anticipation was unbearable - when it finally arrived it was beyond breathtaking / frightening / loud - for a few minutes! What a thrill! I did this many, many times. To this day it's one of the great thrills of my life. (Insert your joke about my life right here.) 😂

I think everyone on this forum can kind of somewhat relate to exactly what you're saying. It's almost like noise chose us, rather than we chose noise in a sense. I kind know what you mean if you build a venn diagram for instance, my earliest memories to "noise" was a fascination to weird toys that made weird sounds and noise. Perhaps some in the US remember when the Ghostbusters movie was coming to theaters! In the US we had a fast food joint called Hardee's and on the westcoast it was Carl's Jr. Anyways, they were selling these weird keychain like things for hype of the film and this weird little device gave off these weird Halloween type sounds, you know the classic buzzing, chirping shit. I have a very fond memory of being in that drivethru with my dad and getting this shit at a very young age, I couldn't of been more than like 5 or 6. I do remember seeing on the news the Hardee's toy had been pulled, because of kid's swallowing and choking on those little round flat batteries found inside. It's crazy I can even remember this, considering I can't remember anything from last week...haha. I think post above makes great sense, mentioned Sonic Youth, perhaps to some Swans as well, but building towards something at the end even more dense that one could imagine was out there. It's kind of been the same experience for me, but I think metal lead me to noise more so than any other type of music. I can't remember the year death/black band Portal had come out with their album Outre, I want to say 05, 06? Anyways that was such a weird and out of place album for the genre by and large. I could never quite put my finger on what I liked about it musically, but it always felt different and resonated and felt like a tier level to something different sounding and from there would come Ride For Revenge and RFR seem to be such a great crossover, cause it allows one to be more daring to find stuff outside of extreme metal a lot more openly and the rest is history. What's even more interesting is in my own "venn diagram" I may have already been in tune with noise, but never fully was able to appreciate it until further examination as well. I think a lot of people might not get to the point right away, but seems like destiny catches up with us in the end if it's something ment to stick with us.