According to OUTSIDE

I. The Viral Trend of Fungal Frequencies

A new genre of ambient music is emerging from an unexpected source: the forest floor. Driven by viral social media videos from artists like Tarun Nayar (known as Modern Biology), the practice of “mushroom music” or fungal bio-sonification is gaining significant traction. These videos typically feature an artist in nature, hooking alligator clips to a wild mushroom—such as a red-belted conk growing on a log—which is then connected to a modular synthesizer. The result is often a gentle, rhythmic, and surprisingly melodic stream of electronic sounds that appears to be generated by the fungus itself.

This phenomenon has captured the public imagination, aligning with a broader cultural resurgence of interest in mycology (the study of fungi) and a desire for deeper connection with the natural world. It transforms silent, seemingly inanimate organisms into active participants in a sonic landscape.

II. The Mechanism: Bioelectricity, Not a Symphony

While it is tempting to believe mushrooms are consciously composing melodies, the reality is a fusion of biology and technology. Fungi, like nearly all living organisms, are bioelectrical. They generate faint electrical signals—action potentials—in response to various environmental stimuli such as changes in light, moisture, temperature, or physical touch.

The process of “mushroom music” involves tapping into this activity:

Biodata Sonification: Artists use devices initially designed to measure plant bioelectricity. Electrodes are inserted into the mushroom’s flesh or the mycelial network underneath.

Measuring Resistance: The device measures tiny fluctuations in electrical resistance or conductivity within the fungal tissue.

Data to Sound: Crucially, this raw electrical data is not sound. It is converted into MIDI signals. These signals are fed into a synthesizer, where the human artist has pre-selected the specific instrument sounds, scales, and audio effects.

Therefore, the final output is a collaboration: the mushroom provides the raw rhythmic data based on its biological activity, and the human artist provides the aesthetic musical palette. Tarun Nayar acknowledges this, noting there is “a lot of creative liberty” involved in interpreting the signals.

Mycelium is the root-like structure of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, threadlike hyphae. Fungal colonies consisting of mycelium are found in soil and on many other substrates. Mycelium forms fruiting bodies such as mushrooms.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

III. Pioneers of the Myco-Sonic Landscape

While currently trending, this practice has deeper roots. Artists like Tosca Terán have been working with fungal bio-sonification for years, creating immersive installations that translate the hidden processes of mycelium into audible experiences. Terán even presented a “non-human” audio installation featuring live fungi at the Venice Biennale. Other prominent figures in this niche community include Noah Kalos (Mycolyco), who builds his own specialized modules to interface with fungi.

For these practitioners, the goal is often less about creating a chart-topping hit and more about creating a bridge for human engagement. It is a way to make the invisible, complex, and dynamic processes of the fungal kingdom perceivable to human senses.

IV. Viewpoint: A Powerful Tool for Ecological Connection

From an objective perspective, “mushroom music” resides at the fascinating intersection of art, technology, and ecology. It is important to clarify that this is not evidence of fungal “language” or “sentience” in the human sense. The mushroom is not “feeling sad” and playing a minor chord; it is reacting biologically to its environment, and a synthesizer is interpreting that reaction as a minor chord based on human programming.

However, the value of this practice lies in its ability to shift human perception. By turning biological data into sound, these artists highlight that fungi are not passive background scenery but active, responsive, and dynamic components of ecosystems. It serves as a powerful, accessible tool for science communication, fostering a sense of wonder and encouraging a deeper ecological awareness of the intricate life teeming beneath our feet.