NOISEXTRA - A podcast about noise

Started by FreakAnimalFinland, May 31, 2019, 12:16:12 PM

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Warfare Noise

#150
A friends label is working on an Oral History of 90s noise and already has collected many interviews and started to edit but its been a few years in the process and I don't think he has made a public announcement yet so I probably shouldn't say who. Based on the interviews he already has which I have been able to check out, I think it will be very interesting.

The whole process was started before the Merzcast/noisextra podcast, and I do think the potential overlap has maybe taken the wind out of his sails a bit, but that's just a hunch... he hasn't said anything to that effect.

Lazrs3

Quote from: Warfare Noise on March 22, 2021, 07:54:17 PM
A friends label is working on an Oral History of 90s noise and already has collected many interviews and started to edit but its been a few years in the process and I don't think he has made a public announcement yet so I probably shouldn't say who. Based on the interviews he already has which I have been able to check out, I think it will be very interesting.

The whole process was started before the Merzcast/noisextra podcast, and I do think the potential overlap has maybe taken the wind out of his sails a bit, but that's just a hunch... he hasn't said anything to that effect.

I love Noisextra,really get a lot out of listening to it.

Books are ace, your friend needs to do it, the more the merrier.

tiny_tove

loving it and their Instagram is one of my favorites
CALIGULA031 - WERTHAM - FORESTA DI FERRO
instagram: @ANTICITIZEN
http://elettronicaradicale.bandcamp.com
telegram for updated list: https://t.me/+03nSMe2c6AFmMTk0

FreakAnimalFinland

Latest episode is over hour interview with Joel of cult label SPITE.
https://www.noisextra.com/2021/04/21/in-conversation-with-joel-st-germain-spite-humectant-interruption/

It's good balance of acknowledging importance of label (whether editions were mostly 50, doesn't really matter), but also without downplaying it, realistically telling how it was teenage years enthusiasm, and more sum of things happening in the scene at the moment, rather than somewhat conscious artistic pursuit.

It is interesting notion to bring up, which is, or especially was the case in past when there was no instant feedback cumulating. One could be active in buying items, trading items, making sounds, playing gigs, without realizing how unique, pretty much one of a kind moment in time is happening. Joel talk how label basically was build on what was happening at the moment. This is quite different from a lot of label now, especially in re-issue climate, where one can cherry pick established names that has already "market" so to say. Back then, proposing 50 copies tapes to Mlehst, DBL, Ramirez, Grunt, Stimbox and so on and on, was just contacting guys who were out there doing stuff, and edition of 50 being what was realistic edition to make and get sent out there.

I could list several "moments" in history of noise that I am sort of missing. Not that current age would be hopeless, but it is very much possible that what happens now, is taken for granted - once again. It is far more easier to see more distant, such as experiencing pure torture of browsing through old catalogues. Seeing old letter from tiny label that put out bunch of tapes you'd be ready to pay decent money and back then passing it without thinking twice. I am often catching up with things that happened 10, 15, 20 years ago. Not out of nostalgia, but simply now being more in mood to check out things that at that time seemed not so interesting and also abundant. Now some of the stuff is seemingly non-existent. For example, it ain't flood of good noise 7"s in 2021! One just has to look back and be inspired in what era of noise & pe 7"s resulted, as opposed to for example endless bandcamp uploads.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

Theodore

Quotepure torture of browsing through old catalogues

Haha, remember 3-4 years ago through Google i was directed to an old RRRecords mailorder page, thinking it was the current -at first-. It's still up, This : https://rrrecords.com/catalogue-mailorder.html . Keywords: Zero Cabal, Grey Wolves, Dead Body Love, Thirdorgan, Spite etc. I understood it's too good to be true but i had to ask him to keep on my fantasy. Reality was as expected. Different, ugly.
"ἀθάνατοι θνητοί, θνητοὶ ἀθάνατοι, ζῶντες τὸν ἐκείνων θάνατον, τὸν δὲ ἐκείνων βίον τεθνεῶτες"

Zeno Marx

Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on April 22, 2021, 08:49:50 AM
Latest episode is over hour interview with Joel of cult label SPITE.
https://www.noisextra.com/2021/04/21/in-conversation-with-joel-st-germain-spite-humectant-interruption/

It's good balance of acknowledging importance of label (whether editions were mostly 50, doesn't really matter), but also without downplaying it, realistically telling how it was teenage years enthusiasm, and more sum of things happening in the scene at the moment, rather than somewhat conscious artistic pursuit.
Not uncommon, but I found that fascinating and cool.  Just doing his thing within a context.  His bubble.  And there were so many bubbles, though it didn't seem like so many bubbles, that it was easy, and likely, to not know about this bubble or that bubble.  Scratch your head and wonder, "How did I miss that entire thing that was happening?!" while now also thinking, "That's so fucking cool that it was happening, and I had no clue about it."  But I've come to appreciate that phenomenon.  Gems to be found later.  It was already pure gluttony at the time.

That was a good episode for many reasons.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

FreakAnimalFinland

Was listening new Noisextra episode with Maschinenzimmer 412 "Malfeitor" as target. Good one here, also because they had mr. Nordvargr featuring in the episode. Format was, I guess, sending bunch of questions to him via email and Nordvargr would record his replies alone (as opposed to more interactive live interview) and those were edited into episode. This is pretty good way to do it, if artists is able to do so. Instead of casual and relaxed talk, it would appear to be more thought & focused replies? At least it fits perfectly with bleak industrial album that laughter and fun times are reduced to minimum, haha..

So, after noisextra, had to listen the album. Its been loooong time since listened pre-MZ.412 stuff. Despite one can conclude it really is the 80's industrial, in its approach, feels like it survives the test of time better than some of later industrial albums. Nothing is -wild- here. It's just bleak, dark, mechanical, repetition of slamming drum machine beats, dark grey simple soundscapes, some odd vocals. My favorite track is the one with female moaning samples on the back. Idea, that never gets old!


Those into old Swedish industrial, I would recommend grabbing latest issue of Bardo Methodology, #7, with 6 pages long feature with Roger Karmanik. You'll have probably the best interview ever done with him, including full story of how CMI started, how it flourished, how it collapsed... and how it is back in business. Bardo Methodology is known for unusually advanced writing & journalist skills. Mostly metal, but there is other content, depending on issue. Print run of this magazine is thousands, so one is able to find it from a lot of distributors.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

FreakAnimalFinland

Weekly listenings of podcast has been done. From recent episodes some comments:

September, P.Children, The Haters, both good, but when Complete Works of Jonathan Briley with guest Kyle Wright came, it set the level a lot higher. A lot of interesting information and enthusiasm on quite different level. Also, no track-by-track talk, but approaching box set from larger perspective. I don't even have the box yet, but it makes one really interested:

https://www.noisextra.com/2021/09/29/complete-works-of-jonathan-briley-with-guest-kyle-wright/

Interview with Chad Davis of Subklinik is nice. I tried to look my shelves for some Subklinik to listen to, as I have surely distributed it during couple of decades, but didn't find what I was looking for.  Interview with Mortiis was fun. He is very chatty and talks a lot. Noisextra crew needs only to hint a bit towards topic of discussion and Mortiis takes it from there. A lot of funny stories, like making the early masks of blue-tac etc.  I am no fan of dungeon synth music. Nor I have any other Mortiis than old Emperor and noisier VOND stuff.

Conversation with Old Tower is a bit odd, since we're not talking about general outlines of Noisextra. Its not 90's nor noise. Of course Mortiis wasn't noise either per se. As opposed to Mortiis interview, there isn't that much of good stories or things that would interest me, but interviews always welcomed.

Macronympha "Intensive Care" CD episode is perhaps most inspiring. Roemers story how he got into noise is alone something that makes me want to record noise instantly.

Around the same time was recorded Macronympha/Grunt LP. Not sure when exactly Intensive Care was recorded, split was in 1997. Line-up was Roemer + Oliveira in both, with sounds from others too.  Couple years late Freak Animal put out Macronympha – Membranes And Black Holes CD. That is something I feel should be reissued. It was 300 copies almost 20 years ago, and I guess it is safe to say I fucked up the juicy macro-sound? Its not that I would have done something to it - perhaps exact opposite. Computer tech of the time was so primitive, no sound processing possibilities really. So, getting all-on-red chrome/metal master tapes from Roemer, and then just tranfering the sound via mini-jack cable to late 90's crap PC build-in input. Sound was just that. Nothing was "normalized" so the sound is quiet and thin on this CD. Of course you can crank up the volume, yet it is not exactly the same thing as having CD that is loud enough. So would be good to reissue this without additional boost, BUT, having it sound like masters did. We'll see...

E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

FreakAnimalFinland

Week ago Wiese in noisextra.
https://www.noisextra.com/2021/11/17/in-conversation-with-john-wiese/

He has been as fan talking about things, and there was also decent Harsh Truths podcast about him. There is a bit of overlap, talk of how path from hardcore punk, vegan shirts, etc lead into noise 7", font design and such things. I think there is different kind of emphasis what podcasts focus on. Partly the story is the same, what one may have heard in Harsh Truths, but Noisextra goes deeper into things like technical aspect of 7" making.
Last Finnish vinyl press quit in 1994, year when I started to put out vinyl. So I never pressed anything in Finland. It always felt amazing that there was actually vinyl factory round the corner and you could get friendly service doing white-label 100 copies singles...

2022 is opening new vinyl factory in Finland. I have my doubts about prices and amount of paperwork, but it could be good thing nevertheless!

Also, hot topic of noise CD's also reaches this interview, haha. Wiese concludes that when people say they didn't/don't listen, that then those guys must have been listening entirely different stuff than he did. Simply because ton of great noise was CD only. Perhaps nowadays a bit different, when most is online besides CD.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

FreakAnimalFinland

New Noisextra with Nocturnal Emissions was such a fun. Rare case of Noisextra crew not getting moment of silence, when mr. Nocturnal Emissions keeps on talking just about anything buy noise, haha. It's like first 30 mins gone and mr. Conelly tried to direct monologue with "sooo.. was this the moment when you started to record with NE?" -type question, but it does go more into early studies, work places, miserable conditions of early 80's London squats & abandoned buildings... haha. Well, it all sort of connects into band. It does take really about half way until you get to hear big of stories of gigs, tape networking. Really great piece about dropping Pump tape into.. was it Rough Trade -shop? some UK shop, and soon starting to get letters around the world, including Masami Akita! Unexpectedly, simply for dropping some tapes to physical record store locally, and fame travelled all around the world.
Good SPK stories too. Little bit of MB. There is very little about how music was made, but there is certainly strong element of participatory ethos, experimentation as opposed of commercial approach, and so on. Good stuff, can't complain when it is rare treat to get the true veterans of "industrial music" to talk!
I know some people appreciate more the later days, more advanced NE, as there are good stuff there, but this early total lo-fi industrial noise racket is closest to my own passion. All the stories of ultra primitive living conditions, no audience, no scene, just withnessing something new happening country where like he said "nobody had money, but that was fine as there was nothing to buy..." and then DIY culture emerges in new revolutionary way... I like the sound of that! Late 70's early 80's noise made out of whatever laying around...
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

Zeno Marx

I haven't made it all the way through the Netzach episode, but I remember the unassuming live LP from 1984 getting some distribution in the US.  When packaging was such a big factor, so I think the plain cover helped it fly under radars.  It's good.  Maybe falsely, but it gave me the impression, "This is a live band."  Probably some really nice chaos in a live setting.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

host body

Anyone have a list of albums from the latest podcast? A few slipped off my mind while I was listening

MT

On a weekend road trip I finally got around listening this podcast. Browsed some episodes until I listen the Dominick Fernow two parter. Very interesting discussion, and I felt the same way with a lot of about what he said. Especially the talk about isolation and limitations, I've always found limitations inspiring more than having a lot of equipment to record. Boosts a lot of my 'creativity' when I just have a certain sandbox to play in have to carve my desired sound out of that. It was also funny to hear someone like Fernow with such long career talking about being sorry for his friends that come to see his gigs, haha. I can certainly relate to that. Interested to hear more episodes, this was an absolute 'banger'!

FreakAnimalFinland

I am slightly "old school" in a way that I have never even been on Patreon site. I get the idea, and basically also like the idea, that you can directly support maker who you "consumer". Like myself, who have listened every episode of Noisextra for free of charge, thanks for the noisextra crew, hah. It would be certainly worth of payment like I pay for the albums I buy... Nevertheless, fact that never bought digital music either, nor almost never download stuff.. It also means I have not heard any of the trashwire episodes of Noisextra. Except the one(?) what was on public side earlier.

It was nice to listen entire 1h 40 min episode with Greh interviewing Conelly. I have sent them couple of times mail that it would be good to hear more of what they have done. Especially things like USA touring culture of first decade of 2000's. In new episode, we get some amusing anecdotes of that too. Topic itself is gear mike uses - which is basically almost zero gear.

https://www.noisextra.com/2021/12/29/trashware-mike-connelly/

Gear talk with people with no gear is probably even more interesting for me. I am sort of interested in gear, but in other hand, don't buy almost any, and don't use more than pretty much absolute minimum. I still got my first guitar, first guitar amp. I got the first multi efx unit. I no longer have my 2 first 4-trackers or stereo system I used for feedback loops back in 94-96. Otherwise I still have pretty much everything, many things in active use too.
I have had so little amount of pedals or synths, so I think I got all pedals I ever had in my life still at reh place/studio.
I could basically go back to do sessions with Grunt 90's equipment, where everything else is the same, but 4-tracker is not 100% same and microphone is different.
Even latest Grunt, it was so minimal gear, MS-20 and loop pedal, in some tracks hall-of-fame reverb, digi-delay and blues driver distortion. Nothing is "boutique pedals". Just the most popular, easiest to get (say: things that were available!) stuff. Besides that walkman, turntable, tape decks.

Mikes early style to first have mixer where everything is plugged in, then from output goes to Death Metal distortion and to amp. Its good one. On later era of Grunt live gigs, we'd sometimes have straight to PA gigs where line-sound is shitty, unless you have something after mixer to create saturation. I have this stereo tube pre-amp that creates neat analogue saturation when playing without amps or recording to tape. For more noisier stuff, I used sometimes just two blues driver pedals to get stereo out. Just good ripping sound and everything melting together and you can also tell sound guy that level is THIS. There won't be peaks, as everything melts into nice fat distortion.

Big part of gear always came from friends who wanted to get rid of something. Only gear I have REALLY ever hunted for, and tried to compare options and possibilities, is sampler for live gigs.

That said, it is funny to hear how clueless Conelly is after all these years. Just total gut feeling, with almost zero technical know-how. I have played with tons of gear, have many friends who have all sorts of things. Some of it occasionally bleed into my own work. Even like doing things with modulars or other complex gear. Useful to some purposes, but I really prefer the noise where gear is "hidden", not something where gear IS the noise.

Recommended episode!


E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

FreakAnimalFinland

Latest episode is sort of about MSBR "Destructive Locomotion" CD, but it is vastly more about AUM! One could say it is more kind of true crime podcast or observation of this Japanese cult, with little inspirational help from M.S.B.R.! I liked it.

I remember back in the day, there was some criticism towards the Japanese noise, that it didn't have the substance heavy approach like western industrial-noise, that nobody would cover things such thing as the gas attacks, and it required Death Squad to touch this theme. But like Noisextra mentions, there was Incapacitants and MSBR who did hint towards it. Perhaps did not use it in PE/Industrial style thematic, but acknowledged it anyways.

It is kind of amusing that back then criticism would be that artists would avoid current affairs. Nowadays, I think that there may be couple different camps of approach, but most of guys I know, are totally abhorred if some band/artists jumps straight away into contemporary politics and latest news. Like, lets say... you got some covid themed noise or perhaps some American presidential politics, I doubt there will be many people "finally!! yeah!!"..  haha.. Or some currently ongoing, or soon-to-be starting war covered on noise release...

E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net