Alva Noto is the stage name of sound artist Carsten Nicolai, who has established himself as an artist amongst current electronic sound and visual designers who are using art and music as hybrid tools to create microscopic views of creative processes.

Nicolai plays with the rules of physicality. Sound is changed and evolved into time and space and transformed by looping oscillators and tone generators. Through these processes the essence of pure electricity is made audible. He works without sequencers, but mathematically edits his work to give his compositions precise rhythmic structures. Clicks and glitches are not used as ornamental additions to the compositions but make up the essential elements of the work and these sound sources are applied to the rhythmic groove of Hip-Hop and R&B. The sounds of electronic information transmission such as fax tones, modem sounds and telephone pops and clicks are sampled and organised into loops to which Nicolai adds longer electronic tones in the background and foreground as the piece progresses.

Nicolai has performed and created installations in many of the world's most prestigious spaces including The Guggenheim NYC, MOMA SF, MOMA Oxford, NTT Tokyo, and Biennale Venedig Italy. As a member of the Raster-Noton label he was responsible for the acclaimed CD series '20 to 2000' that went on to win the Golden Nica prize at Prix Ars Electronica 2000.