When you first push play on “Until the Noise Stops” by Float Point (Paolo Pace), it’s unclear what journey you’ll go on. At first, the energetic synth sound hits you with a wave of tumbling arpeggios (when notes come one after the other in quick skipping succession). From there, the layers build – distorted leaf sounds, electric distorted bass with intricate melodies that weave in and out creating dark energy and driving rhythm catapulting you to the lyrics entrance. At almost a minute in, this is a long build, but the pay off is worth it.
The lyrics are dark and brooding, much like the music that has anticipated its arrival. It becomes apparent in the lyric that this is a protest song as much as it is a reflection of hopelessness and uncertainty – closely related to the current state of affairs in 2020. The first lyric comes in just as most of the musical elements disappear, allowing for a clear purpose and delivery:
Stand up for your rights, no time to wait
Find your voice it’s time to scream
Open the gates that block your way
Plant the seed for free
As the lyric progresses, more and more sounds and textures are layered behind it, mirroring the growing hopelessness of the lyric trying to deal with whatever the cacophony of noises we all deal with on a daily basis in the form of news, social media and increasingly disparate and seemingly unending stream:
They’ve got the zeroes stacking up
All of the power and all the luck
Locked in a box with lies and hate
Hope someday they find the key
Whether zeroes refers to the dollars found in the bank accounts of those with power, or the number of souls lost in this current crisis, this is a song for now. The singer seems almost resigned to the fate that isn’t being chosen for himself and questions where to find hope within the solitude that faces him between the walls in which he lives. This is reflected, not only in the delivery and effects placed on the voice (EQ, distortion, reverb…etc) but also through the music that drives this message home.
Musically, this track ebbs and flows, sometimes insistent in its delivery, but also giving moments of space to allow you to listen to each element that comprises the intricate relationships between all the parts – much like the relationships that we engage in on a daily basis. Harmonically, there are some really interesting choices – ones that if you don’t listen to closely, just move past you as ‘interesting’ or ‘add to the feeling’ but if you’re a music geek like me, they catch your attention. The melody is angular and sparse, and against the ostinato of the bass, compelling. With different instrumentation, it’s a melody that you might find in a Sondheim song. The addition of an acoustic piano sound against all the electronic synths and sounds also creates a powerful sonic arena.
This track takes you on a journey that somehow manages to convey that resistance can be fueled by a lack of hope. And that once the noise stops, the protagonist of the story will be able to finally speak his mind and find the answers he seeks.
