A landmark album of noise music: from industrial to Japanoise.
Noise music, born from the free imagination of artists who sometimes ignore conventional musical composition and sound design, employing not only pure instruments but also samples of metallic objects and sounds from the natural world—indeed, every method imaginable—is, quite literally, so unmusical that it can make listeners uncomfortable.
In this article, we will focus on landmark albums by representative bands of the genre known as industrial music—indispensable when discussing noise music—while also introducing works by Japanese artists who are highly acclaimed worldwide under the banner of Japanoise.
Take this opportunity to experience the unique sensations that can only be found within the realm of noise.
- A dark psy classic | Enter the world of dark and eerie psychedelia...
- Disgusting music. A classic of Japanese pop/rock.
- [Chaotic Electronic Music] A Collection of Classic Drill ’n’ Bass Tracks
- From Japan! Technopop masterpieces and recommended popular tracks
- What does the “a.k.a.” you often see in artist names mean?
- [2026] Beautiful Electronica: Recommended Masterpieces and Popular Tracks
- What is Artcore? | Introducing Famous and Classic Artcore Tracks!
- [Impressionist Music] A Selection of Classical Works That Evoke the Japanese Spirit
- Dance music recommended by dancers for people in their 20s: A collection of popular tracks
- What is minimal techno? We explain the appeal of music born from soothing repetition.
- Aggressive dance music. A masterpiece of hardcore techno.
- [Gets you grooving] Upbeat Japanese songs. Tracks that make you feel happy.
- Today's Jazz: Tunes for today! A selection of timeless classics and contemporary jazz
Masterpieces of Noise Music: From Industrial to Japanoise (11–20)
Total SexWhitehouse
Calling themselves “the most extreme and cold music ever to exist,” Whitehouse etched their name into noise history with their debut album Birthdeath Experience, a raging storm of violent, cutting-edge synth-driven noise befitting that claim.
Formed in the UK in 1980 around vocalist and synthesist William Bennett, they are often cited as the originators of power electronics and are regarded as indispensable in the history of industrial and noise music.
Their second album, Total Sex—released a mere two months after their debut—features a cover emblazoned with English text quoting the Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, and its sound is a relentless barrage of synth-generated noise that radically departs from conventional musical formats, with processed vocals delivering agitated tirades.
It is, unmistakably, a work that turns away general listeners.
To borrow the words of Tamotsu Mochida, author of the essential classic INDUSTRIAL MUSIC FOR INDUSTRIAL PEOPLE!!! for anyone interested in noise music, this is a “sinister, accursed masterpiece” by the very group that forged the image of “noise music = antisocial”—an experience one should have at least once.
Endless SummerFennesz
Christian Fennesz—who has also worked on collaborations with Ryuichi Sakamoto—is a singular figure in the realms of electronic music, sound art, and electronica since the 2000s.
When it comes to Fennesz, best known for his work under the name Fennesz, you can’t overlook his 2000 masterpiece album Endless Summer.
Its folk-tinged electronica, so exquisitely beautiful that it conjures nostalgic scenes suggested by the title, has influenced countless artists and became a timeless, epoch-making work that helped spearhead the melodically rich electronica and folktronica that surged in the 2000s.
At the same time, Endless Summer isn’t merely electronica with beautiful melodies; it was released by the esteemed Austrian label Mego, known for putting out many classic records of experimental and cutting-edge electronic music.
Because it incorporates elements like scattered glitch noise, you’ll sometimes find it placed in the noise/avant-garde section of record shops.
It’s worth recognizing that albums like this one exist as an evolved form of noise music in the broad sense.
SoqlueitMASONNA
Alongside Hijokaidan and Merzbow, Masonna is one of the quintessential figures of “Japanoise,” and the solo unit of Kyoto musician Maso Yamazaki, famed for his ruinously intense live performances.
His relentless commitment to pushing expression to the extreme in every aspect has earned high acclaim worldwide, but his performances were so ferocious that Yamazaki’s health suffered, leading to a period of inactivity for Masonna.
The 2012 release that was meant to commemorate his 25th anniversary, EVIL BLACK DISC, notoriously stalled due to his insistence on an uncompromisingly savage sound, and only saw the light of day in 2016—an episode as striking as the music itself.
The album introduced here, MASONNA VS.
BANANAMARA, is Masonna’s 1989 debut and a landmark work of Japanoise that Japan proudly presents to the world.
Recorded entirely in mono with no overdubs, it’s a primitive mass of sound in which indescribable noise and blood-curdling screams strike one after another; to anyone unfamiliar with this realm, it will likely register as nothing but cacophony.
At the same time, considering its influence not only among underground noise devotees but also on leading alternative rock musicians like Sonic Youth and Beck, fans of alternative music might do well to experience this noise at least once.
HeadhunterFront 242
The music genre known as Electronic Body Music—also abbreviated as EBM—emerged in the late 1980s, with the term itself proposed and defined by the Belgian group Front 242.
Its musical roots trace back to the early ’80s and span a wide range, including early industrial music, post-punk, and the so-called German new wave, and it’s often broadly described as a kind of muscular, physical dance music.
Big names like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails also pushed EBM elements prominently in their early sound.
In that sense, Front 242—the pioneers who influenced many artists—released Front by Front in 1988, a landmark EBM album that is also regarded as a masterpiece of industrial music.
Featuring the club hit Headhunter, the album interweaves an onslaught of aggressive, innovative underground-informed synths with electro beats and affinities to contemporary electropop like Depeche Mode, making it an indispensable milestone in the history of electronic music of that era.
It also stands as a crucial work in the evolution of dance music derived from noise and industrial music.
The Boys Are Leaving TownJapandroids
Japandroids is a Canadian band formed in 2006 by Brian King and David Prowse.
“The Boys Are Leaving Town” is included on their 2009 album “Post-Nothing.”
Clothes HoistFoetus
A genius born from the underground music scene of the 1980s, JG Thirlwell is an Australia-born artist who has continued to release intense works under multiple aliases, effortlessly leaping beyond genre boundaries.
His musicality can’t be summed up in a single phrase, yet he has influenced musicians who achieved commercial success with industrial sounds—like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails—and he has handled numerous remixes of other artists’ work, making him the very definition of a musician’s musician.
Hole, released in 1984 under the name Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel, was a breakthrough album for him.
From violent industrial metal to venomous, cabaret-like sounds, to jazz and hip-hop, to a storm of chaotic sampling—the record is a junky, noisy frenzy that feels like Thirlwell crammed in everything he wanted to do.
Including the cover art, reminiscent of Russian Constructivism, the forward-looking musical sensibility and overwhelming intensity are nothing short of shocking, especially considering it came out in 1984.
Feel that indescribable, reckless power with your whole body!
A masterpiece list of noise music: From industrial to Japanoise (21–30)
Spotted Pinto BeanThe Residents
The Residents are an American music group that began activity in the early 1970s and are known for keeping their real faces and names a secret.
“Spotted Pinto Bean” is a track from the album “Meet The Residents,” released in 1974.