Black Noise by Quinton Barnes

Noise experiences a relationship to music analogous to the position of marginalized groups in society, always the excluded “other” for whom all systems fail and to whom all comparisons direct. This combination of Afropessimist thought with the aesthetics of noise music appears on Black Noise by Quinton Barnes, an outstanding piece of experimental hip hop which unites a delightfully unhinged, wildly creative live band with an insightful lyricist. From within this noise music framework and the marginalized black communities it represents, violence lingers on every horizon, promising to colonize, harass, and disturb with its imposed musical structure and competing countermelodies. However, an organic joy springs up amidst this unrelenting siege, resisting violence by choosing to continue existing apart from, in spite of, and in opposition to the mainstream, relishing in dense, warm orchestral swells and whimsical, energetic jazz leads. We see no substantial progression towards a reconciliation between the abstract noise and the regulated music, but the noise’s decision to fiercely advocate for itself results in a richly flourishing sonic world despite, or potentially as a result of, intense marginalization.