Laura Smith
The concept of mushroom music has gained popularity on TikTok, with artists such as MycoLyco and Modern Biology creating tunes through the bioelectric energy of fungi. While the mushrooms themselves are not consciously creating the music, musician-scientists use electrodes and synths to translate the electrical impulses of the mushrooms into audible frequencies. This process, known as biodata sonification, has led to the creation of mesmerizing beats that have captivated a growing fanbase. The trend of mushroom music has sparked a broader interest in fungi and their mysterious qualities, challenging the traditional mycophobia surrounding mushrooms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How is mushroom music created? | Musicians and scientists use synths, electrodes, and other devices to measure the galvanic conductance and electrical impulses of mushrooms, which are then converted into audible frequencies or notes. |
| Who are the key figures in mushroom music? | Tarun Nayar (Modern Biology), Noa/Noah Kalos (MycoLyco), Mileece, the Octopus Project (led by Yvonne Lambert), Sam Cusumano (Electricity for Progress), and John Cage. |
| What platforms is it popular on? | TikTok, Reddit, and other social media platforms. |
| What are the implications and interpretations? | Some believe it helps humans reconnect with nature and fosters a deeper appreciation for fungi. Others question the sentience and consciousness of mushrooms, and whether they can truly create music or understand it. |
| What are some related topics? | The "Wood Wide Web," mycology, the study of fungi, and the potential use of mushrooms in psychedelic research and treatment. |
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What You'll Learn
- Artists like MycoLyco and Modern Biology are creating music from mushrooms
- Fungi's electrical signals are converted into audible frequencies
- The internet's fascination with fungi is inspiring people to reconnect with nature
- Indigenous people believe in giving music back to the forest when taking mushrooms
- Fungi's ability to sense and respond to sound waves is a new discovery
Artists like MycoLyco and Modern Biology are creating music from mushrooms
Music made from mushrooms may sound like a gimmick, but artists like MycoLyco and Modern Biology are proving that it is anything but. By connecting synthesisers to mushrooms, these artists are creating trippy beats and calming ambient soundscapes that have gone viral on TikTok, racking up millions of views and followers.
MycoLyco, the alias of North Carolina-based electronic musician Noah Kalos, has even soundtracked a Stella McCartney show, where the designer used mycelium – grown from mushrooms – as a leather substitute. Kalos believes that "just being able to find a signal that we can really observe helps to raise awareness that fungi are all living, we’re all part of the same thing".
Tarun Nayar, the musician behind Modern Biology, has also gained a significant following on TikTok with his organismic music project. His videos feature mushrooms emitting sounds straight from analogue bass synthesizers, creating a slower version of the Stranger Things theme. Nayar believes that these experiments with plant sonification are vital in forging deeper connections with the natural world: "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. If music and tuning in more deeply can bring us here right now, then there’s hope."
It is important to note that the mushrooms themselves are not making the music. Instead, artists are using the movement of water inside the mushrooms as electrical resistance, and when circuit cables are plugged into them, small changes in resistance due to the mushroom's natural bioelectric charge manifest as notes of music. This process is known as biodata sonification, and it is opening up a whole new world of fungal exploration.
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Fungi's electrical signals are converted into audible frequencies
The concept of "mushroom music" has gained popularity, with people plugging synthesisers into mushrooms to create music. However, it is important to clarify that the mushrooms themselves are not creating the music or choosing the notes. Instead, specialised devices translate the biological processes and electrical signals of the mushrooms into frequencies that can be transformed into audible music.
Mushrooms, or fungi, do exhibit electrical activity, and this is an area of active research. Fungi lack traditional nervous systems, but they can generate and transmit electrical signals through their mycelium networks. These electrical impulses may serve as a form of communication for fungi, potentially sharing information about food sources or threats.
The electrical signals generated by fungi have been studied by scientists like Dan Bebber, an associate professor of biosciences at the University of Exeter, and Prof Andrew Adamatzky at the University of the West of England. Their research has revealed rhythmic patterns and structural similarities to human speech in these electrical signals.
To create "mushroom music," artists and musicians use biodata sonification devices or synthesisers connected to the mushrooms. These devices capture the electrical impulses generated by the fungi and translate them into audible frequencies, creating unique and intriguing soundscapes. While the direct correlation between the electrical signals and the resulting tones requires further investigation, the popularity of "mushroom music" has sparked a broader interest in fungi and their mysterious qualities.
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The internet's fascination with fungi is inspiring people to reconnect with nature
Mushroom music is taking the internet by storm, with several artists producing tunes through the bioelectric energy of fungi. This trend is inspiring people to reconnect with nature and explore the mysterious world of fungi. While the mushrooms themselves are not consciously making the music, the electrical impulses in their biological processes are being translated into frequencies that can be turned into music through a process called biodata sonification. This has opened up a new way for people to engage with mushrooms and sparked a fascination with the mysterious and complex world of fungi.
Fungi have long been overlooked in the Western world, treated as an afterthought to the study of plants. However, they play a pivotal role in our ecosystems and have a biological complexity that is only recently being understood. Fungi contribute to the evolution of our current ecosystem as decomposers and symbiotic partners of plants. They also have significant uses as food and medicine. The internet's fascination with fungi is helping to shed light on the importance of these organisms and their potential for sustainable technologies.
The trend of mushroom music is just one example of the many ways that fungi are inspiring people to reconnect with nature. Influencers and educators are teaching others about the benefits of fungi and how to safely engage with mushrooms in the wild. People are also growing mushrooms at home, using premade kits to explore the fascinating world of mycology. The internet is spreading interest in fungi and breaking down the barriers of mycophobia, allowing regular people, not just experts, to learn about the fungi kingdom.
Mushroom music is not just a gimmick, but a way to forge deeper connections with the natural world. Artists like Tarun Nayar, Noah Kalos (MycoLyco), and Mileece believe that their experiments with plant sonification are vital in helping people to tune in more deeply to nature. By creating music from the electrical signals of mushrooms, they are raising awareness that fungi are living, sentient beings that are part of the same ecosystem as humans. As Nayar explains, "It's that I'm not making the melodies, and I'm not making the rhythms... there's very little human-ness in these compositions."
The internet's fascination with fungi is inspiring a cultural wave that goes beyond just mushroom music. People are exploring the many mystifying wonders of fungi, from their use in medicine and sustainable technologies to their potential for enhancing consciousness in psychedelic research. As biologist and writer Merlin Sheldrake says, "Fungi are certainly having a moment." The online fascination with fungi is inspiring people to reconnect with nature and discover the many ways that these mysterious organisms can shape our future.
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Indigenous people believe in giving music back to the forest when taking mushrooms
The recent trend of synthed-up mushrooms is not the first instance of fungi's relationship with music. During research in the fields of southern Chile, Indigenous elders instructed a team to give music back to the forest in exchange for the mushrooms they took. This belief is not an isolated incident, as the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University has hosted conferences exploring the Indigenous roots of the psychedelic movement. These conferences have included talks, music, and poems from Indigenous people, with a focus on avoiding tokenization and ensuring genuine representation.
Indigenous peoples have long been respected for their knowledge of the benefits and risks of consuming mushrooms, as seen in the example of Maria Sabina, who is said to have synthesized psilocybin from mushrooms. Today, microdosing mushrooms is still used by some Indigenous people, like Oshumare, who credits psilocybin with helping them develop a spiritual practice and a new perspective on societal expectations.
While the electrical signals of mushrooms do not directly translate to the tones we hear through musical devices, the use of these devices to create music from mushrooms has become a popular way for people to reconnect with nature. Musicians and scientists use synths and electrodes to plug into mushrooms and translate their biological processes into frequencies that can be understood as music. This trend has taken off on TikTok, with artists like MycoLyco and Tarun Nayar gaining millions of views on their videos of mushroom music.
The popularity of mushroom music can be seen as part of a larger cultural wave inspired by fungi, as people seek to learn more about these mysterious organisms and their complex biological processes. This fascination with fungi is also reflected in fashion, as seen in Stella McCartney's use of mycelium, grown from mushrooms, as a leather substitute. As musician Noa Kalos observes, social media has played a significant role in reducing mycophobia and opening up knowledge about fungi to a wider audience.
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Fungi's ability to sense and respond to sound waves is a new discovery
Fungi's ability to sense and respond to sound waves is a recent discovery. This discovery has sparked a new trend in music: mushroom music. Artists are creating music through the bioelectric energy of fungi, and it's taking the internet by storm. While the mushrooms themselves are not making the music, devices are translating their biological processes into frequencies that can be turned into music. This process is called biodata sonification.
The idea of mushroom music is not entirely new. Indigenous elders in southern Chile instructed researchers to give music back to the forest in exchange for the mushrooms they took. Japanese folktales also tell of how lightning multiplies the shiitake harvest, suggesting a connection between sound and mushroom growth.
Mushroom music has gained popularity on TikTok, with influencers like MycoLyco creating videos of their experiments connecting synthesizers to mushrooms to create unique beats. Musician Tarun Nayar, who goes by MycoLyco on TikTok, believes that his work with mushroom music is vital in forging deeper connections with the natural world. He sees mushrooms as a way to raise awareness that fungi are living, just like humans, and that we are all part of the same thing.
The process of creating mushroom music involves connecting the mushrooms to a device that can measure galvanic conductance and detect changes in electrical impulses. These changes are then translated into musical notes and control changes using MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) technology. The result is mesmerizing beats that have captivated a growing fanbase.
While the mushrooms themselves are not consciously creating the music, their electrical impulses and fluctuations are being interpreted by devices and turned into audible tunes. This process has sparked a new way of thinking about fungi and their ability to sense and respond to sound waves. It remains to be seen what other discoveries will come from this fascinating intersection of music and mycology.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushroom music is a type of music that is created by translating the electrical impulses of mushrooms into frequencies that humans can hear.
Musicians and scientists use synths and electrodes to connect to mushrooms and cacti to create music. The natural matter is connected via electrodes to a device that can measure galvanic conductance from outside the organism’s skin, similar to how a lie detector works. The electrical impulses produce vibrations that can be turned into music in a process called Biodata Sonification.
Mushroom music is real in the sense that it is possible to create music from the electrical impulses of mushrooms. However, the mushrooms themselves are not consciously making the music or choosing which notes we hear. The devices only translate biological processes into frequencies that we can turn into music.
