View source for Power noise

{{Short description|Genre of industrial music}}
{{Confused|Noise (electronics)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Power noise
| other_names       = Rhythmic noise, rhythm 'n' noise
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Industrial music|Industrial]]|[[noise music|noise]]|[[Japanoise]]|[[electro-industrial]]|[[hardcore techno]]|[[gabber]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Mid-1990s; Germany, Belgium and United Kingdom
| fusiongenres      = 
| derivatives       = {{hlist|Technoid|industrial hardcore|[[industrial techno]]|terrorcore|noisecore}}
| regional_scenes   = {{hlist|[[Europe]]|[[United States]]|[[Australia]]}}
| other_topics      = {{hlist|[[Power electronics (music)|Power electronics]]}}
}}

'''Power noise''' (also known as '''rhythmic noise''', '''rhythm 'n' noise''', and occasionally as '''distorted beat music''') is a form of [[industrial music]] and a fusion of [[noise music]] and various styles of [[electronic dance music]]. It should not be confused with "[[Power electronics (music)|power electronics]]", which is not influenced by electronic dance music  and is closer to [[harsh noise]].<ref>Emily Benjamin, "Whitehouse Asceticists Susan Lawly". ''The Johns Hopkins News-Letter''. 14 February 2006. {{cite web |url=http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/paper932/news/2006/03/31/Arts/Whitehouse.Asceticists.Susan.Lawly-2242044.shtml |title=Whitehouse Asceticists Susan Lawly – Arts |access-date=15 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090405170858/http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/paper932/news/2006/03/31/Arts/Whitehouse.Asceticists.Susan.Lawly-2242044.shtml |archive-date=5 April 2009 }} Access date: 8 August 2008.</ref> Its origins are predominantly European.

== History ==

=== 1990s ===
Power noise takes inspiration from Spanish [[industrial music|industrial]] act [[Esplendor Geometrico]], active since 1980, and other artists such as Le Syndicat, active since 1982.<ref name="hymen">Hymen Records, Converter, Coma record description. [http://www.hymen-records.com/vinylium/y014/y014.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111040126/http://www.hymen-records.com/vinylium/y014/y014.html|date=11 November 2007}}. Access date: 8 August 2008.</ref> The Belgian group [[Dive (Belgian band)|Dive]] also anticipated the style in the early '90s along with a number of releases on the harder or harsher end of the techno spectrum such as several early vinyl EP releases by [[Aphex Twin]].<ref name=hymen /><ref>Nancy Kilpatrick, ''The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined'', New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2004, chapter 5, "Music of the Macabre," p. 87.</ref> The term "power noise" was coined by Raoul Roucka of [[Noisex]] in 1997, with the track "United (Power Noise Movement)".<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/release/127104 Noisex, ''Over and Out'', ''Discogs'']</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Vlad McNeally|title=Review of Noisex|work=ReGen Magazine|date=29 November 2007|url=http://www.regenmag.com/Reviews-1193-Noisex-Brain-on-Rotation.html}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The genre was exposed to the U.S. industrial scene by the [[electro-industrial]] act [[Wumpscut]], who signed [[Noisex]] to the label Mental Ulcer Forges.

The first power noise artists were mostly German. In addition to Noisex, these included [[Asche (band)|Asche]], [[Morgenstern (band)|Morgenstern]], P·A·L, Synapscape, and [[Feindflug]]. The Belgians Axiome, Hypnoskull, Imminent, Ah Cama-Sotz, [[Sonar (band)|Sonar]], and This Morn' Omina, also developed the genre. [[Snog (band)|Black Lung]], an Australian, and [[Orphx]], Canadians, were also active in the style at this time. [[Japanoise]] musicians, such as [[Merzbow]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Ed Howard|title=Review of Merzbeat|work=Stylus Magazine|date=1 September 2003|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/merzbow/merzbeat.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510114237/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/merzbow/merzbeat.htm|archive-date=10 May 2012}}.</ref> [[Aube (band)|Aube]], and Contagious Orgasm,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ant-zen.com/act/act211.htm |title=Ant-Zen, ''Ripple'' |access-date=8 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626072049/http://www.ant-zen.com/act/act211.htm |archive-date=26 June 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> have also made use of prominent rhythms.

=== 2000s–2010s ===
Notable power noise artists who emerged in the 21st century include Iszoloscope, Antigen Shift, Prospero, Drillbit, [[Tarmvred]], [[Converter (music)|Converter]], [[Terrorfakt]], [[Alter Der Ruine]], Panzer Division, C/A/T, Dreamcrusher, [[Death Spells]], and [[Xotox]].

== Characteristics ==
Typically, power noise is instrumental, based upon a distorted kick drum from a drum machine such as a [[Roland TR-909]], and often uses militaristic 4/4 beats. Sometimes a melodic component is added, but this is usually secondary to the rhythm. Power noise tracks are typically structured and danceable, but are occasionally abstract. This genre was showcased at the annual [[Maschinenfest]] festival in [[Oberhausen]], Germany, as well as [[Kinetik Festival]] in [[Montreal]], Canada.

Some groups, such as [[Combichrist]]<ref>[http://www.metropolis-records.com/artists/?artist=combi Metropolis Records, Combichrist Bio]</ref> and [[Dulce Liquido]], practice power noise along with [[aggrotech]]. Others, such as [[Tarmvred]], meld the style with [[breakcore]].<ref name="tarmvred">Mark Teppo, interview with Tarmvred, ''Ear Pollution''. [http://www.earpollution.com/v2/vol5/interviews/tarmvred/index.html] Access date: 8 August 2008.</ref> Others still, merge elements of IDM, such as Endif.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ENDIF.ORG |url=http://www.endif.org |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=ENDIF.ORG |language=en}}</ref>

There has often been very similar sounds coming from the techno scene which at times has been embraced by those into rhythmic noise such as the late 1990s/2000 era [[Speedy J]], or releases on labels like Uncivilized World.

In the current decade, there has been a resurgence of the harder, harsher and more experimental sounds in techno which crosses over a lot with the sounds of rhythmic noise although this is usually just known as industrial techno, instead of rhythmic noise or power noise, because these two scenes are often unaware of each other. For example, the artist Ancient Methods (one of the artists responsible for the resurgence of industrial techno), sampled P·A·L's track Gelöbnis on one of his first releases and has also later released music on Hands Productions which is one of the first labels that started pushing the rhythmic noise style back in the 90s.

There has also been and continues to be crossover within other sounds and scenes such as the breakcore and IDM scenes.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Industrial music-footer}}
{{Hardcore dance music-footer}}
{{Electronica}}
{{Techno}}
[[Category:Industrial music]]
[[Category:Noise music]]