Based in Basel, Switzerland Noise Of The World write energetic songs that blend elements of indie rock, shoegaze and jangle pop.
The bands latest release “Private Jet Council Flat” features four of their best songs yet. I caught up with founding member Nouriel Roth to talk about his early musical experiences, how the group got together and the making of the new E.P.
CMM-What was the first music that really made an impact on you all as kids and what artists or bands did you enjoy the most?
Nouriel-Uh, there are so many bands that have had an impact on us, I don’t even know where to start. I liked—and still like—music from a wide array of styles. But when I was a kid, what really motivated me to pick up the bass and guitar were bands like Fugazi. That whole punk DIY thing. Of course, I liked all sorts of pop, rock and metal before and after that, but this was the spark, so to speak.
Bands like the Pixies, Faith No More and others that were playing around with genres I enjoyed the most. Later on, I discovered and really got into Talk Talk. Especially their later albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, had a huge impact.
The other half of the band, L. Bela (my 11-year-old son ;-)), likes Gorillaz and a band we more or less discovered recently called Die Farce Die (also featured in our “Recommendations” section on Bandcamp).
CMM-When did you all first start playing music together and writing your own songs?
Nouriel Roth-I’ve been writing songs for a long time—as long as I’ve been playing in bands (and there have been quite a few…). So, let’s say: many years. 🙂
L. Bela joined me as he was playing the oboe, and I like incorporating all sorts of instruments that are not normally found in the rock realm, as can be heard on Concrete Crown. He also sang and screamed on other songs, which was great fun.
CMM-The band recently released an album called “Private Jet Council Flat”. What was the writing and recording process for those songs like? Any particular gear or instruments you used during the recording sessions that helped inspire the group?
Nouriel Roth-Well, as it says on our Bandcamp: all songs were written and recorded while everyone else slept. We recorded and mixed everything (and therefore f*cked up the mixes) all by ourselves.
The writing process usually starts with some guitar chords, around which bass and drums are arranged. Then come the vocals, and then we mix. And because we’re not very good at mixing, we scrap everything and start anew, haha…
In the end, we somehow get there and it sounds kinda okay. So there’s not really a fixed method to it.
The most fun is when L. Bela gets out his oboe or flute (like on our previous self-titled release) and adds his magic to the songs. Generally, we play around with lots of delay and reverb, which gives everything a kind of dreamlike air.
Private Jet Council Flat ended up, unintentionally, being some sort of concept album, as all songs deal, in one way or another, with urban living and the inequality that often comes with it.
CMM-If the band could do a score for any film director who would it be and what would the film be about?
Nouriel Roth-Hmmmm, good question… I would say: Danny Boyle. His films are always kind of fast-paced, gripping, and full of social commentary.
The film would be about… an old people’s home in a German village where a stray cat causes a lot of confusion. Or maybe not. I don’t know. 🙂
CMM-What’s the underground music scene like in Switzerland like these days? Any other bands you all recommend checking out?
Nouriel Roth-The Swiss music scene is quite quirky, I’d say. One band we really like is Batbait: a group from Zurich with a feminist touch—noisy, rough around the edges, and full of character.
Another band we like—and who are also our friends—is Kind Regards from Basel. Their music is very different from ours: very folky and catchy, with excellent vocals.
Another band straight from the underground, this time from southern Germany, that we really like is Wolf Mountains from Stuttgart, so not too far from Basel. It’s indie crossed with surf music and punky undertones. Hard to describe, but still very much pop.
All of them are well worth checking out.
CMM-What does the band have coming up next?
Nouriel Roth-Well, for playing live we would need a few more people to cover everything the two of us normally play—but we’re working on it.
We have one complete and a few half-baked songs for the next release, but given our slow writing and recording process, it’ll probably take some time. So, to all our four fans: please be patient. 🙂
Like I said earlier, we’re into all sorts of music, so we’ll probably resurrect our electropop project Highly Motivated Staff soon, which has been on hiatus for quite some time. It’s totally different from Noise of the World, but the fun factor is the same. I’m really looking forward to digging out the old synths again. 🙂
