Silence Is Better Than Nothing: A Sonic Puzzle Worth Solving
If you’re the kind of listener who digs experimental music that feels like it’s whispering secrets directly into your brain, Silence Is Better Than Nothing by Angle might just be your new favorite oddball discovery. Released back in 2003 from France (home to croissants and some seriously cool underground sounds), this album lives somewhere between ambient haze, post-rock drama, and electronic experimentation. It’s not perfect—it’s a little rough around the edges—but maybe that’s why it sticks with you.
The record kicks off with its title track, “Silence Is Better Than Nothing.” Right away, you know this isn’t gonna be your average playlist filler. The song starts slow, almost hesitant, like someone tiptoeing through foggy woods at night. Then BAM—layers of glitchy beats and distorted guitars crash in, pulling you deeper into its weird little universe. You don’t really know what’s happening half the time, but somehow it works. It’s one of those tracks where if you close your eyes, you can almost see shapes forming out of thin air. Abstract? Absolutely. But also oddly satisfying, like solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded.
Another standout is “An Ambiant Black Out” (ambiant spelled wrong on purpose? Who knows). This one’s pure headphone candy. Imagine lying on a cold floor staring up at neon lights while echoes bounce around your skull—that’s the vibe here. There are these haunting piano notes sprinkled over glitchy textures, and every now and then, something that sounds suspiciously like static from an old TV creeps in. It’s unsettling yet comforting, like when you accidentally fall asleep during a thunderstorm. By the end, you’re left wondering whether you dreamed the whole thing or not.
What makes this album even cooler is how DIY everything feels. Recorded and mixed by Angle alongside Joan Cambon, it has that raw, unpolished charm that screams “we didn’t care about rules.” And let’s give props to Guylaine Saffrais for the photography—those visuals match the music perfectly, all grainy and mysterious.
But here’s the kicker: despite being nearly two decades old, Silence Is Better Than Nothing still feels ahead of its time. Or maybe behind it? Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. All I know is that after listening to it, I spent ten minutes trying to figure out if my toaster was secretly recording me. That’s gotta count for something, right?
So yeah, check this out if you’re tired of boring playlists and want something that’ll mess with your head in the best way possible. Just don’t blame me if you start hearing things…
