Another topic opening that's messy free flowing writing.. but maybe questions can be noticed..
Was listening new Noisextra episode with Francisco Lopez. Very good one. He has plenty of quite unusual insights towards the making and listening of sounds.
I was thinking the concept how he connected talk about photography & sound. Photographs has been documenting reality for very long time, and very quickly also became something else. Not documenting reality, but creating something of their own. Something the photographer necessarily didn't have conscious input. People like the result, like what they see, even abstract surfaces, defects etc. Discussion of whether something still is "photography" or "art" has been going on for ages, while in recorded sound, discussion is rather minimal, and only among the people involved with it. If it is not -music-, why it is being listened. What are qualities that appeal in sound, and why it would be more difficult to listen and appreciate than tons of visual creations?
How I understand what Lopez was talking about, is that his work is not representative of something. It simply "is what it is" so to say. Like abstract painting, not referring to anything else, but itself.
It is actually fairly demanding to focus ONLY on piece of art itself, and try to abandon any former ideas you may have.
These questions are more in the domain of "art theory", which can get dry for a lot of people. What I started to think, is there difference how influx of MUSICIANS in noise has changed it?
Lopez mentions he was drummer in New Wave band back in the 80's, but mostly his music creation was happening due lack of possibilities. Sound was created with tapes and recorders, as there was nothing else. I do know quite many people who have both zero interests, and zero ability to play musical instruments. I know guys who had interest, but no skill, so they just end up playing what they can. Not what they want.
I also know musicians, who clearly approach noise in terms of music. Even in level of production. Heavy electronics may be divided to have bassy tone on back, rhythm pulse and vocals and one or more higher toned things on top as if it was actual rock band performing song.
One could assume that if the frame of mind is background in "hardcore" or "death metal", it may effect sense of what sound should be - as opposed to background in mailart & collage, where sound is not really connected to music, but visual collage?
As we have barely solid "data", I guess one is forced to make assumptions, talk to people you know or just look in the mirror. In the last option, while I like what I hear, I also see that musicality and thinking in terms of music, has shaped a lot of works I have done. Even when being noise, there is most certainly musical thinking there and very often also very concrete and figurative use of things, in opposition of pure abstractions. Noise ain't substitute. I could play other things to certain level, but often prefer noise. It is not born out of lack of options. I would have instruments, skill and band mates if I want to do other things, but doing -this- is fairly conscious decision.
Nevertheless, it is curious to observe, how experimental noise, made almost like last option, when nothing else can be done, sounds often quite unique. And when it abandons being "music". Even a lot of pure harsh noise feels kind of.. musical? If you got guy with music store band gear and synth placed on table, playing shaker or sheet of metal like shredding guitar lead... it seems almost closer to music, than non-music? I ain't saying either one is better.
Why discussion is relevant? In the Lopez interview, he was describing the abundance of sound and ideas in exeprimental realm to enable to new amazing ideas happen. This was mainly discussed in context of collaborations. Exchanging source materials between artists etc. I certainly have changed my "routines" many times, after concluding that specifc pattern needs to be broken, something needs to be re-thought, and one thing, what I feel genre could benefit of, could be that UG noise, would not necessaily follow so closely routines of "music culture"?
