Modular Noise
Located in 1 route
Modular Noise is electronic noise and experimental composition made from modular synthesizers: patch cables, oscillators, feedback, random voltage, filters, sequencers, wavefolders, and unstable live routing. It can be beautiful, brutal, precise, or chaotic. The appeal is that the sound feels physically built in real time, with voltage behavior shaping the performance.
History
The roots include Buchla and Moog-era experimentation, Morton Subotnick's early voltage-controlled works, Suzanne Ciani's Buchla practice, and later Eurorack performance culture. Morton Subotnick, Suzanne Ciani, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Caterina Barbieri, Alessandro Cortini, Richard Devine, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Ben Vida, Russell Haswell, Container, Blush Response, Sarah Davachi, Hainbach, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, and M. Geddes Gengras represent different ways modular systems became noise, drone, composition, or club-adjacent sound design.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- Silver Apples of the Moon, Part A(1967) — Morton SubotnickSpotifyYouTube
- Closed Circuit(2016) — Suzanne Ciani & Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithSpotifyYouTube
- An Intention(2016) — Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithSpotifyYouTube
- Fantas(2019) — Caterina BarbieriSpotifyYouTube
- Scappa(2017) — Alessandro CortiniSpotifyYouTube
- TiMetrics(2001) — Richard DevineSpotifyYouTube
Show 6 more
- Generators(2002) — Keith Fullerton WhitmanSpotifyYouTube
- Slipping Control(2011) — Ben VidaSpotifyYouTube
- Provincial Disturbance(2011) — ContainerSpotifyYouTube
- You Will Cry Out in Grief(2017) — Blush ResponseSpotifyYouTube
- For Voice(2017) — Sarah DavachiSpotifyYouTube
- The Evening Hopefuls(2012) — Robert Aiki Aubrey LoweSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- Pitchfork modular synthesis reviews
- The Quietus Sunergy coverage
- Ghostly Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith profile
- modular-synth and Buchla revival interviews
- contemporary Eurorack/noise label catalogs