Is there such a thing as "noise prog"?

 

I think this is the most functional definition, in the sense that a toilet seat is just an object until Duchamp puts it in an art gallery, when it becomes art (good or not).  It's all about context; when something is presented as music, it becomes music.  Thus, birdsongs in nature are "noise" (or "not-art"), pretty though they may be, but when recorded and, well, sold, they become art (though I'm not sure whose  ).  Similarly, ambient noise during a piano recital is just that, but when Cage does a silence experiment, that noise becomes "art."  But as I type this, I have to say I wonder the line is drawn betweeen ambient noise and art during any performance,especially in rock, when the crowd is supposed to be part of the show etc. 

 

Trippy... 

 

There's also a good amount of vintage synths used by these bands, though they're often unrecognizable due to all the pedal effects and homemade patches they use. 

 

For noise-rock stuff (rhythmic, tribal, choppy, discordant.  Good for Krautrock, Industrial, Black metal, Grindcore fans)

- Sightings:  Through the Panama

- Wolf Eyes:  Human Animal, Dog Jaw

- Prurient:  Fossil, And Still, Wanting

- Boredoms:  Vision Creation Newsun, Seadrum

- OOIOO:  Taiga

- WHITEHOUSE:  literally anything

- Sonic Youth:  Confusion is Sex, Bad Moon Rising

- Swans:  Public Castration is a Good Thing

- Xiu Xiu:  Knife Play, The Air Force

- Sword Heaven:  Entrance

- Animal Collective:  anything, especially Sung Tongs and Strawberry Jam

- Black Dice: Load Blown

- Nurse With Wound:  Chance Meeting on a Dissection Table

 

Droning noise (for fans of Tangerine Dream, Eno)

- Burning Star Core:  Operator Dead, Post Abandoned, The Very Heart of the World

- Pocahaunted:  Island Diamonds

- Nadja:  Corrasion

- Sunn O))):  Black One, White1

- Oren Ambarchi: In the Pendulum's Embrace

- Earth:  The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull, Earth 2

- Merzbow:  1930, Tauromachine, Tamago

- Stars of the Lid:  The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid

- Tim Hecker:  Harmony in Ultraviolet

- Emeralds:  anything you can find

 

All these bands range from calm ambient music to crushing distortion, whining feedback and tortured screaming.  Noise music is not for everyone, but if you can get into the soundscapes or the moods behind the music, it really becomes something special for the listener.  Of course, see these groups live.  The sound is so much bigger and more enveloping, plus the shows border on performance art. 

 

Noise is an extremely fringe music genre that doesn't appeal to many people.  Because of the isolation, some bands (none that I've listed here and, frankly, none worth listening to) espouse extremist views ranging from anarchy to National Socialism.  This is seen in other genres, such as black metal, although NSBM is less apparent in message than NS Noise or Punk. I don't support the philosophies of these groups, and don't want PA or anyone else to associate noise or Black Metal with hatred or racism. 

 

I've met several of the artists that I've listed here, and, for the most part, they are non-threating nerds who smoke a lot of weed.  They're also extremely friendly and down to earth and actively hang out with fans at shows. 

 

Most of these artists are extremely prolific, releasing dozens of cassettes, LPs, 7-inches and CD-Rs. 

 

Cheers, PA.  Any questions? 

 

BL, London

www.myspace.com/barrylamb