Noise Narrative | Will McCartney | Substack

The importance of DIY festivals and collectivism in music

An interview with Gut Level (Sheffield) and Cobalt Studios (Newcastle) ahead of Field Maneuvers festival

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Essays

Do national anthems represent you?

Exploring what national anthems say, and what they leave out

Jul 8 • Will McCartney

Why pirate radio reflects our need for truth

How the history of outlaw broadcasters offers a blueprint for finding truth in a continually filtered world

Jun 13 • Will McCartney

How the CIA hijacked jazz

Inside the Cold War’s most unexpected covert operation — and the musicians who used the frontline to fight back

Apr 10 • Will McCartney

Leon Theremin: the man who made air sing

The story of the Soviet Spy who created the first electronic music instrument

Feb 6 • Will McCartney

Our NTS Radio show: a history of Irish Trad

An aural journey through the timeline of Irish trad, a music rooted in occasion.

Jan 6 • Will McCartney

The science of music taste: why we like what we like

It builds bonds. It breaks them. It harbours harmony. It fosters feuds. Music taste is a bittersweet superpower. But what makes us love sounds…

Nov 13, 2024 • Will McCartney

The linchpin of NYC hip-hop: 10 songs that define DJ Premier

To celebrate Wrath of the Math's 28th anniversary, we take a look at 10 tracks that define DJ Premier's career in hip-hop.

Nov 4, 2024 • Oliver Ainley

Two-Tone music: unifying Thatcher's broken Britain

A deep dive into Two-Tone, the musical genre that transcended racial boundaries when the UK needed it most.

Aug 16, 2024 • Will McCartney

Interviews

The importance of DIY festivals and collectivism in music

An interview with Gut Level (Sheffield) and Cobalt Studios (Newcastle) ahead of Field Maneuvers festival

Aug 14 • Will McCartney

A conversation with Africa's leading ecomusicologist

From natural disaster survivor to global change-maker, meet Dr. Olusegun Stephen Titus, the man sat at the intersection of sound and the environment.

Jan 16 • Will McCartney

Auntie Flo interview: the meaning of it all

A rich conversation with the DJ, producer, label owner & sound therapist, discussing new music, the impact of time, the psychology of self-releasing…

Nov 25, 2024 • Will McCartney

The Arab World's first queer protest play

Lifting the lid on the nightmare of queer life in post-revolution Tunisia, in conversation with playwright Essia Jaubi, NGO Mawjoudin We Exist and…

Oct 4, 2024 • Will McCartney

The Latvian hero of revolutionary rave culture

A deep dive into Indulis Bilzens, the late Latvian visionary who smuggled dance music beyond the Iron Curtain.

Sep 18, 2024 • Will McCartney

Album recommendations

Listens: August 2025

My favourite music of the month, described based on how it made me feel

Aug 29 • Will McCartney

Listens: July 2025

My favourite music of the month, described based on how it made me feel

Jul 25 • Will McCartney

Listens: June 2025

My favourite music of the month, described based on how it made me feel

Jun 27 • Will McCartney

Listens: May 2025

Our favourite albums of the month, described based on how they make us feel

May 28 • Will McCartney

Listens: April 2025

What we listened to this month, and more

Apr 30 • Will McCartney

Listens: March 2025

Our favourite albums of the month, described by how they make us feel

Mar 28 • Will McCartney

Listens: January 2025

Our 10 favourite albums of the month, reviewed based on how they make us feel

Jan 28 • Will McCartney

The 50 best albums of 2024

Our favourite records of the year

Dec 6, 2024 • Will McCartney

Playlists

10 songs about loving anything but people

Not everyone has someone to celebrate today, but everyone has something

Feb 14 • Will McCartney

A cynical Christmas playlist

For those who are sick to death of Michael Bublé

Dec 12, 2024 • Will McCartney