WHITE CENTIPEDE NOISE PODCAST

[WCN]

Also just to follow up, I don't think we're anywhere near the saturation point of too many noise podcasts, or general approaches, for that matter. I have full respect and appreciation for Noisextra and Harsh Truths, and wish HT would continue on. It seemed like HT "threw in the towel" in part because "other podcasts" had emerged and he didn't feel there was room anymore. I totally disagree. I see no competition between noise podcasts. I think everyone has their own worthy approach, and the more the merrier at this point - I believe we all enrich each other and most importantly: the culture.

WCN Podcast aims firstly to offer exhaustive interviews focused on the artist for the hardcore noise fan, and give the artist the chance to tell their story as completely as possibly. I don't want to talk too much about Wince or the label, except where relevant to the artist. There will be room for that elsewhere. This is a meat-and-potatoes operation, so I certainly welcome people covering all different types of angles.

[New Forces]

From the participant side, I didn't find the interviewee experience to be formulaic, and that was while sharing space with three other people. Even the most "formulaic" question (list my favorite releases, both all time and recently) provoked a surprising amount of reflection about how, how much, and how often I'm listening to the albums I appreciate the most. I've been thinking quite a bit since the interview (and the Hands To discussion on Noisextra) about how the massive volume of releases that cycle through my house are listened to once and shelved, and how that sucks. 

If Oskar wants to have me back to talk about the noise fantasy football league I can do that, but I'm pretty sure most would hate that or be bored with it. Or maybe not, maybe people want to hear about how I lost in the semifinals to Deterge over some bullshit. I agree with the broad consensus here - the podcast is off to a great start and will only get better as Oskar has more and more practice.

[oreida]

Loving the podcast so far. This and noisextra are the only things I subscribe to on patreon. Don't mind pitching in a few bucks at all.

[Eigen Bast]

I enjoyed Mack's ep. The discussion around the move to modular and the bridges being built between noise and hardcore were of particular interest. I have noticed that HC dudes as of late are way more into/supportive of noise than I remember from even a few years ago. I'm guessing some of this came from COVID era pedal psychosis. Overall i'm seeing less of the smug "anyone can do that" attitude and more of the "teach me how to do that" regarding noise from folks who don't actively participate in the genre. It's really refreshing after dealing with years of legit HATRED from "experimental musicians" and other so called "open minded" people.

Also, unsolicited commentary here, but I think peoples negativity towards modular is a very American thing - it's become a kind of de rigeur tech-hipster thing to drop 5k on a modular rig and upload vids of ambient loops to your instagram - it's pure yuppie $$ signalling for a lot of people, but to throw the baby out with the bathwater is a silly perspective.

RE: the nature of the discussion, I think we can agree that given how virtually undocumented noise is, any and all contributions to "the culture" build on each other; the idea that 3 podcasts can't exist within a genre, especially when they're all doing something a little difference, is just not right. Hell if you guys like mundanity so much why not start a noise podcast where you ask people who don't even know what noise is what their favorite 5 salad dressings of 2021 are or whatever then run it through a HM-2.

[Potier]

I find it strange that in a genre/subculture of music so specific and obscure, with such fanaticism and so little documentation or journalism, that people are more interested in hearing an artist talk about food or sex or cars than about what they think about noise, how and why they do it, etc. Aren't there enough outlets that cover such topics? My aim is to provide a full picture of the artist and their work. Of course those things are often a part of that picture and well worth addressing or even exploring, but I know the thought of a great artist like Jaako Vanhalla, who I would really like to know a lot more about, doing an interview where he only talks about tea is irritating to me. No disrespect to Lasse or Personal Best zine (I love his work and appreciate the zine) but this approach smacks of boredom and a flippant attitude to the art-form that is noise.

Since the topic of mundane life came up, I think I need to clarify the point I was trying to make: I was not arguing for noise-focused podcasts or noise-focused publications to become focused solely on food or sex or cars or tea. The point I was trying to make is around learning more about who a noise artist is - as you say in your statement - beyond their noise (released or unreleased), their recording practice or live performance. If that includes a conversation about tea, then I appreciate that. Depending on how deep one wants to go, specific topics could also be covered in separate episodes - e.g.: "If you wanna know more about Jaako Vanhalla's tea ceremonies, please check out our upcoming patreon episode." This is already happening on Noisextra as far as I can tell - obviously still with a different focus.
As for Mr. Marhaug and Personal Best (I only own one of those magazines and cannot comment much on general content.), I would say that someone who has been a creator of noise among so many other things for like 30 years is likely to have a certain outlook on noise as a culture that may well include boredom and flippant attitudes or maybe even jadedness. He should be allowed to cover noise and the artists involved in the fashion he chooses as long as he is paying to publish the final product.

I am not interested in being one of these "podcast-podcasts" where it's all about 2 free thinkers riffing off each other and providing a mind-blowing conversation about "whatever" to the listener. I do want to go DEEPER and learn more about the individual as an artist, but don't want to spend disproportionate amounts of time talking about their childhood or day jobs, unless those turn out to be particularly relevant to their work. Sometimes they are, most of the time they're not. It's also very much about shop-talk for me, and not necessarily providing the most accessibly entertaining conversation to the casual noise fan.

I did not advocate for spending disproportionate amounts of time on someone's childhood or day jobs...(again: unless relevant to the general conversation and to what the focus is) It certainly is about finding a good balance. I also dislike podcasts that veer off into nowhere for 45 minutes with banter or dick-measuring-contests. 

I would be extremely disappointed if someone sat down with Joe Roemer for 2 hours and only wanted to talk about "fucking trannies" and not his thoughts on all of the other interesting stuff he has been involved with.

I doubt that Mr. Roemer would sit down for a 2 hour interview on a topic like that... This is an extreme example and definitely a niche interest...not to mention the problems one would have without putting things like that behind a paywall. :-) With a sense of humor I would say make that a Patreon-Episode for the "fanatics".

RE: the nature of the discussion, I think we can agree that given how virtually undocumented noise is, any and all contributions to "the culture" build on each other; the idea that 3 podcasts can't exist within a genre, especially when they're all doing something a little difference, is just not right. Hell if you guys like mundanity so much why not start a noise podcast where you ask people who don't even know what noise is what their favorite 5 salad dressings of 2021 are or whatever then run it through a HM-2.

Once again a broad generalization and exaggeration obviously when it comes to the salad dressing matter. I like a home-made honey mustard vinaigrette personally, obviously depending on the type of salad. I am not asking for anything really when it comes to podcasts since, again: I don't record or publish one, so I cannot and will not try to dictate what people want to feature. I feel like interviews can ultimately be relationship-building tools and it shows in WCN-Pod that Oskar already has relationships with the people he interviews. This is great and will hopefully expand into all sorts of covered topics closely or less closely related to noise - as per his choice.

On another general note: the more coverage of noise, the better it is. The "customer", "reader" or "listener" will ultimately decide what they like and what they don't like. People vote with their feet and/or their wallets ultimately.

I don't know where I come out on the sentiment that there is too little coverage or documentation of noise...after all we live in an era where live performances are streamed, uploaded, recorded and published on Bandcamp or Soundcloud or you name it. A world, where I can check out someone's performance that took place thousands of miles away on my Smart TV in HD from the comfort of my couch. There are a fair few well-produced podcasts now, there are more and more professionally produced magazines like Untitled Zine or Special Interests. There are still smaller, less frequent publications that subscribe to a total DIY philosophy - like Troubled Sleep etc. Could there be more? Sure. Should we be grateful for what we have available: absolutely.

[PTM Jim]

Even talking of moving from place to another, there was always relevancy towards what it meant for project.

Yeah, I think geography is EXTREMELY relevant in noise (and any art really). Even in the US, there are absolutely vastly different sounds that are region specific all over the country at the same time (i.e. late 2000s - early 2010s saw a more relaxed west coast while the midwest was dirty harsh noise).

maybe people want to hear about how I lost in the semifinals to Deterge over some bullshit.

Ha. Covid: It gives and it takes.

Koufar will never be able to escape the underground. In fact its where it belongs. Plain and simple.

This is, or at least should be, true for all PE. If everyone likes it, you're doing something wrong.

[Bloated Slutbag]

I don't know where I come out on the sentiment that there is too little coverage or documentation of noise...after all we live in an era where live performances are streamed, uploaded, recorded and published on Bandcamp or Soundcloud or you name it.

Uh-oh, here I go with another splitting of the hair.

Documentation: presentation, performance, release, laying it out there, doing the thing, possibly to the point of earning the doer acknowledgements both good and less good.

Coverage: commentary, criticism, critique, shit-talk, possibly to the point of earning the talker a roemer-blessed tin 'o turd in the mail.

The former, yes, plenty. The latter?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Documentation: presentation, performance, release, laying it out there, doing the thing, possibly to the point of earning the doer acknowledgements both good and less good.

Coverage: commentary, criticism, critique, shit-talk, possibly to the point of earning the talker a roemer-blessed tin 'o turd in the mail.

The former, yes, plenty. The latter?

I got the SI #13 in state of waiting to start doing lay-out. Editorial in this issue will be long. Seriously long, and it will deal a bit with things that may be related to... coverage! It comes in conclusion that we are most of all lacking the noise folklore. But other things are also commented. Those who read paper magazines, hopefully can grab it later this month!

[Bloated Slutbag]

I got the SI #13 in state of waiting to start doing lay-out.

The turd's in the mail.

[PRISONFOOD]

Been enjoying these interviews quite a bit. After a stretch of inactive years, I am finally feeling the pang to locate the noise pulse again. Binge watching these well crafted episodes cause they really let me feel as if I am getting to know the artists. It's easy to identify with many of the topics discussed and I do admire the many perspectives that are shared.  This content has me inspired to find more of this kind of conversation in noise.

[brian o'blivion]

Been watching the WCN episodes while I cook supper in the evening. I especially enjoyed the Crumer and Koufar interviews because it isn't very often that I get to hear artists forego false modesty in order to discuss their work in a confident way that acknowledges their success, process, and vision. It was also refreshing to hear both Crumer and Mack address the emotion and inspiration behind their work, as I've grown tired of the hyper-masculine posturing that does not allow for personal or emotional discussion. Great podcast, looking forward to more.

[WCN]

WCN Podcast #11 N. Desuah of BODY CARVE/LIGATURE IMPRESSION out now!!!

https://youtu.be/kRO6HyXDctQ
https://youtu.be/kRO6HyXDctQ
https://youtu.be/kRO6HyXDctQ

[Zeno Marx]

Koufar interview is quality.  Like the guy, too.  The only people I've known who throw around "fools" are Midwesterners.  Had I heard Middle Eastern Promises last year, it would have been on my "best of" list.  I'd like to throw some hyperbole at it, but I don't know where to start.  If you haven't heard Koufar, I recommend starting there.  To borrow from his drops, the depth of Con-Dom and engagement of Iron Fist of the Sun.  Stand out, stand up album.

Kind of think a good home for his progressive approach would be Ant-Zen.  People over there doing PE but seemingly not concerned with being labeled PE or anything else.

[Tribe Tapes]

Started listening to the WCN podcasts during downtime at work last week.
Based on personality alone, the Koufar and Crumer episodes were my first.

I liked Koufar's music a lot maybe three, four years ago. Not my cup of tea, but God Is War is interesting.
Regardless of my feelings on the man's work, I was thoroughly entertained by the interview itself.
Felt like two friends, hanging out, talking noise... for contemporary artists this is the right approach.

Crumer, I feel, brings the American folk music tradition to noise. I mean the totality of that statement.
His work in its insistence on "albums", as thematic works, is vulgarly individualistic in a way I can adore.
Said individualism leads me to regarding Crumer's albums as patriotic works, not of politics, but of self.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

After new episode, I was thinking what all BC I have gotten. I also know, that while liking what he has done, I also occasionally mixed it with Body Collector... Totally unrelated project.

I have no idea what all Body Carve I have, but at least couple things. After the episode, Guts in Red Plastic tape was pulled out from shelves, as artist concluded it was his best works really. And it is very good! Solid harsh noise blasting, and just as they concluded, not wall noise, but... wall of harsh noise. I guess entire concept of HNW is debatable. Perhaps more than wall - that really tends to be one monolithic object, this is STORM or avalanche of noise. Just total blasting, that is moving forward with ferocious power. It is heavy, crunchy and thick, but... perhaps just too much things happening to be "wall". There is not many seconds where things would not be actively processed plus also repeatedly moving to new things.

In WCN interview, it is quite amusing when repeatedly is described how all this corpse and gore art is not for shock or to be "brutal". Giving impression as if that is the common idea behind corpses in noise/industrial. Sort of between the lines can be understood that Body Carve used it the right way, while the mysterious others are just trying to be edgy. I don't think I have ever really talked to artists who's interest is dead bodies and all sorts of things of that nature would be merely "brutal... man!". Especially with older folks, when amount of work and effort to get certain type of material exceeded level where one could think that it was just for laughts or piss off or shock others, hah.. And also, who others? When audience was most of all other corpse fetishists. I would be quite curious to see examples of dishonest corpse art in noise scene. Now that I think how little of it I have seen for many years, I'm thinking wouldn't hurt a bit more corpses into contemporary noise!

Perhaps podcast could inquire how artists feel about noise community? I don't remember if there was talk about this in SI forum, but I have written about it in Finnish several times. In growing numbers, I keep seeing talk about noise community, which seems sort of repulsive idea. I like the idea of scene. It's just bunch of people, loosely connected, doing what they do, and scene is what you see when you take a look. It has a bit of this, a bit of that.   Community in other hand, tends to come with some good things, but also the level of shared common denominators can start create negative baggage. Like anytime you hear, person say "in noise community there is no place for..." and you know there will be some ridiculous BS said, from delusional perspective as if they'd be calling the shots. 

Above mentioned isn't really related to WCN at all, but kind of noise community discourse appears frequently. It would be nice to see if such division is seen my people who may feel part of community rather than pretty lawless global scene.