Noise at its finest
Dale Maplethorpe
14:56 9th February 2023

More about:

The history behind noise is interesting. An inaccessible form of music was made in order to represent chaos and inaccessibility, a reflection of the world but in a means which was entirely sonic and open to interpretation. Now, it takes the form of a non-academic version of what was once academic. Something that was inaccessible has been listened to and studied so that artists these days have a taste in it, meaning it can be used to convey emotion better than ever before and incorporated into other genres.

This is reflected well in the new banger of a single from Belfast post-punk/electronic trio Chalk, ‘Static’. The song is a drone-like tune, with vocals which range from a monotone I don’t care to screams. The track incorporates guitar, electronic music and noise in a way which can convey anger and frustration that other genres of music would struggled with.

“We wanted to explore the feeling of not knowing your place in the world,” said Ross Cullen from the band, “living without order and regime, following instructions, but then subverting from the social norms and gaining control. Creating a path for yourself, confronting the uncertainty and risks.”

The aggression conveyed in the chorus is unlike anything heard so far in 2023. The lyrics of “searching for something to do, just to keep myself right,” is accompanied by a bang and a kick that sounds like you’re trapped inside a dying heart refusing to believe this beat is its last. It’s a sonic trip for anybody who wants something outside of what they might hear usually and some welcome variation to the first quarter of this year.

Be sure to check our Chalk’s new single ‘Static’ now

 

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about:


Photo: Press