White noise is common. In fact, we seek it out, purchase it, manufacture it. But:
What surprises, and engages, in Phil Julian‘s “Recent Errors” is when, at around two minutes in, the track suddenly shifts states. It goes from grey drone to scintillate whine in a split second. And that subsequent section itself has reveals transformations as it progresses, dipping down in volume, sending out thin contrasting lines of sound (MP3). These aren’t the last shifts in the piece, by any means. It continues on to include industrial churn and 8bit cicada chirping, among other phases.
How much attention do we pay to white noise? If citizens are indeed being asked to begin to design urban noise – or at least take part in it – we should be paying more attention. To the presences and the absences. What is the ideal white noise state?
