A New App Turns White Noise Into Art

Nearly a year ago, Spotify announced that it would be paying less royalties to white-noise creators, calling the music “functional.” A new iOS app, however, aims to recognize the art of noise.

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Fuzzzel , which launched Tuesday, comes loaded with music by Oscar–nominated composer Owen Pallett, ambient-music artist Eluvium, field recordist Chris Watson (who contributed sound to David Attenborough’s Life series) and classically trained harpist Mary Lattimore, among others. The sounds are grouped adjectively by moods and experiences: Pallett’s hissing piece, “Wake (i),” is dubbed “austere, desolate,” while the deep underwater-like suction of Clipping’s “A Place to Be Still” is “dark, abyssal.” Others are “cosmic,” “windy,” and “thunderous” — descriptors offering loose hints at their application.

“I started doing yoga in earnest in 2012, going three times a week to the studio by my house,” Pallett said in a statement of “Wake (i).” “Their choice of music was always distracting. … It got me thinking about my ideal musical accompaniment for an exercise such as yoga — not just yoga, but any type of exercise wherein there is a mindful element.”

“I wrote [‘Bandage Contacts’] after taking my friend to the hospital in an emergency,” Lattimore added of her contribution.

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But it’s up to users to decide what actions they’re soundtracking. The “about” section of the app explains, “Although these sounds are intended to be utilitarian, we offer no preference on how you should experience them.”

The app’s creator, Rolling Stone contributor Christopher R. Weingarten , describes Fuzzzel as “the world’s first artist-centered white noise record label.” “There is obviously a huge demand for white noise right now, but not a lot of that money is going to musicians and creatives,” Weingarten says. “People already want and need and love white noise, so why can’t it have the same creative intent as your favorite music?”

The app launched with two hours of new music accompanied by videos made by the artists.

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