Ingrid Carlson

Crusty curmudgeons often complain that the music of this generation is “just noise.” It would be gleefully cruel to recommend that they drop by one of Calgary’s monthly Discord events, where the artists would be happy to confirm the sentiment. Using everything from typical instruments to circuit-bent electronics, laptops, megaphones and even TV static run through effects pedals, the organizers behind the 403 Noise collective and its accompanying concert series have created a community for experimental sounds that always require earplugs.

“We started off by doing a couple of shows in my garage, then realized that the space wasn’t quite big enough, so we moved to Emmedia,” explains founder Peter Redecopp (a.k.a. electronic artist RDC). “There are people who come once and never come again, but we’re also building up a base of supporters who are super-interested and excited. In turn, that gives us energy and motivation to keep putting on shows.”

With Redecopp’s recent admission into the music program of Montreal’s Concordia University, both 403 Noise and the Discord series will soon be passed off to the capable hands of Ryan O’Neil (a.k.a. Earhate) and Ingrid Carlson. Carlson isn’t a noise artist herself, but is keen to pick up 403 Noise by its bootstraps, doing it purely for the love of the music, and the people who make it and enjoy it.

“In the past, Pete and Ryan were doing everything without any set guidelines, basically just for fun and paying for everything out of their own pockets,” Carlson explains. “I approached Pete and told him that I’d be happy to do anything to help cement the concert series or the scene, just so I have somewhere to go. For a long time it’s just been a bunch of nerdy people who only know each other. They’re not trying to keep it to themselves, they just didn’t have anyone to talk to about it.”

Though past Discord shows have included performers from Medicine Hat and Victoria, along with Red Deer’s Acid Attack, Moose Jaw’s Lowebrau, Ponoka’s Ultra Bon Bon and perpetual globetrotter (and mind-blower) Greenmist, they hope to invite even more out-of-town acts in the future. Other goals: teaming up with long-running local free-music collective and label Bug Incision, collaborating with visual artists, and launching a record label of their own. The first release under the 403 Noise umbrella will be a compilation entitled Unwanted Sounds, made up of new studio tracks from the past 12 months’ performers, and tentatively set for a June release.

“We’re all really proud of what we’ve created so far, and it can only get better from here,” Carlson says. “There are good, solid people we can count on, and who can consistently offer a lot of creativity. People are always coming up with new sounds and new concepts, because now they know they have an outlet.”

“One of the great things we’ve seen in the last year is how the artists are actually affecting each other,” Redecopp echoes. “[Noise] is typically such a solitary activity, so it’s awesome that people are starting to come out of their bedrooms, collaborate and build up a true sense of community.”