Local noise artist Okha, whose real name is Josh Banke, laments the lack of respect his genre receives in Portland, but argues convincingly that he is particularly oppressed.

"My amps blow up all the time, and the master recordings my former band [Tusks of Blood] worked on for two years got eaten by the machine, and our van died on the way to a show," he says.

Portland noise enthusiasts must face record stores that don't carry the genre, and venues that won't book noise shows. In fact, several clubs have permanently banned Okha for being "too loud."

"They've blamed me for things that weren't my fault," says Banke, who claims that the multiple nosebleeds and one seizure that audience members have suffered were "coincidental."--ANNA BOND