Some brief thoughts on why i feel that harsh noise is a valid and respectable genre. While there is a lot of bad noise out there, when done well it can be a very moving experience.
1. Not all art is pretty.
2. It can represent emotions and events that are hard to convey through pop structure.
3. It is a total body experience that takes physical and mental stamina.
4. It is usually a unique experience that will not be replicated.
5. Our lives are filled with noisy and chaotic sounds, this places those into an artistic context.
6. The task of the musician is to craft interesting and complex sounds, this is an extremely challenging job that requires a great understanding of sound, the human ear, the human brain, and involves a great deal of skill.
7. It provides an outlet for inventive creation of sound generating devices, and promotes the development of new uses for long standing instruments.
8. Old people hate it.
9. Its often a well connected world that allows artists to work together and creates a sense of community that promotes constant development.
10. It is a wonderful outlet for insane project names and splendidly outrageous track titles.
11. It reflects the concept of the tortured soul in auditory form.
12. It is offers a way for those of us with rapid fire brains to clam down and/or connect with music on a fast paced sporadic level.
13. It often consists of deep layered sound which takes a great deal of concentration to pull out the various layers.
14. It can be fun trying to determine what the original sounds are with all the effects and manipulation.
15. Its a polarizing concept which many people just don't get.
I'm sure there are lots of other reasons why people like/create harsh noise, but this is a quick list of thoughts on why i believe everyone should give it a try and at least come to respect those artists that are offering up genuinely wonderful work.
1/14/10
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I agree, especially with number 1. Over the years of making noise solo and with a band I have developed techniques that allow me to achieve this layered and complex notion without resorting to beat or tonality.
ReplyDeleteIt takes time, most bad noise is "new" noise in that the person is just getting started and doesn't yet realize how hard making good noise can be. My early attempts to replicate Masonna back in '04 are locked away for a reason.