The festival, completely DIY and independently organized, celebrated extreme noise and related subgenres. Hosted at Phoenix’s own Olla Olla Crepes on Nov. 9 and 10, the creperie, which originally gained traction due to its Mexican-inspired signature 14-inch crepes, has slowly become a staple venue in the underground music scene, hosting DIY or independent events quite frequently.

Both fellow music fans and musicians came together for two nights of ear-drum-rupturing noise. Starting the evening off was crunkcore artist Lil Jaxxin, who set the tone for the night with an energetic performance.

Grindcore/hardcore band Baller then took the stage in what was their debut performance. Formed by former members of local grindcore legends Dumpsterfeast, the group blends hip hop, grindcore, and hardcore to create a unique and memorable sound.

“I wanted to, like, really go into the hip-hop theme a bit more,” said drummer and backup vocalist Omar G in an interview. “Still playing like heavy fast stuff, but you know, the themes are more like streets or athletic themed.”

He explained that while still building upon popular or recurring themes within the subgenres, Baller wanted to set themselves apart from the rest.

“A lot of bands already write about horror, death, war, gore, and all that, which is cool, but we just wanted to do something a little different,” he said.

During their performance, Baller showcased songs off of their recently released demo tape “Respect tha Hu$tle,” which was released on Bandcamp in October of this year.

“We really learned from the mistakes of our last band,” said guitarist Chris Cheng in an interview. “Everything's meticulously planned out, so we know when we're gonna drop the next thing. Like, we're always prepared. We're not gonna be on the sidelines.”

Baller’s intense set left attendees moshing and headbanging, warming up the crowd despite the evening’s quickly dropping temperatures before finishing off their set.

Over the weekend, the festival featured a number of different experimental noise performances, including acts from harsh noise project I RAN OVER YOUR GIRLFRIEND, Yung Intruder, and Fear of Death.

Despite the festival name, it was not exclusively noise or extreme artists that played. Three-piece hip hop group WrthCr8ting delivered a vibrant set, with members dancing and freestyling with the audience about whatever topic they requested.

Phoenix noise-rock band Miserable Ghost played towards the end of the first night. Despite technical difficulties, the duo overcame and played a raw instrumental set, making up for the lack of vocals with their high-energy performance.

Finishing up the first night of the festival was Bed of Roaches, a one-piece noise/grind musician and the organizer of the festival.

As the headliner, Bed of Roaches showcased new releases and ended the night with a loud and enthusiastic performance. Roach’s harsh vocal style, paired with the intense distorted instrumentals, made it a set to remember, exemplifying the creativity of noise and its experimental subgenres.

“I love how freeing noise is, how freeing it is to just be at a noise show where there are no requirements of doing something,” said Roach in an interview. “Like, at hardcore shows, you're expected to crowd kill. At punk shows, you're expected to mosh. But you don't really know what the hell you're putting yourself up against when you're at a noise show.”

Roach explained that a love for the noise genre was not the only motivator in organizing the festival. Community and camaraderie within the scene also played a huge role, as a majority of the artists that played were all local bands and already good friends.

“It’s just a need to be around people who are also into noise for me, because I love talking about it. I love being involved in anything noise-related,” said Roach. “You know, it's a very big part of my life. Noise music, heavy music in general, you know, that's something that just really makes living worth living for me.”