Describing Noise to someone who never heard about it

[cr]

Maybe some kind of funny topic. I guess most of you know the situation, when you get to know the relatives and friends of your new girlfriend/boyfriend. Soon there will be talk about your favourite music. Then you mention...well...Noise.
Noise? What is this? (Then I play some obvious things like Merzbow for them)
Best reaction in recent times was, " Why should I voluntarily listen to something like this? I just want peace and quiet." Good answer, of course. A colleague at work recently said to me, that "thats my thing", when there was some Italian song on the radio. I said... What? What is this? And he said, this is Heavy Metal, isn't this what you like and listen to?
No, I like NOISE! Haha... "What is Noise?"
And when I mention that I buy tapes, then they are all lost..."It's some minor thing, hm?"

So how do you describe to your nearest and dearest ones, what music you prefer to listen?
I guess you all know what I'm talking about. Just tell me about your experiences!

(Don't take this topic too serious and delete if necessary), but at best it can also lead to some serious discussion about describing Noise to someone who never heard about it.

[re:evolution]

Well, in truth the chosen title of 'Noise Receptor' is a an actual homage to people who are not acquainted with the underground considering any experimental oriented sounds as 'noise'.

Personally I used to tell people that I listen to 'experimental sounds, but they probably wouldn't like or understand'. But in the end that felt too wanky and pretentious. So now I say I listen to 'weirdo sounds that most people wouldn't consider music at all'. Perhaps that comes off just as pretentious, but mostly the conversation ends there which is also fine by me.

[HateSermon]

Man I usually try to avoid talking about this shit to strangers at all costs. My wife likes to say I listen to static like from a TV. Some also think I just listen to ASMR. Or using the word Industrial has so many meanings to different people.

[Commander15]

I usually say that i'm listening and playing experimental music or awful racket that no sane person would voluntarily listen.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

When I was younger I liked to bring it up to try and shock people or genuinely thought I could impress them with my vast knowledge of "strange musical genres", which is embarrassing thinking back on it. Now I don't even bring it up anymore but I've exposed most of my close friends to it superficially, they are aware of what it is and that I enjoy it. Was a dinner last night and it came up in the conversation about shows and I mentioned wanting to travel to Japan for the NWN/Hospital fest and someone who was unfamiliar said, "Noise? What is that?"

These days I should say it's "abstract electronic music that focuses on texture and sound exploration without the use of rhythm or melody". It usually gets a blank stare and follow-up questions. Played a quick sample of BBBlood and they were bewildered and asked, "Why would you listen to that?" Common question and usually just end the conversation with a head shrug or just "I enjoy it."

[re:evolution]

Or using the word Industrial has so many meanings to different people.

Yep - I completely agree with what you say about 'industrial', as it is such a loaded term for wildly different meanings and interpretations. If that comes up I usually ask them what they consider to be industrial and go from there. Typically they say thinks like NIN, Marylin Manson, Rammstein (...add whatever more mainstream group here...), I usually say that underground industrial music typically is a solo project, does not rely on guitars or traditional band type formations. The conversion either continues or dissipates on the interest of said person to know more.

[Andrew McIntosh]

I usually lean on words and terms like "abstract", "atonal", "dissonant", "aleatory" "loud", "not melodic/rhythmic/etc".

[Balor/SS1535]

My best attempt was always "experimental music made with non-musical instruments and sounds."  The reasons why this is inadequate/problematic should be obvious, but so far it has typically gone over ok.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

It depends on situation. Those who may get it, I tend to tell other things than to people who clearly will not get it.
One funny thing was years ago, when wife of relative asks about bands I play. As I play also in music bands, I just mentioned... kind of slow rock music, and she goes "oh, like ambient doom?".

Generally, when explaining something, people do not get it at all. For me, most common thing is the weekly routine of someone new coming to my physical shop and wondering what the hell is coming from stereos. Can't say how many times ".. is this music" -themed question comes. Multiply weeks... months, years and by decade. It still is quite amusing to see that utmost disbelief why noise is being listened.

[Stipsi]

I just send them a YouTube link.

[Yvette]

Isn't "Noise" like Andrew WK splitting his head open on a cinder block? Think someone told that one to me like 13 years ago. Or is it EYƎ in an excavator, smashing mirrors, & prepping molotov cocktails? But one has to wonder if you play with 77 drummers are you still Noise Ramones?

I will say that just about every other musician I've made noise with generally believes that rules in music are for fascists. So many people ended up in noise because their ideas didn't conform to the genre(s) they were dedicated to. And over a decade ago noise was this vast unexplored and unexplainable style of music where any abstract instinct an artist had & any equipment they used could somehow fit into the genre. And as performance groups declined & led to the rise of a more solo artist or duo dominated genre I can understand how that changed a bit. But the whole point in my mind was to push things into a new territory of exploration. To not only challenge the listener with abrasive statements & performances; but to challenge the preconceived notions that the monopoly duopoly oligopoly distributor tries to condition into your mind.

I've seen noise mosh pits & noise dance floors. People clearing out a room because of sheer intensity and mutated pop star sing along karaoke. Wild interactive destructive performances & completely removed ambient white noise performances. I appreciate the Macronympha WCN interview when he talks about noise out lasting human existence. The idea that it's a product of nature & an occurrence beyond our perceptions of planet earth.

But in all seriousness I was asked this one when hanging flyers last month. My answer was "Electronic Punk. With a table full of hardware & gear. A lot of programming & loud frequencies often with vocals". or some kind of sheet metal contact mic'd sampler fetish screamo bass rumbling bpm obliterating high end knife edge knob twisting chain rattling distortion stacking fret noodling serine ambient delay twisting synth blasting brass woodwind psychic howling glitch pad fondling off kilter in your face intensity; limitless trance inducing composition. ♥

[anal_yama]

"a whole load of nonsense, usually loud"

[Balor/SS1535]

"a whole load of nonsense, usually loud"

I like this one.

[Icarus07]

Depending on the person, for the most part I say to them that I listen to avant-garde classical music, and leave it at that sometimes I would just say experimental.

[Icarus07]

Generally, when explaining something, people do not get it at all. For me, most common thing is the weekly routine of someone new coming to my physical shop and wondering what the hell is coming from stereos. Can't say how many times ".. is this music" -themed question comes. Multiply weeks... months, years and by decade. It still is quite amusing to see that utmost disbelief why noise is being listened.
[/quote]

It doesn't surprise me that in this day and age people are still oblivious to other forms of music and sound.