The buzz in the Athens music scene keeps getting louder as noise pours out from student houses and uptown venues.
Noise, which can be anything from electronic distortion and screaming to the gentle hum of feedback, is an experimental genre aimed at pushing the boundaries of what can be called music. It has taken off in the Midwest in the past five years, especially with the younger population of Athens, said Aaron Vilk, a sophomore studying journalism who performs noise music.
Some local artists, such as Leslie Keffer, have released albums on national labels, while many others continue to play around Athens because the city's venues provide an outlet for experimentation.
The popularity has really been based on who has a big enough house to host a show every weekend
Vilk said.
Local organizations like The Action Committee consistently book alternative music performances. Area houses like the Bruce Manor and the Beaver Ranch also provide space for noise shows. ARTS/West holds a noise and experimental music concert on the last Sunday of every month.
Still, not every venue has been ideal.
I played at the Front Room once and they thought I was trying to fix my equipment for fifteen minutes Vilk said.
Coming from an area with little musical experimentation, Vilk said it was the tight-knit scene of Athens that introduced him to the music his freshman year. He has since recorded five full-length albums with his project Nyodene D and is currently on a sixth entitled True Appalachian Black Noise.
One of the biggest attractions to noise is its live performance, where shows can move from an introspective improvisation session to a crazed frenzy. The variety of each noise act can be as diverse as the people who perform.
Bobb Hatt, a junior studying physics who has been making noise music for close to three years, said his shows might end in him stripping down, covered in body paint, and jumping out into the crowd.
Hatt uses a saxophone in his performances, often played into a metal pot and run through effects pedals. He used to play bass in a classic rock band but first started experimenting with noise while tinkering with the tone of his guitar.
His new project, Metal Flesh from Bangladesh, distorts and modifies the sound of pre-existing songs.
I think Athens likes noise because it's generally a creative population that likes new ideas Hatt said. It's in some ways a natural progression of music.
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Junior Bobb Hatt performs noise music with his band, Metal Flesh From Bangladesh, during a house concert on Friday. The band experiments by changing the sound of existing songs.
