Emily Johnson
Music made from mushrooms is a growing trend. Artists like Tarun Nayar, MycoLyco, and Tosca Terán have gained millions of views on TikTok and YouTube by creating electronic music with mushrooms. The process, known as biodata sonification, involves translating the bioelectric energy of fungi into musical beats. While the scientific accuracy of these interpretations has been questioned, the popularity of mushroom music speaks to a larger cultural fascination with these mysterious organisms. The documentary Music for Mushrooms explores the healing power of music and psychedelics, showcasing how music can foster deep introspection and transformation. As the interest in fungi continues to grow, we can expect to see more artists experimenting with this unique form of musical collaboration.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Documentary name | Music for Mushrooms |
| Musician featured | East Forest |
| Genre | Psychedelic |
| Subject | Healing power of music and psychedelics |
| Musician's work | Blending immersive soundscapes with guided experiences |
| Musician's view | Music can foster deep introspection and transformation in an anxious world |
| Musician's followers on TikTok | 730,000+ |
| Musician's views on TikTok videos | Tens of millions |
| Other musicians in the same genre | MycoLyco, Mileece, Noa Kalos, Tosca Terán, Michael Allen Prime, Modern Biology, Joe Patitucci |
| MycoLyco's followers on TikTok | 700,000 |
| MycoLyco's views on YouTube video | 4 million+ |
| MycoLyco's views on TikTok | 1 million+ |
| MycoLyco's celebrity followers | SZA, Lizzo, Paul McCartney |
| MycoLyco's music featured in | Stella McCartney's fashion show |
| #mushtok views on TikTok | 52.5 million |
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What You'll Learn
Musicians like Tarun Nayar and Noa Kalos are creating music with mushrooms
Music made from mushrooms is a niche new genre that has gained popularity on TikTok. Musicians like Tarun Nayar and Noa Kalos (AKA MycoLyco) are at the forefront of this movement, creating music with mushrooms and racking up millions of views and followers on social media.
Tarun Nayar, a former biologist and electronic artist, describes his music as "organismic". He believes that mushrooms sound "squiggly and wonky" and that his music is a way to forge deeper connections with the natural world. Nayar's project, Modern Biology, has gained over 730,000 followers and 17 million likes on TikTok, with his most popular mushroom music videos garnering tens of millions of views.
Noa Kalos, a mycologist and musician based in North Carolina, has also gained a significant following, with over 65,000 followers on her YouTube and TikTok channels. Her videos showcase her home-grown medicinal and culinary mushrooms connected to machinery to create unique musical compositions. Kalos describes her music as a "creative collaboration between humans, mushrooms, and machines". She believes that social media has helped to spread interest in fungi and break down barriers, making knowledge about the fungi kingdom more accessible to the general public.
The music made from mushrooms is created through a process called biodata sonification, where biological processes are translated into frequencies that can be turned into music. While this technology is still in its early stages and has limited scientific use, it has sparked a new genre of artistic collaboration with nature. Artists like Nayar and Kalos experiment with synthesisers and electrodes, connecting them to mushrooms and other plants to create calming ambient soundscapes and trippy beats.
The popularity of mushroom music speaks to a larger cultural fascination with fungi and a desire to connect with the natural world. It also reflects a growing interest in the potential therapeutic benefits of music and psychedelics, as explored in the documentary "Music for Mushrooms", which features musician East Forest and examines the intersection of art, spirituality, and science.
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The process of translating mushroom songs is called Biodata Sonification
The process of translating mushroom songs or biodata into music is called biodata sonification. This process involves using two sensitive electrodes on the surface of a mushroom to measure small changes in electrical conductivity. The electrodes have to be isolated to capture the natural sound of the organism's electrical impulses. These changes are then detected by a microcontroller, which uses standard deviation calculations and averages to convert the data into a language that can be understood by computers and synthesizers. This language is called MIDI, which stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.
Biodata sonification has been made more accessible by modern digital audio workstations, such as Ableton, which allow for the integration of sonification technology with conventional music-making equipment. However, the artistic interpretation of the data streams is still significant, as the raw files can be modified with programming and technological interventions to create unpredictable and rich soundscapes.
The history of biodata sonification can be traced back to the 1970s, with the experiments of an eco-commune/cult in the Italian Alps. Experimental composer John Cage, who published a book about the musicality of mushrooms in 1972, is also considered a pioneer in this field. In recent years, artists such as Tosca Terán, Tarun Nayar (aka MycoLyco), Joe Patitucci, and the band Octopus Project have gained popularity by creating music through biodata sonification, often in collaboration with plants and fungi.
The popularity of mushroom music and biodata sonification speaks to a larger cultural wave inspired by mysterious organisms that have remained relatively unknown. This trend is also fueled by social media, which has opened up knowledge about fungi to a wider audience. While the scientific accuracy of sonification devices has been questioned, artists and musicians continue to experiment with this new genre of artistic collaboration, hoping to forge deeper connections with nature and encourage curiosity about the natural world.
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Mycelium music has gone mainstream
The rise of mycelium music can be traced back to the experiments of an eco-commune/cult founded in the Italian Alps in the 1970s. Today, artists are using technology like microscopes, big data, and biodata sonification to create music in collaboration with nature. This new genre of artistic collaboration is still in its early stages, but it has already sparked a larger cultural wave inspired by mysterious organisms. As musician Noa Kalos, aka MycoLyco, says, "A lot of the gatekeeping and mycophobia around mushrooms has fallen away thanks to social media."
The popularity of mycelium music is also reflected in the success of related content on social media platforms like TikTok. The "mushtok" hashtag has accumulated 52.5 million views, and celebrities like SZA, Lizzo, and Paul McCartney have taken an interest in the work of mycelium musicians. McCartney even licensed Kalos' "bleeps and bloops" for her Paris Fashion Week show, where she introduced the world to the first mushroom-leather purse made from mycelium.
While the scientific accuracy of sonification devices has been questioned, artists believe that these experiments with plant sonification are vital for forging deeper connections with nature. As Nayar says, "When people are doom-scrolling on TikTok and all of a sudden a little mushroom pops up, that's a moment of reconnecting, even if it's through a phone." Mycelium music provides a unique way to explore the big questions about life, consciousness, art, and our place in the universe. It also highlights the hidden secrets of nature, demonstrating how mushrooms are alive like we are.
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The 'Mushtok' hashtag has 52.5 million views on TikTok
The Mushtok hashtag has taken the internet by storm, with 52.5 million views on TikTok. This trend involves artists collaborating with plants and fungi to create vibrant experimental electronic soundscapes. The process, known as biodata sonification, involves translating the electrical impulses of mushrooms into vibrations that can be turned into music. While the scientific accuracy of these interpretations has been questioned, the artistic and spiritual dimensions of this practice have captured the imagination of many.
One pioneer in this field is Mileece, a sonic artist and "biophilic systems designer" who has been creating soundscapes from plants for over 20 years. She believes that listening to plants fosters a deeper connection with nature and raises awareness that we are all part of the same system. Another notable figure is Tarun Nayar, also known as Modern Biology on TikTok, who has accumulated over 736,000 followers and 17 million likes on the platform. Nayar combines his training in Indian classical music with his biology education to create music that highlights the hidden secrets of nature.
Noa Kalos, or MycoLyco, is another popular mycologist and musician who creates electronic music with mushrooms. She has gained widespread attention, including from celebrities like SZA, Lizzo, and Paul McCartney, and has even licensed her music for fashion shows. Kalos emphasizes that her work is not about psychedelia but rather, a creative collaboration between humans, mushrooms, and machines.
The growing popularity of mushroom music speaks to a larger cultural fascination with these mysterious organisms. As Giuliana Furci, founder of the Fungi Foundation, notes, the accessible language of music can bring everyday people closer to the mind-blowing world of fungi. With the help of technology, we are able to unlock the hidden world of fungi and explore new ways of connecting with nature.
The Mushtok hashtag on TikTok is a testament to the growing interest in mushroom music and the power of social media to spread knowledge about fungi beyond just mushroom experts. As Kalos observes, social media has broken down barriers and mycophobia, opening up a world of information about the fungi kingdom to a wider audience.
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'Music for Mushrooms' is a documentary about musician East Forest
Music for Mushrooms is a documentary that follows musician East Forest as he explores the healing power of music and psychedelics. The film blends immersive soundscapes with guided experiences, showcasing how music can foster deep introspection and transformation in a world grappling with anxiety. It offers a fresh perspective on the ceremonial use of plant medicine and the intersection of art, spirituality, and science.
East Forest, also known as Krishna-Trevor Oswalt, is a shamanistic musician and filmmaker. In the documentary, he embarks on a journey to pair music with psychedelics, seeking to bring about transformative healing to address global crises. The film highlights his bold experiments that combine music with guided psychedelic experiences, drawing on shamanistic practices.
The documentary features a range of notable figures, including Ram Dass, Jon Hopkins, Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, and others. It provides a glimpse into East Forest's personal journey and how his work has impacted others. The visuals are artfully crafted, and the overall mood of the film is described as euphoric. However, some viewers have expressed that the documentary could have delved deeper into the scientific aspects and the transformative nature of music and medicine.
Music for Mushrooms sheds light on the niche new genre of music involving mushrooms. It adds to the growing body of work exploring the creation of soundscapes from plants and fungi. This includes artists like Tarun Nayar, who has gained popularity on TikTok with his videos of mushrooms creating calming ambient soundscapes, and MycoLyco, who has also gone viral with their experiments connecting synthesisers to mushrooms to create trippy beats. The popularity of this genre speaks to a larger cultural fascination with fungi and their mysterious qualities.
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Frequently asked questions
Music for Mushrooms, a documentary that follows musician East Forest as he explores the healing power of music and psychedelics, has received a lot of views and positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Music created from the bioelectric energy of fungi has taken the internet by storm. Mycolyco's "Five Minutes of Pink Oyster Mushroom Playing Modular Synthesizer" garnered over 4 million views on YouTube and Instagram. Mycolyco, also known as Noa Kalos, has over 65,000 followers on her YouTube channel, with several thousand views on each video.
The "Mushtok" hashtag has 52.5 million views on TikTok. Musician and former biologist Tarun Nayar, known as Modern Biology on TikTok, has over 730,000 followers and 25 million views.
Yes, several artists are experimenting with creating music from mushrooms and plants. Mileece, an artist and sonic designer, has been working with plants and fungi for over 20 years.
