Almost a year Some time ago, Spotify announced that it would pay less royalties to creators of white noise because the music was described as “functional.” A new iOS app now aims to recognize the art of noise.
Fuzzzel, which was released on Tuesday, features music by Oscar-nominated composer Owen Pallett, ambient musician Eluvium and field recordist Chris Watson (who provided the sound for David Attenborough’s Life series) and classically trained harpist Mary Lattimore, among others. The sounds are grouped adjectivally by mood and experience: Pallett’s sibilant piece “Wake (i)” is described as “austere, desolate,” while the deep, underwater undertow of Clipping’s “A Place to Be Still” is “dark, abysmal.” Others are “cosmic,” “windy,” and “thunderous” – descriptions that give loose clues to their application.
“I started practicing yoga seriously in 2012 and went to the studio next to my house three times a week,” Pallett said in a statement to Wake (i). “Her choice of music was always distracting. … This got me thinking about my ideal musical accompaniment for a practice like yoga – not just yoga, but any practice where there is a mindfulness element.”
“I wrote (‘Bandage Contacts’) after taking my boyfriend to the hospital in an emergency,” Lattimore added to her post.
However, it’s up to users to decide which actions they sound off of. The app’s About section states: “While these sounds are intended as a convenience, we don’t offer a preference for how you want to experience them.”
The developer of the app, Rolling Stone Author Christopher R. Weingarten describes Fuzzzel as “the world’s first artist-centered record label for white noise.” “There’s obviously a lot of demand for white noise right now, but not much 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 was accompanied by two hours of new music and videos from the artists.
