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.
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Masterpieces of noise music: From industrial to Japanoise (1–10)
Genetic TransmissionSPK
Among the pivotal groups in noise and industrial music is SPK, formed in Sydney, Australia.
I’ll leave the details of their formation to your own research, but unlike other bands and artists who merely affected a pose of “madness,” SPK’s music came from people who were the real deal, and it shocked underground music devotees around the world.
Their second album, Leichenschrei, released in 1981, is often hailed as their masterpiece, and it’s also especially valuable as the last recording to feature one of the founding members who had been absent at the time of the debut but participated here before passing away.
SPK continued after this release, eventually steering into a more accessible, pop-leaning electronic direction as a male–female duo.
But the grotesque, ritualistic atmosphere pervading this album—the inorganic clang of metal percussion, the surging noise, the occasional insertion of unadorned human voices—coalesces into something that barrels toward you: sheer madness, plain and simple.
At the same time, it isn’t as though it fails to cohere as music; on the contrary, it boasts a high level of completion as noise and avant-garde music—an extremely important point.
That said, it carries such a nightmarish side effect that it can genuinely unsettle the listener’s psyche, so make sure you’re in the right condition before you face it.
Tanz DebilEinstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten, the titans of industrial and noise music and a source of pride for Germany’s experimental scene.
Since their start in 1980, they’ve remained charismatic icons, with fans across genres—famously including Henry Rollins, the Black Flag frontman, who has the band’s emblematic “one-eyed man” tattooed on his left shoulder.
The album introduced here, Kollaps, is the band’s landmark debut, released in 1981.
Its Japanese title, “Hōkai” (Collapse), says it all—ferociously punk, destructive, and impossibly cool, a true classic.
Blixa Bargeld’s vocals—like negativity given raw form, yet imbued with a singular intellect—howl with despair, while chaotic metallic clatter and noise from metal percussion and homemade instruments fuse into an onslaught that remains shocking and exhilarating even in the 2020s.
As the band’s releases grew more refined, they remained compelling, but the reckless, unbridled experimental spirit of youth—laid bare here—is something only this record delivers.
PersuasionThrobbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle, the UK-born founders and originators of industrial music, created sounds born from an approach completely different from the typical rock-band format, and through their cynical yet reckless, anti-commercial art activities, influenced cutting-edge musicians around the world.
They are indispensable when discussing the histories of noise and electronic music, and it’s impossible to capture their entirety in a brief text—nor is it enough to listen to just one album.
That said, this piece will focus specifically on their third album, released in 1979 and widely hailed as a masterpiece: 20 Jazz Funk Greats.
The jacket, featuring a portrait of young men and a beautiful woman standing on a cliff surrounded by flowers and greenery, and the almost simplistic title are actually a parody of the greatest-hits compilations common in commercial pop—and the location used in the photo also has a notorious backstory.
The electronic music on this record, with its eerie yet ineffable charm woven from synths, drum machines, noise, and deadpan vocals, is far from what one would call ordinary popular music; however, listeners who love techno or post-rock with a sonic/experimental bent may find it surprisingly approachable.
If you’re curious about the shadow history of British music, start with this one and take your first step.
Part 1MERZBOW
The moment you press play on this work, if you’ve never encountered noise music or avant‑garde music, you’ll quite literally feel like what you’re hearing is just “noise.” This is Noisembryo, a classic released in 1994 by Merzbow—the solo project of Masami Akita, Japan’s world‑renowned noise musician—which earned high praise from noise aficionados around the globe.
There are none of the usual elements that make music “music,” such as melody, harmony, or rhythm; instead, for nearly 60 minutes, you’re relentlessly assaulted by a mass of sound known as harsh noise, created through extreme sonic distortion—a truly ferocious record.
It is violence in the form of noise, a perfect showcase of the King of Japanoise’s prowess, though most people will likely refuse to recognize Merzbow’s work as music at all.
Masami Akita graduated from Tamagawa University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of Arts, and, while influenced by Dada and Surrealism, he is also deeply versed in what’s called “scum culture.” He is known as a strict vegan and a prolific author, making him a polymathic artist.
What’s more, he originally loved rock and performed improvisation as a drummer.
With that unique background and personality in mind, why not take the plunge into the overwhelming flood of noise that Merzbow creates?
Mr. Self DestructNine Inch Nails
It might be misleading to categorize Nine Inch Nails as a seminal noise-music act, but I still think they’re an artist we should address—meaning that industrial music is an indispensable element in shaping Trent Reznor, the genius the ’90s produced.
In recent years he’s released many acclaimed film scores, and his main project, Nine Inch Nails, put out their second album, The Downward Spiral, in 1994—a masterpiece among masterpieces that sold over four million copies worldwide and is known as their definitive work.
Industrial sounds powered by violently distorted guitars, obsessive electronic noise and digital beats, sudden silences and beautiful piano tones, raw screams of impulse and melodies that squeeze your chest… Many would agree it’s an artistic work that fully showcases Trent’s genius.
That said, if you go in expecting conventional rock, you may find it far too noisy; conversely, if you expect underground noise, you might find it too melodic.
In any case, this album reminds us anew of both the darkness and the rich cultural depth of the ’90s—a time when a record this bleak could sell like crazy.
TreblinkaM.B.
Maurizio Bianchi, the master of experimental music born in Italy, released Symphony For A Genocide under the name M.B.
in 1981, a work that is treated almost like a sacred text in the history of industrial and noise music.
With all track titles quoting Nazi concentration camps and cover art using photographs of atrocities committed there, the work’s darkness—its bleak, even apocalyptic atmosphere—is so intense that it can feel uncanny, and even listeners accustomed to noise music may find it physically unsettling depending on their condition.
While I called it an important work in noise music at the outset, opinions on where it ranks within Bianchi’s own discography seem divided: some consider it a masterpiece, others not so much.
Built from repeating electronic tones and noise over a cheap rhythm box, along with collage techniques, the sound is, to repeat, dark and hopeless—introspective to the point that one wonders what lies at the end of noise, with not a single ray of light in sight.
Given the conceptual message embedded in this work, perhaps the word “beauty” should not be applied to this noise; and yet, there are likely listeners who perceive a certain beauty at the far end of those recurring electronic tones.
In any case, there’s no doubt that the title is no exaggeration: this is truly a symphony generated by noise.
NeuridrinaEsplendor Geométrico
Esplendor Geométrico, the industrial music group representing Spain, was formed in 1980.
Their distinctive name is taken from the essay Geometric and Mechanical Splendor and the Numerical Sensibility by the Italian Futurist poet F.
T.
Marinetti.
Characterized by a sound that employs raw harsh noise and the machine beats typical of industrial music, they remain very much active in the 2020s, exerting a major influence not only on noise music but also on cutting-edge electronic musicians.
The work introduced here is EG-1, released in 1981, at a time when their once hard-to-find releases have been steadily reissued and reevaluated.
The original came out on cassette tape and was reissued on vinyl in 2021 to mark its 40th anniversary.
Its ferocious noise and relentlessly repetitive, minimal, and cold machine beats lay out the fundamentals of industrial, and you can’t miss the elements that arguably proto-type techno music as well.
It’s a must-hear album for understanding the historical fact that a unique strain of noise—developed differently from British industrial—was taking shape in Italy!