Sound fetishes - sound not getting old?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Was listening Noisextra and there was guest talking of the 80's experimental industrial and there was mentioned among favorite sounds that fast delay sound. Applied to simple drum machine beats. It was not about these tracks, but I guess could be pretty close as example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eldqLOzGjzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvX2L_B-JyM

Very short and compact delay what makes any sound it is applied this very metallic and almost robotic feel. Much more popular back in the 80's than after it. Back then may have been used mostly due lack of alternatives, but it gave very unique feel to industrial-noise. Even with vocals, fast short delay is very very rare to hear anymore.

I do like this sound, and used it occasionally, but I thought someone would have specially almost like fetish to get that sound. Or like Greh talking in other episode about old school drum machines blasted via distortion being soft spot for him. For me that is barely thing I'd look forward hearing.

Any particular sound fetishes you wish there would be more, or sounds that are very common, but somehow never gets tiresome when done good way?

[Balor/SS1535]

I like this topic.

Personally, as is probably clear from some of the threads that I have started before, I love ultra minimal synth compositions - especially those that have the sort of imposing hollowness of the A-side of the Golden Rain live tape.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2hzHQ_Yuvw&t=54s

I don't think this will ever sound bad or tiring to me.

[HateSermon]

Good ol flanged vocals. Sure, its a common thing in PE, but when done a certain way is top notch. Particularly in Con-Dom and G.O.

Also - steel percussion. Brute force of someone banging on large metal barrels and having that loop is classic. Pair that with slow grinding oscillations... cant get much better! ZSS "Black Dog" is a perfect example of this.

[Balor/SS1535]

ZSS "Black Dog" is a perfect example of this.

An all around stand-out track for sure.

[ConcreteMascara]

Ultra-piercing feedback, especially if its slightly oscillated. The kind that just absolutely tears your ears up.

Distorted bass that pushes out other frequencies. Like what happens here at about 22 minutes in. https://youtu.be/xisXzgwC4Q8

[Andrew McIntosh]

I like the kind of dry, ultra-minimal, ultra-low fidelity kind of use of simple electronics like for example Club Moral's "Eating Limbs" or Lille Roger's "Hamburg". I like how crappy and punk it sounds. Some kid somehow getting a prehistoric consumer synthesiser and not knowing how to play shit but just using it anyway.

Also, the uses of old, shitty drum machines in general sounds nice to me. I understand the appeal of the "tight" use of reverb, but there is a lot more mileage one can get out of such sounds. I certainly prefer stark minimalism to even the slightest syncopation.

Good ol flanged vocals.

Sorry, but I have to disagree. I always get turned off when I hear modern PE with vocals like that. I just think, "not this again".

[collapsedhole]

scrap metal being thrown around. preferably with no-effects and with a direct to tape sound quality... but sounds great with effects and excellent recording quality also! sounds of metal, repetitive machinery will never get old or boring to me.

[Thermophile]

The 80's industrial/experimental sound had always stronger appeal to me.

It's not just the nostalgia for analogue gear. It could be how the limitations in audio technology, in recording/editing/processing possibilities of that era shaped the genre. Less control to minute detail, more abrasive and gritty sound. Limited amount of tracks etc

[NerveGas]

scrap metal being thrown around. preferably with no-effects and with a direct to tape sound quality... but sounds great with effects and excellent recording quality also! sounds of metal, repetitive machinery will never get old or boring to me.

Agreed. I imagine many on this forum are partial to metal sounds. It does seem to have endless appeal when done correctly.

I do wonder to what extent the appeal is actually endless, however. Could I sit for hours and hours and listen to nothing but unprocessed metal scrap bashing? At what point does a preference transform into "audio fetish"? I think perhaps I don't have the attention span for that type of addicted listening, or there is just too great of a diversity of material I am drawn to. I do appreciate such sounds though. Even just in day to day mundane life.

As far as flanged vocals are concerned... it has been done well before, but certainly agree it's a bit overdone. I have my limits with that sound and can't say I would file it in the "never gets old category".

[Bleak Existence]

can't talk about sound fetish without mentioning The Rita

[NerveGas]

can't talk about sound fetish without mentioning The Rita

Certainly the first that comes to mind in terms of artists.

[Earth O.D.]

The 80's industrial/experimental sound had always stronger appeal to me.

It's not just the nostalgia for analogue gear. It could be how the limitations in audio technology, in recording/editing/processing possibilities of that era shaped the genre. Less control to minute detail, more abrasive and gritty sound. Limited amount of tracks etc

I pretty much subscribe to this. The magic of accidental alchemy.

There are plenty of sound elements in the right context that never get old, like that old switching the amp on sound with immediate piercing feedback, wah screech, fast tempo tremolo crunch, various junk metal percussion, gongs...