Music made entirely ‘inside the box’ (with a computer only and no external sound sources) can often sound ‘too clean’ or sterile. One of the beauties of the analogue medium is its inherently characterful sound – you’ll be hard-pressed to find an analogue device without a little bit of characterful noise or texture that gives your sound a unique space and feel.

Artificial noises and field recordings can be used to add texture and depth to almost any production whether it’s your latest left-field experiment or the next pop hit. Check out this article from liveschool for some good examples of the benefits of noise.

Why stop at just textures though? Noises and drones can even be used to create characterful synth sounds with defined pitches.

For examples of artists who effectively use noise and drone in their music check out the following songs:

• Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
• Actress – Voodoo Posse Chronic Illusion
• Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven
• Tim Hecker – Virgins