Industrial/Noise revival

Started by Thermophile, March 10, 2023, 10:55:29 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Bloated Slutbag

My working definition of industrial has for a long time been, and for the time being at least will remain, any non-academic weird-ass music, for a given value of weird-ass.

The key, as always, is the latter, as of course nothing is ever given so much as taken (if hopefully not...entirely...for granted.)

And. Call me a weirdo and guilty as charged but that separation from the academic set needs to be asserted. I'll take your manifesto, but leave your thesis at the door, thank you.

Hold on. Did he say, revival? Well, aw shucks...
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag

FreakAnimalFinland

Quote from: Bloated Slutbag on March 13, 2023, 05:56:38 PMAnd. Call me a weirdo and guilty as charged but that separation from the academic set needs to be asserted. I'll take your manifesto, but leave your thesis at the door, thank you.

haha! This can be true. Was just reading that older RRRon interview linked in the "noise interviews topic". He mentions that as famous as Russolo's manifest is, never read it. Concludes also that despite long history of experimental sound, the noise we talk about, is born from moment when sound creation no longer happened in universities, and birth of home recordings / cassette culture emerged.

Those being of course absolutely obvious. Point being, for me manifesto or essay, or some sort of noise writing is very interesting, but any book, any research, in form of university thesis is unbearable to read. There are some of those books, even in my shelves..
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

Skuggsidan

Best of all possible worlds: a fanzine in hardcover (book form).

Commander15

Quote from: Keruben on March 14, 2023, 12:02:24 PM
Best of all possible worlds: a fanzine in hardcover (book form).

Pretty costly way to do zine!

Skuggsidan

Quote from: Commander15 on March 14, 2023, 12:47:53 PM
Quote from: Keruben on March 14, 2023, 12:02:24 PM
Best of all possible worlds: a fanzine in hardcover (book form).

Pretty costly way to do zine!

Not too costly, have been looking around at different possibilities.

Andrew McIntosh

Quote from: Commander15 on March 14, 2023, 12:47:53 PM
Quote from: Keruben on March 14, 2023, 12:02:24 PM
Best of all possible worlds: a fanzine in hardcover (book form).

Pretty costly way to do zine!

Noise Receptor zine did a few editions of their compilations in hardback. Some might still be available.

Wasn't there a thread on this forum about manifestos?
Shikata ga nai.

Skuggsidan

Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on March 14, 2023, 01:26:25 PM
Quote from: Commander15 on March 14, 2023, 12:47:53 PM
Quote from: Keruben on March 14, 2023, 12:02:24 PM
Best of all possible worlds: a fanzine in hardcover (book form).

Pretty costly way to do zine!

Noise Receptor zine did a few editions of their compilations in hardback. Some might still be available.

Wasn't there a thread on this forum about manifestos?

I do apologise for the detour.

re:evolution

Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on March 14, 2023, 01:26:25 PM
Quote from: Commander15 on March 14, 2023, 12:47:53 PM
Quote from: Keruben on March 14, 2023, 12:02:24 PM
Best of all possible worlds: a fanzine in hardcover (book form).

Pretty costly way to do zine!

Noise Receptor zine did a few editions of their compilations in hardback. Some might still be available.



Yes - that is correct- both volume 1 & volume 2 book reissues of sold out back issues of Noise Receptor are available in hardcover books (and softcover too) - as is the collected back issues of my first zine Spectrum Magazine. Each title is on Headpress, and as is published on high end 'print on demand', the titles will remain available as long as there is interest.

Links for more details below:

https://headpress.com/product/noise-receptor-vol1/
https://headpress.com/product/noise-receptor-journal-volume-2/
https://headpress.com/product/spectrum-compendium/
noise receptor: sound with impact - analysing the abstract
http://noisereceptor.wordpress.com/
http://www.noisereceptor.bigcartel.com

spectrum magazine archive: ambient / industrial / experimental / power electronics / neo-folk music culture magazine
http://spectrummagarchive.wordpress.com/

post-morten

Quote from: Thermophile on March 11, 2023, 02:20:59 PM
Quote from: host body on March 11, 2023, 01:47:29 PM
Quote from: Thermophile on March 11, 2023, 01:31:33 PM
I am thinking in the end the only "revival" possible could be to capture a bit (but very vaguely) the "spirit" or "that feeling" either via aesthetics, themes, experimentation, some piece of vintage gear.

Hasn't this been done since basically the beginning? I mean new artists using the same themes, aesthetics and gear as those 80s pioneers and making music ranging from vahuely similar to complete rip off?

sort of, but nothing that is too deliberate or that captures the whole movement.

I dunno, but I remember feeling that there was a real industrial revival happening with advent of the new "American/dude noise" scene in the late 90s, early 00s. You had Wolf Eyes namechecking Throbbing Gristle, Merzbow, and Hunting Lodge. Them and guys like Hair Police, Hive Mind and many others churning out experimental sounds on home-built gear and metal junk. There were all the required degrees of separation from the academia and million-dollar electronic studios.

And there came other (more interesting) groups like Yellow Swans, Double Leopards and The Skaters that were more into droning and sustained tones. They related to Wolf Eyes et al like Organum or Zoviet France related to the original Industrial Records camp.

Possibly I tend to over-analyze things that happened purely as a matter of synchronicity. Similar things have occurred in Finland or Sweden too. But for me as an outsider all of these, however disparate, US bands/projects seemed to coalesce into a real revivalist industrial movement, at least in sound and intent. Then to what extent they adhered to "trve" industrial dogmas such as the anti-authoritarianism or the use of shock tactics is up for debate though.

FreakAnimalFinland

Quote from: post-morten on March 15, 2023, 01:47:22 PM
Possibly I tend to over-analyze things that happened purely as a matter of synchronicity. Similar things have occurred in Finland or Sweden too. But for me as an outsider all of these, however disparate, US bands/projects seemed to coalesce into a real revivalist industrial movement, at least in sound and intent. Then to what extent they adhered to "trve" industrial dogmas such as the anti-authoritarianism or the use of shock tactics is up for debate though.

I suppose question of revival was not really if it has happened in past - but about happening again?
I'd supposed there has been multiple revivals by now. Thinking for example the mentioned Finnish and Swedish things. But also, Germany, Austria, Italy.. There was so strong currents of things happening in 90's, that were clearly sort of "back to basics" (wink) attitude, to take new look on industrial heritage and work something new on it.

I recall American friend who was talking sometime mid 00's, who concluded that EVERYBODY wants euro power electronics / industrial / heavy electronics. Anything on Tesco, Loki, MDP... The era of Cold Meat where they'd start to put out IRM and Proiekt Hat, Finns would be first time known in global noise genre with names such when Pain Nail, Order., Strom.ec, Cloama and such made themselves visible and it wouldn't be just BU, UND and Grunt networking out there. Italians going strong with MC, DBL, Atrax Morgue and many more. None of them probably in unbroken lineage from TG/SPK or even Come Org/BF, but some sort of rejuvenation, revival with a bit of something else happening than retro.

I think strength of those revivals was that nobody was really absolutely consciously imitating anything. Or there was no knowledge or technology. Sure everybody had their influences, but it's not like now, when someone can have idea of what product to make, who to market it for, how it must sound and look like. Those revivals still happened into world where slower human interaction and aim for something bigger was the making it possible.



One topic that I have been thinking, in times when we are allowed smaller pressings of everything it has changed a lot of things. Making CD in times when you had to make 500 or 1000 was drastically different from times when you can make 100. Also thinking when edition of 100 LP's was anomaly. Even 200 was.  It is true, that factually, a lot of old tapes were dubbed microscopic amounts, as they had quite different function than in times when you sell tapes as albums in existing market. Just about everything else, was produced bigger quantities, were it may have not been idea, but resulted that you had to reach more people. You had to put lots of time and effort to move stuff and reach new listeners. Now, it appears as if most publishers have kind of defeated mentality, that more often is pressed LESS than there is demand. No faith that there could be more, not even interest that there could be more. While I do not advocate everything to be mass product, or expect anyone to really care does their work get heard by 20 or 2000, I think there is something counter productive in label/publisher approach if for example sniffing around cool artists, and then just putting out their new stuff in clearly too small edition. Almost like intentional suffocation of possibility of potential?

I know I personally am kind of half&half. In a ways, I'm fine checking out good artists at invite only noise gig at basement. Putting out item that doesn't need to be, or is meant to be "spread out there". But in other hand, pushing things further, reaching new ears and minds and seeing what may come out of it, seems very crucial.

Swedes can probably elaborate, but I would suppose, something like what CMI was doing, including "Estheticks Of Cruelty - An Explicit Odyssey Into Swedish Agricultural Sounds". Kind of create sense of something is happening here. Kind of gathering together the new vital forces and displaying it clearly that there is something to cultivate and see what can come out of it. That is kind of opposite action of running label who will try to collect all the fruits and fuck it up in ways that new releases of best artists can't be even found.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

FreakAnimalFinland

To elaborate a bit, obviously not in intent to too harshly criticize how labels are being run, but this question used to be often in WCN podcasts, and very rarely it could be articulated by anyone what it is really that they feel labels should be doing.

For me it feels labels should be doing something more than artist can/want to do themselves. Like spending time in trying to get releases out there. Stuff what otherwise would collect dust in corner of reh'place. Getting them sent out in time, getting them sent overseas, filling all that irritating paperwork and handling import taxes. Possibly trading and sending out the trades. Pressing more than any realistic notion of "demand" dictates, since you are not here to leech on existing demand, but to create something new. etc etc.

In that way I get little annoyed occasionally when there is quite often seemingly idea that labels will do less than artists would. Like said, good artists finally starting to get somewhere, and then doing deal with label who will be "nah, I'll do 30. won't be sending anything. Won't be sending overseas. Won't be replying any contacts". Or at worst, doing nothing. Then years laters other labels picking up those missing pieces of discography thinking god damn would it have changed how we see this artists if we heard his best titles when they were SUPPOSED to be heard. Not decade later when that situation is gone...   While 100 copies CD in some cases can be absolutely perfect or even too many, a lot of times it feels like current times of easy and cheap manufacturing of tiny editions can be counterproductive for "revival".  Meaning,  if "well.. noone cares anyways" would be accepted and it dictates how things operate, I would say it certainly is far from ideal. When situation forces you to push more, it may be annoying and energy draining, yet possibly enable good things to happen.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

Leewar

That's a great point regarding labels, and one i was discussing with a fellow musician a few days ago.

He said he was approached by a 'label' who wanted to release a tape of his material, professionally printed inlay, high quality tape etc etc

My friend decides now would be a good time to invest in some better equipment to make the best of this release.

He spends $500 on equipment, and works on that material over 8 months, many hours every evening.

Material goes to label, who then contact him saying due to volume of material his label is releasing he can only do 20 copies.

Label then 'release' it, via a post on a Instagram page and post it on their bandcamp, and that is as far as the 'promotion' goes.


My friend then does all the work to get copies to disto's, while 'label owner' does nothing except maybe tell his friends how he's a 'curator' of a tape label.