Why Do You Listen To Noise? (I'm writing an opinion article)

[Arvo]

I've read someone say that they worked at a record store for several years (not Ron) and most people who bought noise/experimental stuff were with a group, just kind of hyping the new thing.

This applies to anyone who listens to PE, Noise, Drone, and other such "Non Music".

I don't care about conceptual remarks, philosophical background, artistic reactionism, and etc.

I'm asking why it is that people listen to it personally, inside their home or in transit. What function it serves, especially as it applies to the idea of being apart or separate from music.

What factors are you looking for? Is production quality an issue? If not, what is it that takes its place?

What makes a noise release something that gets repeat listens?

This could also include live performance, why a noise show is something you're interested in going to.

I've read Boyd Rice say something like "It helps me get in touch with my more reptilian part of my mind" and etc. Is that really it?

I also remember someone saying somewhere that they started by listening to Wolf Eyes, and after a while they got more of an ear for it, started putting contact mics on their turntables for long periods of time. I can appreciate that, but what makes a noise release one worth buying?

I know it's subjective but I want to get a variety of competent answers where ever possible.

If this has been discussed before, I could not find it in the search engine.

This is genuine curiosity, but I do intend to compile the results formally and publish them somewhere, giving proper credit to any contributions I use. That said, if any one sharing could also add their name and link this would be good.

I "discovered" making noise on accident, I didn't listen to it at all before I happened to end up making it. It was the result of total music failure, but I started refining what happened as a result, instead of trying to get back to music. I was kind of out of my head and at that time it seemed like what I was doing was perfectly dancable even though in hindsight it was totally out there. I'm saying this because I'm no newbie, but I really have only been listening to noise for 6 or 7 years, and very selectively at that. It's only a fraction of what I have in my collection. While I'm no expert on the history of it, my regular day involves listening to some locked grooves mixed with drones on my computer mixed with 5 radios and/or any combination etc. I have nothing to prove, but I'm a reclusive person and I'm no scenester by any stretch.

I expect a lot of smartass remarks and that's fine, but I'm trying to be totally respectful here. I'm just very curious why more seasoned people listen to it, especially people that have been at it for a very long time.

I am going to finish this article by the end of November. This will be in a major Chicago weekly paper. Please feel free to add to it! I will contact you privately for your name, location and project name/label/history if I decide to quote you.

[Gaendaal]

I could go into this in depth, and I might do if I have time, but I ultimately listen to sounds I like listening to. This is no different for any genre of music (or any non-musical sounds) and I always fail to understand why noise is consistently singled out for this kind of analysis.

[Adrian]

I listen to music I like to listen to; that other people consider it to be noise is a different thing. Slight distinction there.

[billygomberg]

Noise for me, at whatever intensity, is about the physicality, the overwhelming materiality of sound. I'm not going to make distinctions between "music" and "noise" as separate entities. The best noise, the noise that nails me to the ground or pushes me around the room, presents me with an unavoidable physical phenomenon.

[Ricci]

Managing to accept and dissect the different components of noise prepares an individual in facing difficulties, either mental or physical. And - when properly constructed - noise is very close to silence.

[Snow Dog]

I wrote this some time ago:
http://fishbonery.blogspot.com/2008/10/ ... etter.html

It is short, but have some points.

[presquepartout]

Noise for me, at whatever intensity, is about the physicality, the overwhelming materiality of sound. I'm not going to make distinctions between "music" and "noise" as separate entities. The best noise, the noise that nails me to the ground or pushes me around the room, presents me with an unavoidable physical phenomenon.

this, especially in a live setting (which is where i experience most 'noise')

[Dan Warburton]

To answer the question asked in the thread title - I listen to it because I think I ought to and because people send things my way.. I've never actually bought a noise album in my life (!) (unless Sheer Hellish Miasma counts, and I don't think it does).
More interesting (to me) is the question how do you listen to noise? Most of these albums are to be "enjoyed" at high volume over loudspeakers - and not through headphones, no matter how good they are - and that presents a major problem for me, or rather, my family and my neighbours. I wonder how many posters here live in isolated farmhouses where they can pump up the volume to 11 and thrill to Sickness or Prurient or whoever floats your boat. Assuming most of you out there live in, umm, communities surrounded by other people who don't necessarily appreciate the subtleties of The Rita, how do you manage to even play the stuff at all?
(On the subject of headphones, I actually rather like listening to wall noise through cans myself. But Incapacitants, Merzbow etc just don't work.)
Oh, yeah, "PE" for me means Public Enemy Did a double take when I read that
ps I'm talking about albums here, as you probably figured out - don't get to see it live as often as I should, which is a shame

[schiksalgemeinschaft]

amongst other things, but probably primarily, to vent and purge "my soul".

could be that I say this because of romantic metal brainwashing in my teens.

[Snow Dog]

More interesting (to me) is the question how do you listen to noise? Most of these albums are to be "enjoyed" at high volume over loudspeakers - and not through headphones, no matter how good they are - and that presents a major problem for me, or rather, my family and my neighbours. I wonder how many posters here live in isolated farmhouses where they can pump up the volume to 11 and thrill to Sickness or Prurient or whoever floats your boat. Assuming most of you out there live in, umm, communities surrounded by other people who don't necessarily appreciate the subtleties of The Rita, how do you manage to even play the stuff at all?

Yes, this is difficult. My family is not a fan of noise, to say the least, not even played at a low volume. These days, I mostly play noise in my car, especially on longer trips. When in a car though, it shouldn't be to slow moving, as it could turn me sleepy. Compilations are often the best, as they most times are varied and exciting.

What makes a noise release something that gets repeat listens?

I'm guessing taste is as important with noise as any other music. For me depth or a big range of frequensies are important, so it doesn't sound flat. Sometimes rythm or a lot of changing in the structure can compensate for lack of depth. More bass and mid range than higher pitch will also attract me (taste again)

[fenneszfan]

Although I would say I mostly like other music and noise is a minority, I am getting more and more interested in noise. I think it's the brutality. The mind is forced silent and the purity of noise fills my head. No other music can do this, I don't care how loud it is. Sometimes I need that.
Whether it's anger, sadness, whatever emotion your feeling noise music wil help. I've realized that too.
Favorites:
Prurient
Kevin Drumm
Merzbow
John Wiese

[Arvo]

"unavoidable physical phenomenon" is what I'm looking for.

I'm not trying to split hairs about noise and music, I understand what people are saying, but why? I want to quote people as to why.

My personal opinion is that noise is different from music and some things that are considered noise are more experimental music. If I play 5 radios tuned to static at full volume, it is going to affect me differently than if I played death metal at full volume. Especially if it is sustained and unwieldy, I think it does something different to the brain that the emotional faculties of most music don't get to.

Thanks for the contributions!

[Arvo]

I can listen all day as long as it's before 10pm and after 10am, that is my guideline in my apartment...

To answer the question asked in the thread title - I listen to it because I think I ought to and because people send things my way.. I've never actually bought a noise album in my life (!) (unless Sheer Hellish Miasma counts, and I don't think it does).
More interesting (to me) is the question how do you listen to noise? Most of these albums are to be "enjoyed" at high volume over loudspeakers - and not through headphones, no matter how good they are - and that presents a major problem for me, or rather, my family and my neighbours. I wonder how many posters here live in isolated farmhouses where they can pump up the volume to 11 and thrill to Sickness or Prurient or whoever floats your boat. Assuming most of you out there live in, umm, communities surrounded by other people who don't necessarily appreciate the subtleties of The Rita, how do you manage to even play the stuff at all?
(On the subject of headphones, I actually rather like listening to wall noise through cans myself. But Incapacitants, Merzbow etc just don't work.)
Oh, yeah, "PE" for me means Public Enemy Did a double take when I read that
ps I'm talking about albums here, as you probably figured out - don't get to see it live as often as I should, which is a shame

[faster]

I'm irremediably curious about how people respond to the creative impulse.

[Jesse]

I'm irremediably curious about how people respond to the creative impulse.

i can't much improve on this.

[bryan]

Human obsessive-compulsive pattern recognition and desire for meaning gets tiring. It becomes pleasurable to embrace the absurd, as found in sublime and indifferent creative-destructive Nature. In the end there is a return to nothing, but of the type that is very human, and therefore very something, and meaningful. It's sort of like the stages of grief. I am talking about my experience listening to Rebecca Black.

[Faurest]

I rarely listen to pure noise (solo merzbow or wolfeyes) but i really enjoy the physical strenght of noisey music, wether its Daniel Menche, Sunno))), Boris, Pita or Fennesz. It reminds me of the power of nature (waves crashing, wind blowing). Kataract by Daniel Menche seems like a perfect exemple : its like the brutal strenght of nature turned into music. Loads of composers (Vivaldi, Sibelius) were inspired by nature but i think those noisey artists do it pretty well actually. & the love of noise brings back memories of rocknroll (distorsion, loud amplifiers) with the deepness of ambient music (no rythms). Also Noise music bring back bit of danger & fear & crazyness that you rarely find in ambient music..

[e-Miel]

Why do I listen to noise?

I has a spiritual quality to it for me. I get in trance like states. I mostly listen to it when Im alone, so I can absorb the sounds the best way. I dislike people talking trough the music.

[used]

I always fail to understand why noise is consistently singled out for this kind of analysis.

Well, for starters, it's called noise.

[normalioifyp]

Same reason why I listen to anything: Because it sounds good.

I know you want to take it apart and analyze it, but you can't, and any attempt to do so will end in the most pretentious article about noise ever written.

Furthermore, what is "noise" and what is "music?" I call my work noise because that's what other people call it when they hear it.