Songs That Sound Like Machines: Music That Mimics Mechanical Noise

Exploring tracks and albums that turn whirs, clicks, and hums into music

Music has long sought to mimic the natural world, but some artists take inspiration from an entirely different source: machines.

From the clanking of a factory to the low hum of a refrigerator, many musicians have created compositions that intentionally replicate mechanical sounds. While industrial music as a genre often embodies the raw energy of machinery, certain songs and albums go a step further by designing their production to closely resemble specific devices or environments.

This Reddit thread brings up many important works.

One of the most well-known examples is Raymond Scott’s “Powerhouse,” a track often used to simulate a factory. With its clanking percussion and steam-like bursts, it captures the industrial age's mechanical pulse. Similarly, The “Typewriter” by Leroy Anderson integrates the sounds of a typewriter, with modified instruments mimicking the carriage return and key presses.

Some artists take a more experimental approach, using electronic manipulation to evoke machine-like sounds. La Monte Young’s The Second Dream of The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer from The Four Dreams of China (1962) is built around a sustained chord that emulates the buzzing of an electrical transformer.

Electronic music pioneers have also explored this concept. Aphex Twin’s Ventolin feature abrasive textures that resemble malfunctioning machinery. The duo Gescom released Minidisc, a project originally released on minidisc, and it’s filled with whirs, clicks, and buzzes that sometimes verge on pure noise. Similarly, Autechre has made a career out of crafting detailed soundscapes.

Industrial music legends Einstürzende Neubauten are well known for constructing their own instruments out of scrap metal and tools. Their track “NNNAAAMMM” was even designed to sound like an advanced machine. Another standout is “Iron Foundry” by Alexander Mosolov, a 1926 orchestral piece meant to evoke the churning of an iron foundry—a precursor to the inspirations seen in later electronic music.

Some compositions take direct inspiration from everyday appliances. For example, Mr. Fingers’ “Washing Machine,” an early acid house track, was reportedly influenced by the sounds of a home washing machine cycle.

Even contemporary artists continue to explore the mechanical aesthetic. Klangphonics incorporates sounds from pressure washers and other industrial tools into their compositions, for example. Meanwhile, Add N to (X) and Negativland have experimented with collages of mechanical noises to create abstract, machine-driven rhythms.

FAQ + TLDR

What is industrial music, and how does it differ from machine-inspired music? Industrial music is a genre that often uses harsh, mechanical sounds, but not all industrial music is designed to sound like specific machines. Machine-inspired music, on the other hand, intentionally mimics the sounds of particular devices or processes.

Which electronic artists create music that sounds like machines? Aphex Twin, Autechre, Ryoji Ikeda, and Gescom are well-known for incorporating machine-like sounds into their electronic compositions.

Are there any songs that specifically imitate household appliances? Yes, “Washing Machine” by Larry Heard and “Air Condition” by Haruomi Hosono are both inspired by common household appliances.

What are some albums that explore machine-like sounds extensively? Albums like Minidisc by Gescom, Raupenbahn by Thomas Brinkmann, and Fait à la Machine by Vertonen all experiment heavily with mechanical textures and industrial soundscapes.

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