One of the core features of the experimental noise scene in Zurich is its struggle to define its existence and nature. This is because members of this local movement and subculture come from diverse paths, whether through international or domestic migration or varied musical backgrounds. And yet many people in Zurich find their place in this musical aesthetic and in these event spaces. They pursue similar goals and process them in parallel musical practices. They explore the boundaries and try to stretch or break them.

While the natural habitat of this music is in live performance, through event series such as Malatang, Doxa Shroti and Raout Cru, individual projects are also being recorded and released, for instance on the Zurich labels Czarnagora, Kashev Tapes and Web Archive Music.

Mimi At Capricious
“Baby F”
From End Of World Cutie Split
(Czarnagora) 2024

Mimi At Capricious started right after Miao Zhao came back to Zurich from a tour in South East Asia, where she was deeply inspired by the energy of the sounds and the scene. With “Baby F” she created a sound piece that achieves the sonic effect of noises seemingly trying to wriggle out of the performance. This mirrors the way Zhao works – with her no-input mixing technique, she spurs overturning layered sounds and tames them to the edge of the audible limit. Zhao also curates music events and frequently collaborates with a wide range of musicians from the Swiss scene, including Hora Lunga, Jonas Albrecht, Tizia Zimmermann and Jamira Estrada. She was recently awarded the Werkjahr 2024 (with a 50,000 CHF prize) by the City of Zurich.

Gotgha
“Exhumination”
Forthcoming on Novi Svijet

Gotgha is one of the co-founders of Doxa Shroti, a social event format that opens up and recontextualises spaces in underpasses, inviting sound artists to perform. In addition to their curatorial work, they are active as a musician and sound artist, exploring and conceptualising new approaches to compositional and performative sound art. On “Exhumination”, Gotgha improvises on a zither, combining it with no-input noise textures and physical hammering recordings. Through this layering of sounds and the non-linear composition, Gotgha not only creates an intense, dark atmosphere but also achieves a world-building, spatial quality in the process. “Exhumination” premieres exclusively here and will be released on Novi Svijet.

Lua Jungck
“girlflex”
From girlfluxx EP
(Self-released) 2024

While “girlflex” doesn’t seem to be a noise track in the traditional sense, Lua Jungck is another central figure in Zurich’s scene – both as a curator and sound artist. Recently, she also became part of the commission for music in the city of Zurich, allowing her to provide funding that will hopefully support more noise projects. For “girlflex”, she explores her relationship with electronic production, reworking recordings from her live performances into new studio versions, further developing them and taking them to a new level. Through this working process, she shapes a unique sound that brings out an aesthetic intimacy, negotiating both technical and emotional elements.

Renart Disler
“End Of Winter”
Excerpt from a live performance, 2024

Renart Disler is one of the pseudonyms of Julian Meier – musician, sound artist, DJ, and one third of the event series Doxa Shroti. “End Of Winter” is an excerpt from an ongoing live project that Renart Disler performed at Dynamo, Café Nord, and various other off-locations. For these performances, he used a Kawai Q80 sequencer, two synthesizers, a TR-707 drum machine, effect pedals, a Boss BX mixer, and two tape decks. His approach primarily involved creating feedback loops, which he then layered with overdubbing and delayed effects.

The set is built around the theme of electronic voice phenomena (EVP) – a phenomenon where voices unexpectedly appear on tape recordings without any intentional input, a mysterious occurrence which is believed by some to have supernatural origins.

Wat Taklaew
“PHRA”
(Web Archive Music) 2022

Wat Taklaew is one of the projects of Valentina Demicheli. The artist’s name holds significance, as ‘Wat’ translates to ‘temple’, symbolising a spiritual connection to the craft. Additionally, ‘Taklaew’ is derived from a Thai male name associated with the concept of militancy.

On “PHRA”, she combines field recordings with noisy electronics and drones to create an intriguing soundscape. Through the use of reverberated field recordings, an audio window opens out of the electronic drones, which waver demonically over the track. At times, voice-like sounds emerge, and the dynamic intensifies. In the end, an aesthetic resolution is found in angelic synths, releasing the listener from the darkness and atonality, moving toward a warmer sense of harmony.

Luis Sanz
“Phantom Waveform”
Forthcoming in 2025

Luis Sanz is a sound artist based in Zurich. He is best known for his textural electronic work, improvising with a small portable Eurorack system. “Phantom Waveform” was produced spontaneously with no editing, no MIDI and no overdubs. This track is one of three that will form a forthcoming compilation of experimental music from Switzerland and Taiwan to be released in 2025. On this, Sanz wants to capture playful, impulsive moments, deliberately moving away from complexity to highlight the fun, experimental side of making music.

Violeta Garcia & Anton Ponomarev
“Perfect Illustrations”
(Smallforms) 2023

Saxophonist, electronic experimentalist, and performer Anton Ponomarev runs the recently opened noise venue Farmhouse and collaborates with numerous prominent names from the international jazz and experimental scene, such as Merzbow, Tim Dahl, Pussy Riot and Burton Greene, to name a few. The other half of the duo, Violeta Garcia, is known for her virtuoso cello playing and its intermedial connection with electronics.

On “Perfect Illustrations”, they combine classical instrumentation with noise electronics. In their experimental play with textural overtones, the boundaries between saxophone, cello and electronics blur, resulting in a chaotic body of work bursting with energy.

Read Elia Brülhart’s full report on Zurich’s underground noise scene in The Wire 491/492. Wire subscribers can also read the article online via the digital magazine library.