Heterogeneous ‘This is a New Genre Called Static Pop’
A fascinating crossing of pop and noise exists in Heterogeneous’ own creation of Static Pop—a new genre that is essentially different from everything you’ve heard before. This is a New Genre Called Static Pop is far from noise pop, but its raspy-edged vocal style and modal, monophonic approach slightly recalls a genre called metal. But if you listen to it a little closely, you’d find the way noise is coiled up into everything has nothing to do with metal but noise aesthetic.
From “Playing Ball In The Dark,” the sort of a “sticky” relationship between the rhythm section and the melodic announces its disobedience and rebel to the usual rules of rhythm in popular music. Instead of playing into a repetitive pattern, it simply flickers spontaneously. Certain patterns are formed, but mostly an evocation to a greater audio-visual stimulation.
There’s so much character in this music that instead of sounding like a song, it’s its own person. “Noise man” talking and singing, telling stories in each chapter/episode. It’s relatable and sophisticated. With each song, it shows a slightly different side of it. Sometimes a little goofy and sometimes a little scary and emotional. It has a diverse range of emotions and moods, but at core, you know it’s the Static Pop you know. With This is a New Genre Called Static Pop, it feels like a relationship can be formed between the listener and the genre.
“It’s So Hard” ventures into monophony, which offers a gateway to understand Static Pop. It resembles medieval music and eastern music, but remains in its own lane. Instead of using the established western music system, the music in this album seems to be between modal and atonal (noise, for example). There’s always the element of melody and it’s captivating, but it doesn’t obey the same minor or major scale. “Something” is a perfect example of how Heterogeneous pushes these lines further.
Read our interview with Heterogeneous and learn more about Static Pop.
Punk Head: I absolutely love Static Pop, this new genre you created. Tell us more about it? When did you first have the idea?
Heterogeneous: I’ve always had the idea of creating new genres even before I started working on Static Pop but I guess Static Pop really came together during production with the distorted wall of noise or "static" feel to it if you will. I wanted to blend Noise music and Pop music together even since I got into noise music.
PH: How did you come up with the name Static Pop? What's the inspiration?
Heterogeneous: I came up with the name Static Pop after all the songs were finished. I was listening to the album and I just thought Static Pop fits the feel of this album nicely, it also has a nice ring to it, although it could be considered more Punk than Pop. The inspiration for this album came mostly just from the want to create something new and original. I wanted to leave people thinking "I never heard anything like this before.”
PH: What are you most proud about This is a New Genre Called Static Pop?Which song do you like the best and why?
Heterogeneous: My proudest thing about this album is that it's completely D.I.Y. I've been fascinated with the D.I.Y scene for a while now. There's a couple joints on Static Pop that I really fuck with but if I had to choose just one it would probably be "Slanted" because the lyrics are very true to my life. That or "Playing Ball In The Dark" because it just slaps.
PH: Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
Heterogeneous: As an artist I always try to bring new things to life. I don't like the idea of turning music into a formula or just riding the current trends. I always thought music should be, at least in one way or another, truly original and from the heart, even if it's a little rough around the edges.
PH: What is the one thing that you’d like your fans to know about you?
Heterogeneous: As the name suggest, you can expect diversity from me. I plan on bringing new genres and sounds to the table. If you dig hearing truly unique and original music then I believe I can scratch that itch. I fucks with anyone who fucks with me. Let's grow this shit together.
