Good noise / Bad noise?
 

I'm just curious other ppl's opinions on this... what makes a noise record good or bad?

Good noise = interesting use of sound sources, the texture of sound, use of contrasts yada yada...
Bad noise = some cunt drilling the wall next door, which is the case here right now.

Good noise: Record remains in sleeve / Sound-making implements remain in case
Bad noise: Record removed from sleeve / Sound-making implements removed from case

It's subjective.

If you like it - it's good.
If you don't - it's bad.

Same criteria applies to just about everything

I refer to Friendly and Unfriendly noise. When I was younger I was more interested in Unfriendly noise because in retrospect it was a form of machismo and was a fine way of amplifying all my antisocial feelings.

However, getting older and living in NYC has made the constant rattle of bad noise, as Phleghmscope notes above, not something I need to purchase.

Most of it I find really borign now. That said, there is something impressive about the sheer absolute and unrelenting aural destruction of say Giffoni or Prurient. But I don't really have any need to bring it into my home. there's already enough fucking noise pollution.

Really, at the root it's no different from any other music - if it's pleasing to listen to it's good (which may have as much or more to do with the listener as the musician).

Because noise rarely has vocals or pop hooks, however, I do think it is more important that it be "interesting" than other forms that might be able to get by on a purely emotional level. Not all noise music tries to do this, but the stuff I like to listen to usually does (who comes immediately to mind is Soup Purse).

i think it's an interesting question...noise as a genre does away w/ immediate signifiers like melody. instead, timbre takes on a far more important role.

one could argue that all music is subjective, but i think noise is extremely so. what sorts of standards can one apply? visceral reaction differs from human to human.

Whatever you find compelling to listen to or interesting for more than a few minutes is probably "good" noise. Everything else is bad. But yeah really it's no different than judging any other kind of music.

I sort of agree with the "if you like, it's good" way of thinking.

I guess I'm just curious if there's anything that anyone specifically looks for (listens for) in a noise recording.

As stated above, there's (usually) no melody to cling on to, so what -- if anything -- tends to grab you?

i disagree. i think it's much easier to draw opinions on whether a particular melody or chord change is cheesy, or brilliant. what sorts of aspects does one choose to consider when listening to noise?

Texture, layers, interesting noises, interesting ideas implemented well... certain tones just grab me better than others really.

Not every "real" band I listen to really has chord changes or melodies, or they aren't a focal point of the band. I mean, look at Sunn; that's definitely not noise, but you can't really hum one of their songs, and though they have chord changes they don't really make a difference to the listener; it's all about how powerful and compelling the sound is. I listen to music because it's interesting to listen or compelling... that's how I listen to noise as well.

Good noise - people on the SY board like it and so people will think you are cool here if you mention it, especially in the "what are you listening to?" thread.

Bad noise - Something happened somewhere where the band has a bad reputation here and so now it's bad. Only mention it if you are going to talk about how it's not that good and how it doesn't compare to Sunburned Hand Of The Man.

Isn't this thread about harsh noise? ( Merzbow etc.)

Do you really believe that?

I see comments like this all of the time that indicate the people on this board are a cliquish group who listen to music to be "cool", but I really don't find it to be the case at all.

There is such rampant disagreement between people here about what they like in any genre, and really if anybody were trying to be cool in 2008, why on Earth would they hang out on a Sonic Youth message board to begin with?

I frequently find myself at odds with various people here about music I love or dislike. I would describe this group as a bunch of highly individualistic music geeks who for the most part share a common interest in Sonic Youth, but can't even agree on which aspects of that band they approve of!

Not necessarily... but that was what was in my head when I started it.

But yeah, to be honest I can't say that Merzbow does much for me. I mean I enjoyed the SYR8, but the bits of his discography I've heard just seemed to hurt my ears. And I think the fact that he craps out an album-a-week makes me think that he can't be trying too hard. (I could certainly be wrong, just be honest about my thought process).

But I mean stuff like Wolf Eyes, etc. Some of it is obnoxious and ugly (I tend to hate any sort of high-pitched piercing noise). But some of it can be interesting, too. But even if it's interesting, I dnt know if I think it sounds good.

Similarly, there's free jazz. There's more free jazz records that I think are interesting than there are ones I enjoy hearing. But there's exceptions. HURRICANE FLOYD is beautiful, thought I can't say why exactly.

But there's a such think as pretty noise, too. (Pink Noise? Blue noise?) Maybe that's closer to ambient works, though? I'm not sure. Like PLAYTHROUGHS or something. I can certainly understand all that.

And I sleep by a white noise machine every night.

I agree with you here. I think most of us regulars are pretty good about sticking to our guns about the stuff we like. And we tend to be pretty good about respecting opinions we don't agree with.

The only thing that bugs me is the occassional "I liked them when you guys were still in diapers" attitudes that can pop up now and again.

5% of the posts I make are completely serious. The other 95% are up for interpretation.

In all seriousness, sure, there are people like that here, but there are people like that everywhere; here seems to actually have the least. But they are still here.

But as far as your point as trying to be cool in 2008, listening to this music can be as much of an attempt to be cool as listening to pop music; it's just a different group that you are trying to impress. Now I'm not really saying that there are a lot of people here doing that, I was just joking. But, if somebody really thought that Sonic Youth fans were the coolest, then they could come on here and drop names like The Fall just as easy as somebody could go on a hardcore forum and drop names like Underoath, and all for the same reason.

My point? I don't know. Just some free thought; take it or leave it.

ha ha
ho ho
he he

But I did. ;)