Post-noise emerged when noise artists infused kosmische, ambient, and new age into the noise aesthetic

Post-noise is a 2000s genre and scene that blended the noise aesthetic with kosmische Musik, progressive electronic, ambient, drone, and new age music. The Brooklyn noise scene catalyzed it, with The Skaters (James Ferraro and Spencer Clark, 2004) credited by Simon Reynolds with sparking an ‘international post-noise network.’ Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) described post-noise as a move away from ‘macho’ noise music toward more meditative, cosmic sounds. Associated artists — Oneohtrix Point Never, Emeralds, Yellow Swans, Laurel Halo — had previously been ‘outcasts among outcasts’ for introducing ’70s cosmic trance and ’80s new age into noise. The style seeded vaporwave, hypnagogic pop, and neo-kosmische.

Examples

Oneohtrix Point Never’s early drone/ambient-noise releases; Emeralds’ synthesizer works; Yellow Swans blending noise with psychedelia. These artists influenced vaporwave, nu-new age, and glo-fi aesthetics.

Assessment

What musical elements distinguish post-noise from the noise it departed from? Why were post-noise artists initially considered ‘outcasts’ within the noise scene?