noiserich

Noiserich is a term used in audio production and contemporary music to describe a sonic texture in which noise elements are prominent and integral, rather than merely incidental artefacts.

The word is a neologism formed from "noise" and "rich" to convey fullness of texture. Its usage is informal and varies by community; some treat it as a descriptive aesthetic, others as a category for releases or techniques.

Characteristics include a dense spectral mix with substantial noise components—hiss, crackle, hum, or granular noise—that are shaped with saturation, filtering, and dynamic processing. Production methods include analog tape or circuit noise, granular synthesis, convolution with impulse responses, and field recordings.

Applications appear in experimental electronic music, ambient sound design, and film scoring, where noiserich textures serve atmosphere and emotional shading.

The concept lacks a formal standard and can be defined differently across artists. Critics note that overemphasis on noise can obscure musical elements, while proponents view it as a deliberate, expressive lexicon.

See also: noise music, sound design, texture in music.