Noise artists build custom and circuit-bent instruments to produce sounds unavailable from conventional tools

A significant tradition within noise music involves building custom noise-generating devices rather than using commercial instruments. Russolo constructed the intonarumori in 1913. Contemporary noise artists build their own devices, specialized recording equipment, and custom software. Circuit bending — the creative short-circuiting of electronic consumer devices like toys and cheap keyboards — generates unpredictable noise artifacts unavailable from conventional synthesizers. This DIY ethos democratizes sound creation and aligns with the noise music principle that incorrect or broken sound is valid material. The practice parallels the 1980s cassette underground’s self-distribution ethic of working outside mainstream industry channels.

Examples

Russolo’s intonarumori (1913); Cage’s Cartridge Music (1960) with foreign objects replacing the stylus; Joseph Nechvatal’s C++ software for viral symphOny; the cassette underground’s home-recording. Circuit bending toys to create unexpected noise outputs.

Assessment

Why does DIY instrument building align with noise music’s aesthetic principles? Name two historical examples where custom instruments or equipment modifications were central to a noise work.