This man in a mask may not be one for opera. But reggae-infused EDM music? Definitely! Bermuda’s Noise Cans speaks to Atwood Magazine about music, culture, and more.
Stream: “Attention” – Noise Cans & Jesse Royal
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama…
If asked to name a song about Bermuda, many people would likely sooner name “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys than anything actually by an artist from Bermuda.
One native islander looking to rectify all that is Noise Cans, who is doing his part to push this Atlantic archipelago onto the musical map for all to enjoy. It’s an endeavor he’s been devoted to for almost a decade now, and he’ll take it one step forward later this year with the release of his newest album, The Many Moods of Curtis.
Noise Cans had plenty of exposure to Caribbean genres like reggae and soca while growing up. In fact, consuming all of that set the stage for his eventual stage name.
“I used to wear these really massive headphones and a friend of mine said to me, ‘Yo dude, why are you wearing those big-ass noise cans?’” he recalls a childhood incident. “I was like, ‘What?’ It’s just something that stuck with me this one time, and that’s how the name came about.”
His household featured multiple musicians, and they influenced his early exposure to several traditional instruments, including the drums and piano. This prepared him to eventually take on more contemporary fare such as EDM production, starting with his 2015 debut single, “Bucka,” a collaboration with a Dutch DJ, Lady Bee, and a Jamaican dancehall singjay, Mr. Vegas. Eventually, Noise Cans wound up teaming up with an even more prominent name in the world of electronica – Steve Aoki, who signed him to his label; helped him produce his debut EP, Masquerave; and even brought him along on tour with him.
“I came from having never put out a record before; to having my first record being picked up by Steve; and then, next thing I know, I’m on tour with Steve!” Noise Cans reflects with gratitude. “It’s kind of surreal, in a sense, but I think it’s because I was very true to the sound of Caribbean culture and how that infuses with house or trap or the other things I was doing electronically.”
Noise Cans later founded his own label, Masquerave Records, whose stated goal is “to provide a platform for burgeoning Caribbean artists, who are often underrepresented in the electronic dance genre and music industry.”
He confides, “[I wanted] to be able to release my own things at any time that I wanted, [while] also being able to kind of tell the narrative and stories of the Caribbean through other artists.”
One such artist is Jesse Royal, a Jamaican reggae singer who first teamed up with Noise Cans back in 2017 on Masquerave. For their follow-up collaboration, the two artists went into the studio aiming to achieve “the perfect mixture of House music meets the Caribbean” (in Noise Cans’ words). By all accounts, they wound up succeeding spectacularly, generating an exciting and energetic mash-up of EDM and reggae.
“We have great history, [and] he’s obviously blowing up and moving forward in his career,” Noise Cans says of his musical ally. “I felt like it was just a perfect time for us to get back together to be able to create again. And the record came out great. It’s actually one of my favorite records on the album.”
In addition to the poppin’ original, the Attention EP comes with four remixes, courtesy of production teams Drum n Bass and Loud City. Plus, the music video for the song, filmed on location in the marketplaces of Kingston, Jamaica, further advances the project’s goal of capturing the sounds and vibes of the Caribbean in musical form.
“What I love the most about Jamaica is there’s so much backdrop – no matter where you are, you can capture this very real and authentic quality about the culture,” says Noise Cans, who had already filmed several music videos in Jamaica and had no qualms about coming back for more. “The majority of [my videos], I’ve shot in Jamaica, because it’s so rich in culture and backdrop that it makes it hard to kind of miss.”
Furthermore, this music video allows Noise Cans to showcase another important element of Caribbean culture and his own artistic persona – the colorful Gombey mask he dons, Daft Punk-style, wherever he goes to perform. A product of the Caribbean’s dark history of slavery– they granted the wearer some crucial anonymity while dancing and performing in public spaces centuries ago – the Gombey mask is now popular all across the islands. Noise Cans downsized the giant masks somewhat to make it easier to perform while wearing them, but still wears his personal version with pride every time he steps onstage.
“It’s colorful, it’s bright, it’s vibrant,” he says of the mask. “It’s definitely something that I want to be able to show people as I continue to grow and put my music into the space.”
With “Attention” now officially out, The Many Moods of Curtis can’t be too far behind. It’s a record that Noise Cans conceived back in his home in Bermuda – largely during the isolation of 2020, in fact – and he looks forward to sharing this small package of his island’s flair and atmosphere with fans far and wide.
“I want people to love and embrace the music and the sounds,” he says. “I want people to just have an open ear for the vibe and the energy that I’m giving to the world.”
“Thank you for always supporting me,” he adds. “I’m appreciative of your time and everybody else that kind of vibes to my music.”
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Stream: “Attention” – Noise Cans & Jesse Royal
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