How to Write Harsh Noise [Fr] Songs

You want to make something that rattles the bones and refuses to be background music. Harsh noise is an art practice that uses extreme textures, saturation, feedback, and sculpted chaos to create visceral impact. This guide gives you a working map to write harsh noise songs that feel intentional, dangerous in a good way, and honest to your vision. Expect practical gear notes, creative prompts, mixing tactics, live performance tips, scene etiquette, safety reminders, and writing exercises you can use tonight.

This guide is written for humans who are curious, impatient, and allergic to polite indie restraint. You do not need a conservatory degree to be good at this. You need curiosity, stubbornness, and a little care for your ears and the ears of the people around you.

What Is Harsh Noise

Harsh noise is a branch of noise music that embraces high intensity, dense timbre, and often sustained feedback or extreme distortion. Harsh noise songs tend to aim for total sound immersion rather than conventional melody or rhythm. The goal can be catharsis, confrontation, ritual, or textural exploration. There are multiple sub traditions inside harsh noise and some scenes use tags in square brackets to add context. For example the tag [Fr] can mean different things depending on context. It often signals an origin such as France. In other contexts it can mean freeform, or be part of a cataloging practice. If you are releasing a track tag it carefully so listeners know what to expect.

Scene Terms and Acronyms Explained

We will use a bunch of short words and letters. Here are the most common ones with plain English definitions.

• DAW stands for digital audio workstation. This is the software you use to record and edit audio. Examples are Ableton Live, Reaper, and Logic.
• FX means effects. That is anything that changes sound such as distortion, delay, reverb, bit crushing, or pitch shifting.
• LFO is low frequency oscillator. It is a control signal that moves parameters slowly to create modulation.
• Preamp is the device that boosts a small signal from a microphone or instrument to a level you can record. Good preamps can add character.
• DI means direct input. It is the signal from an instrument that goes straight into an interface without a mic.
• Feedback is a loop where sound from a speaker is picked up by a microphone or input and re amplified. In noise music feedback is a tool for texture and unpredictability.
• FX chain is a series of effects in order. The order matters. Distortion before delay sounds different from delay before distortion.

Philosophy Before Gear

Start with a statement. What is the point of your piece. Are you making a sonic wall that overwhelms the body. Are you building a fragile ecosystem of crackle and hiss that collapses at the end. Are you exploring political rage through sound. Your writing process becomes easier when you know the intent. Do not over explain the intent in the music. Use the intent as a compass. Intent examples that actually mean something in practice include these.

• Make a single continuous texture that evolves slowly for ten minutes.
• Create three distinct movements that move from low rumble to piercing grind to soft collapse.
• Write a five minute piece that starts as silence and ends as maximum level across the board.

Pick one intent and stick with it for the first three pieces you make. This creates discipline and helps you find your signature without chasing novelty every track.

Basic Tools You Need

You can make harsh noise with a smartphone and a cheap mic. You can also build weird racks and desktop rigs that cost more than your rent. Both paths are valid. Start with what is available and upgrade intentionally.

Minimum viable setup

• A computer or laptop with a DAW. Reaper has a low cost option and is resource friendly.
• An audio interface with at least one input and one output.
• A reliable pair of headphones that can handle low frequencies and high volume. Do not rely on earbuds for mixing loud material.
• A microphone. Any dynamic microphone will work for feedback hunting and for capturing amp sound and objects.
• A way to create distortion. This can be a guitar pedal, a plug in in your DAW, or a cheap mixer with dirty preamps.

Nice to have

• Analog synth or modular noise modules to generate raw complex textures.
• Hardware pedals that distort, bit crush, ring modulate, or frequency shift.
• A small mixer with send returns for creating internal feedback loops.
• Contact microphones and piezo pickups for capturing objects and surfaces.
• Guitar amps or PA speakers for live feedback setups.

Real life scenario. You are in a bedroom and you have a laptop, a cheap interface, a Behringer guitar pedal and a cheap mic. That is more than enough to make an effective track. Use the pedal on your output to reamp signals from the DAW into the pedal then back into the interface. Create feedback using the mic and a speaker placed deliberately. Record, then edit. You will be surprised how terrifying you can sound with cheap tools and commitment.

Sound Sources for Harsh Noise

Noise is a collage of sound sources. The point is to sculpt texture and tension. Here are sources that appear often and how to use them.

• Static and hiss. Capture from old radios, cheap samplers, or create with noise generators. Use as a bed layer to add air and grit.
• Feedback. Microphone to speaker loops provide living textures that change with movement. Control with mic placement and speaker position.
• Distorted instruments. Run guitars, cellos, or synths through heavy distortion and pitch shift. The original note can be irrelevant. Focus on texture.
• Circuit bent toys. Cheap electronics with altered circuits create unpredictable tones. They are excellent for unique timbres.
• Field recordings. Hammers, traffic, construction, subway hum. Record with a contact mic to get mechanical resonance.
• Sine waves and sub tones. Low frequency tones can make people feel ill in a purposeful way. Use with caution and safety.
• Digital artifacts. Glitch, buffer underrun, bit crush. Reasonable abuse of plugins and low sample rate resampling can produce interesting textures.

Techniques for Creating Texture

Texture comes from layering and movement. Harsh noise is not just one long loud thing. The greatest pieces have micro dynamics and evolving focus points.

Layering

Build a bed of low frequency rumble under a mid range grind and a top layer of high frequency metallic squeal. Think of a pizza with three toppings that do not fight. Each layer should have space in frequency or rhythm so the ear can latch onto changes.

Automation

Use automation to move filters, distortion drive, and levels. A slow filter sweep can turn a wall of sound into something with a spine. Use random modulation in small amounts to keep the texture lively.

Serial processing

Experiment with order. Run delay into distortion and then into frequency shifting for smeared harmonics. Try distortion into delay then into reverb for wet saturated smears. Each order creates distinct results. Document the chain so you can repeat the magic.

Physical movement

Move a contact mic across a surface. Move a microphone closer to a speaker cone. Move a finger along a metal object. Live motion becomes compositional detail. Record multiple passes and comp the best moments.

Compositional Approaches

You can make a harsh noise song with a few compositional frameworks. Choose the one that fits your intent and scale it.

Single wall

Create a single dense texture that evolves gradually. Think of a massive drone that shifts in color. This approach is great for ritual and endurance pieces.

Three movement arc

Make a piece with three distinct parts. Start with a low rumble. Move to aggressive mid range attack. Finish with a high frequency collapse or sudden silence. This is a classic dramatic shape.

Juxtaposition collage

Cut and paste very different textures next to each other. The shock changes how the listener interprets each sound. This is theatrical and can be political in feel.

Pulse based

Use percussive bursts of noise that create a sense of space and timing. These pieces can still be harsh and are good for live sets where you want motion and release.

Writing Exercises That Actually Work

Here are concrete prompts to build skill and vocabulary.

• Ten minute wall. Set a timer for ten minutes. Capture one continuous take with no edits. Focus on a single movement in the first minute then allow gradual change. No safety net. Export and listen the next day for parts to keep.
• Contact sculpt. Record five different contact mic passes on one object. Layer them and remove any layer that does not add new information. Keep the piece under five minutes.
• Reverse collage. Make three minutes of noise then reverse it. Place the reversed audio in the intro of a new piece and build forward from that shape.
• One plugin only. Use a single distortion plugin and make an entire piece by routing different sources through it and automating parameters. Learn the plugin intimately in one session.

Recording and Editing Tactics

Recording loud sounds requires attention to levels and headroom. Here are best practices that will save your ears and your project files.

• Record with conservative levels. Your DAW can distort digitally if the input clips. Capture peaks with spare headroom and use saturation on purpose during mixing.
• Use high quality converters for low noise floors. This matters if you are capturing fine detail in the low end.
• Keep a clean microphone track and a processed track. Record a dry mic feed even when you plan to destroy it. You will thank yourself later when you want to resculpt the sound.
• Edit with crossfades and small fades to avoid clicks. Abrupt digital cuts are a texture choice. Use them deliberately.

Mixing Harsh Noise

Mixing noise is different from mixing pop. The goal is to create an internal balance that supports your intent rather than clarity for radio play.

Equalization

Use EQ to carve space. If two layers sit in the same band and fight, carve small notches. Do not over clean unless clarity is the goal. Preserve grit.

Saturation and distortion

Use them both to add harmonics and glue layers. Try analog modeled saturation on the master to give color. Try parallel distortion for a controlled brightness without losing the body.

Compression

Compression can tame dynamics or become another texture. Sidechain compression can make big moments breathe. For dense walls, mild buss compression can create cohesion.

Reverb and delay

Use reverb to place textures in a space. Short gritty room verbs create intimacy. Long wash verbs can make a piece feel cathedral like. Delay can create rhythmic repetition inside chaos.

Metering and loudness

Final loudness matters for releases. Harsh noise can be loud by design. Use peak limiting with care so you do not remove the dynamic life of your piece. Learn LUFS, which is a loudness measure used for streaming. LUFS stands for loudness units relative to full scale. Many noise releases sit at lower LUFS than commercial pop. Choose levels that respect platforms and avoid inaudible masters.

Mastering Considerations

Mastering harsh noise is an art. You want impact without crushing the nuance. Work with an engineer who understands the genre if possible. If you do it yourself follow these rules.

• Limit only enough to control peaks. Keep dynamics as alive as you need for the piece.
• Consider multiband saturation to control different bands independently.
• Reference other releases in your sub scene to match tonal character and perceived loudness.
• Deliver uncompressed high resolution files to labels or bandcamp. Also create a separate file optimized for streaming if you plan to upload to mainstream services.

Live Performance and Safety

Live harsh noise is an intense experience for performer and audience. Respect it and plan for safety.

• Hearing protection is not optional. Use high quality earplugs that preserve frequency while lowering volume. Musicians often use musician grade earplugs that reduce level without muffling tone.
• Warn venues and audiences. Post clear content warnings about extreme volume and low frequency content. Let people choose to enter or not.
• Control stage volume. Loud does not always mean physical pain. Use monitors sensibly and keep FOH balanced.
• Watch your top end. High frequency energy can cause physical discomfort quickly. Use attenuators and filters if needed.
• Plan movement and feedback. Set mic and speaker positions ahead of time and mark them on stage so feedback does not become uncontrolled chaos unless that is your artistic choice.

DIY Performance Setups That Work

Simple, reliable rigs often beat complex fragile rigs. Here are three practical rigs you can build quickly.

Rig A basic laptop set

• Laptop with DAW and a chain of sampled noise, live processing with plugins, output to interface.
• Small interface and DI box. Headphones for monitoring while performing.
• Foot controller to engage effect toggles.

Rig B pedal controlled

• Mixer to route multiple pedals and feedback loops.
• Contact mic and instrument direct inputs for sound sources.
• Pedalboard with distortion, ring modulator, delay, frequency shifter, and volume control.

Rig C modular and analog

• Small modular case with noise modules, random LFOs, sample and hold and ring modulation.
• Outboard preamp and distortion units for texture.
• Performance patch notes to reproduce main events and a small book of happy accidents to explore.

Collaborating With Vocalists and Guests

Harsh noise sometimes includes shouted vocals, processed spoken word, or guttural screams. If you work with humans do the following.

• Discuss intent clearly. Tell the vocalist how long they will perform and what dynamic range to expect.
• Provide protection. Loud playback can damage hearing during rehearsal just as it can during shows.
• Record separate vocal tracks. Process them later rather than risking irreparable live distortion decisions.
• Respect limits. Not every guest wants to scream at maximum effort. Consent is essential.

Release Strategies and Packaging

Noise fans value physical objects. Limited runs and personal art make a difference. Here are options to consider.

• Digital release on Bandcamp with a short explanation of intent. Use tags carefully to set listener expectation.
• Tape release. Compact cassette culture is alive in noise. Tapes are cheap and tactile.
• CDR or vinyl for higher cost releases. Vinyl is expensive but prized by collectors.
• Small run art objects such as hand painted sleeves, photocopied zines or silk screened covers. Fans love handcrafted packaging.

Real life scenario. You make a ten minute wall and upload it to Bandcamp with a minimal description. You press 50 cassettes with a photocopied insert. You sell out in two weeks because your bandcamp audience appreciates the tangible artifact. You then play a show and sell the last ten cassettes at the merch table. Manufacturing built your first direct connection as a maker and listener.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Noise music can be provocative. Keep these things in mind.

• Do not use recorded material you do not have rights to unless you are clear about sampling rules. Fair use is complicated and context dependent.
• Respect venue rules. Some venues will refuse extreme low frequency content for structural reasons.
• Avoid causing bodily harm. Sound can be dangerous. You are not doing a social experiment at the public expense.

How to Get Better Fast

Progress in this art is not about gear. It is about curiosity, ears and revision. Here are short term habits that accelerate learning.

• Make three pieces in a month with the same small tool set. Repeatability builds vocabulary.
• Listen to a wide range of artists within and outside noise. Note how they shape texture and space.
• Record live takes and keep the failures. Revisit them after a week. Many memorable moments come from happy accidents.
• Share with trusted peers and ask one question. For example ask which moment made them feel something physical. Then refine with that feedback in mind.

Case Studies and Inspirations

Listen actively. Here are approaches used by artists you can study without copying.

• Wall builder approach. Long single tone drones with slow timbral shifts. The power is endurance and subtlety.
• Explosion approach. Shorter pieces that are highly violent and kinetic. The goal is a shock that quickly resolves or collapses.
• Textural collage approach. Many little elements stitched together to form an uneasy whole. Movement comes from change in content rather than dynamics.

Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes

• Everything loud all the time. Fix by creating micro dynamic contrast. Silence or quiet moments make loud parts meaningful.
• Too many layers that do nothing. Fix by soloing each layer and removing anything that does not change the overall perception.
• Using volume as a substitute for composition. Fix by planning a shape even if it is simple. A clear arc outperforms noise that feels aimless.
• Neglecting safety. Fix by using ear protection, meeting venue staff and testing low frequencies at safe levels before doors open.

Action Plan You Can Use Tonight

1. Pick one intent such as a five minute wall or a three movement arc.
2. Gather three sound sources. Use a mic, a contact mic, and a synth noise generator or toy.
3. Record a continuous take for five to ten minutes without stopping. Move the mic or the object to create variation.
4. Import into your DAW. Choose the three best minutes and arrange them with small fades. Use one automation sweep on a filter and one change in distortion drive.
5. Export a rough mix. Listen on headphones and then on speakers at a moderate volume. Make one small change if it improves the impact.
6. Upload to a private share with one colleague and ask what moment surprised them. Use that feedback to learn.

Harsh Noise [Fr] FAQ

What does the tag in brackets often mean

Tags in brackets often provide context. In the noise scene a bracket can mark nationality like France or a style marker such as freeform. Always clarify on release notes so your listeners know if they are about to hear a local scene take or a freeform experiment.

How loud should my harsh noise mix be

There is no universal loudness target. Aim for impact while keeping enough headroom to avoid clipping. Many noise releases sit at moderate LUFS. Test on multiple systems and be mindful of streaming platforms that may normalize playback.

How do I create interesting feedback without losing control

Control feedback by planning microphone and speaker placement. Use small movements to change texture. Add a gate or a compressor in the chain to tame runaway peaks. Keep a kill switch ready in live settings so you can stop the loop fast.

Can I use samples from movies or songs

Legally you need permission for copyrighted material unless your use qualifies as fair use which depends on jurisdiction and context. Many noise artists avoid legal risk by creating original recordings or using public domain material.

How do I perform live with modular gear safely

Keep power supplies stable and cables neat. Mark patches and document key knob positions. Use in ear monitors or musician earplugs and coordinate with sound techs to set safe FOH levels. Practice setup at home until you can rebuild it reliably in less than twenty minutes.

Get Contact Details of Music Industry Gatekeepers

Looking for an A&R, Manager or Record Label to skyrocket your music career?

Don’t wait to be discovered, take full control of your music career. Get access to the contact details of the gatekeepers of the music industry. We're talking email addresses, contact numbers, social media...

Packed with contact details for over 3,000 of the top Music Managers, A&Rs, Booking Agents & Record Label Executives.

Get exclusive access today, take control of your music journey and skyrocket your music career.

Unlock Instant Access