How do you define music? Probably not in terms of white noise and empty space. But as crowds beeline for the likes of Diplo, a showcase from less-known German label Raster-Noton—which moves beyond the tenets of the minimalist genre—arguably represents the heart of Decibel. Formed in 1999 by Olaf Bender and Carsten Nicolai, Raster-Noton has since existed as an experimental space outside of the electronic-music norm. Artist Richard Chartier, who released “Incidence” in 2006 and performed at last year’s Experimental Showcase, once said that a standard musical scale “doesn’t come into play” when he’s creating a piece. Pixel’s album Set Your Center Between Your Parts in Order To makes extensive use of white noise as percussion and fill, with minimal tones between the breakdowns. It’s not what one thinks of when bandying about the term “electronic music.” The label also challenges traditional perceptions of clicks ’n’ cuts: Where labels like Mille Plateaux straddled the line between techno and minimal rather widely, Raster-Noton leaves much open to interpretation. Calling its artists’ compositions “songs” is almost insulting to the creative space they work within. Decibel exists to expose music, visuals, and sound beyond the reach of the in-the-know crowd, and Raster-Noton—while under the radar—embodies that essence.