“Noise” curators Oeane from Passkey and Each from Teflon Spine talk about the scene in Vancouver
Jasmine Garcha (she/her) // Arts and Culture Editor
Millie Beatch (she/her) // Illustrator
When deciding what to do on a Friday night, Vancouverites might not think, “Let’s pay to listen to a bunch of noise. Harsh sounds and repetitive tones? Count me in.” However, noise music, or “noise,” has a dedicated fanbase in the underground scene in Vancouver.
“Noise,” as described by Owen, professionally known as Oeane, is “music that’s sort of characterized by a constant note of noise or a constant use of it.” Some may choose against calling it music at all, but, in Owen’s words, “I feel like we as a people––‘we as a people’––I sound so inspiring. We, as a society, should be generalizing music. It’s all music.”
Owen, who curates events and artists under Passkey, goes on to define noise as “people who are sort of wanting to try something different and not want to follow the general constraints of what a song is defined by.”
“I would put ‘noise music’ inside ‘noise’ but I won’t deny anyone else who feels the opposite or even something else,” says Each, from Teflon Spine, jokingly adding, “That which is said to be noise is noise.”
Teflon Spine is an organization that serves as a central communication point for noise show curation in Vancouver. “I have been very lucky to have been one of the few people making opportunities for people who aren’t already known to make experimental performances,” says Each, later adding, “it doesn’t require courage to perform; it requires opportunities.”
When it comes to who attends the shows, Each says that he’s not interested in reaching a wider audience; those who want to be there will show up. “You like what you like,” he says, “And lots of people like golf. I’m never gonna be there and golf people don’t fuck with me, so…”
“I think people are mainly just intimidated by it because it’s something very different,” Owen says, referring to audiences who may have misconceptions about what noise generally entails. “There’s so much artistry beneath the surface that people will never find because they’re too scared.”
Noise means something different to every musician making it. To some, it’s an expression or release of emotion. Some even read poetry over the sounds they play. “It really is emotionally charged,” Owen says. “I feel like the audience can really see that if they go to any sort of noise show.”
In the future of Vancouver’s noise scene, Each hopes to see more people curating noise and further diversity in the audience and performers. He states, sarcastically, “I just like to see a great proliferation of exactly what I like! Doesn’t that sound like everyone you know?” He goes on to say, “To be serious, I would like people to feel that Vancouver venues are as accessible for performing noise to most people as they are to me.”
Owen and their friend Adam have moved Passkey to Montreal where they plan to continue curating noise. Due to Vancouver’s increasing rent prices, “there are so many people who are almost going to lose their place of living,” Owen says, “and that is happening with all of the venues you like and all of the venues everybody else likes in Vancouver because they have to pay rent, too.” However, in Montreal, there is an abundance of underground event curation and artistry, a scene which Owen and Adam plan on joining. Passkey’s shows and updates can be found on Instagram @pass____key.
When asked what’s in store for the future of Passkey, Owen says, “You’ll just have to wait and see.”Each and his upcoming Vancouver-based shows can be found on Instagram @teflonspine.