Books about noise/experimental music

[acsenger]

Are there good books about noise in English? It would be good to read a comprehensive history of it. I know there's a book by Paul Hegarty titled Noise Music: A History I believe, but I haven't read it and don't know if it's good.
I have Noise War by Masami Akita which is, sadly, in Japanese. Judging from the pictures and the record list at the end, it looks very promising, dealing basically with the period between the late '70s and the very early '90s. According to the TNB Est Mort! 2 CD by TNB and an article by T. Mikawa in ND, there's another book by Akita called Noise Bible, but I haven't been able to find anything about it on the net. Although it's in Japanese (if it exists), so it doesn't really matter anyway...
How about books on experimental music in general? I have Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music which I've only partly read but it's quite good. I suppose there are French books about musique concrete (I think Michel Chion wrote a couple books, for example); anything in English?

[P-K]

imho boring book, feels like written by 'outsider', ......but i'm not that interested in endless 'what is noise/what is music?' pieces....only short features on noise-artists.

this on the other hand is very nice:

hardcover written by not-so-outsider :-D ....good!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

There might have been topic like this somewhere? But I could be wrong.

INDUSTRIAL CULTURE HANDBOOK (research)
MICROBIONIC (creative)

Those two both are way better than Hegarty's book. I know it is often interesting to connect industrial/noise to what happens in world at the time. Find reasons and explanations, but what I can remember reading Hegarty's book, noise appears merely as reference to him to see what happened in world. And much much less what happened in noise. I mean, there is a link and there is some undercurrents why some bands deal with specific subject matter at the time, or how technology enables specific approaches, BUT, I recall the actual core of everything, passion of artist towards his own sound and approach is utterly absent in that book.  It's Hagerty's visions, Hagerty's speculations.

I'd be much much more into "oral history" of noise or not even history, but just basically interview book of what artists do. Been thinking of doing one, since it seems that is what it requires. Although probably will forget attempts to cover all. Just select some specific moment or "genre".

[ironfistofthesun]

NSK book
Tape Delay
England's Hidden reverse
Wreckers of civilisation ( TG )
...always thought there should be way more!!!!!

[Andrew McIntosh]

I know there's a book by Paul Hegarty titled Noise Music: A History I believe, but I haven't read it and don't know if it's good.

It's not. It's not even accurately titled; as a "history" it doesn't really scan. It's basically a collection of densely written pieces on various artists, not all of them Noise, which would appeal only to those who enjoy the pretensions of modern academia.

What about this Encyclopaedia Of Industrial Music? Any reactions, comments, criticisms?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Encylopaedia is very ambitious project to introduce scene with more depth than any other book. I mean, it's not all about the pioneers and big shots of the scene, but it acknowledges importance of smaller players - and pretty much "everybody" is included. It is unfortunate that this approach is so easily touched by turning wheel of time.
I mean, including pretty much full discographies of artists means, that in noise, it will be partly outdated in months. Some artists will have 1-10 new releases out before you even realize. Perhaps better choice would have been to include harshly selected "relevant releases of artist" section. So the person who reads book, knows what releases to aim to hear first.

Wreckers of Civilization is good book.
There are several books of NSK/Laibach, and if you are into the band - basically all are good.

There is also books on Groundfault and that Italian publisher co-releases. John Duncan, African Feedback, and so on... More like sudden infant book. Not focusing on "noise" as whole, but to particular artist.

[acsenger]

How is African Feedback? The concept of it is really interesting -- is the execution up to par?

I just remembered I've read Site of Sound: of Architecture and the Ear by Brandon Labelle and Steve Roden and I didn't like it since it was very academic. I hate it when interesting music and ideas and concepts about music are written about in a "high art" style that I'm sure even most people who are interested in this stuff can't understand. (I read it when I was in my early twenties so maybe I wasn't mature enough, but I doubt that :P)

[Strömkarlen]

How about books on experimental music in general? I have Audio Culture: Readings in Modern Music which I've only partly read but it's quite good. I suppose there are French books about musique concrete (I think Michel Chion wrote a couple books, for example); anything in English?

Bo Ejeby Förlag released this one that might be of interest Hultberg, Teddy (red.) Literally Speaking. Sound Poetry & Text-sound Comp. He's having it on sale at the moment. Not the greatest book but interesting if your into the whole early concrete poetry scene. Teddy Hultberg also released SoundArt : Swedish contemporary sound artists which I haven't read.
I can't find my copy of the big öyvind fahlström book right now but that is good one although on the academic side of things.
I don't think ALAP have been mentioned yet or is that a magazine?
There are more books in the works but it will take time I guess.

I think Errant Bodies is an interesting publisher although I agree with that it is very academic. Going through their catalogue Elgrens name popped up which reminded me of Fireworks Editions but that is perhaps more art-books in the ART sense of the word. Errant Bodies catalogue can be found here http://www.errantbodies.org/ebpublications.html

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

Encylopaedia is very ambitious project to introduce scene with more depth than any other book. I mean, it's not all about the pioneers and big shots of the scene, but it acknowledges importance of smaller players - and pretty much "everybody" is included. It is unfortunate that this approach is so easily touched by turning wheel of time.
I mean, including pretty much full discographies of artists means, that in noise, it will be partly outdated in months. Some artists will have 1-10 new releases out before you even realize. Perhaps better choice would have been to include harshly selected "relevant releases of artist" section. So the person who reads book, knows what releases to aim to hear first.

Yes, problem with discographies was the biggest dilemma when I decided to write this book. Now, If I could go back to the past I will change my idea about completing all records of arists/projects. I was suggested by old books/encyclopedies of rock music where authors included all or at least mostly all records, but, this was in 1990s. I  misjudged enough Internet possiblilities, though I included some artist's full discography which isn't complete on DISCOGS or even on official artists' websites. Anyway, I know now that it wasn't worth to commit so much energy and time for that. The third and the last - fourth volumes will be a little modified in this question. I don't want to change radiically the first formula, so there will be many artists/projects with selected discography, but still I will use complete discography especially in case of less known acts and not existed already who don't have full discography on DISCOGS or Internet at all.

Anyway discographies aren't the most important in this book. The most important was/is different view than broad is used, which I considered on INDUSTRIAL MUSIC phenomena; different but more precise ordination of INDUSTRIAL MUSIC with its genres; and short but solid descriptions which should  help to deeper explore for younger listeners or to replenish with knowledge for all who are interested in this music for many years.

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

Besides, after finishing in 2012 ENCYCKLOPAEDIA OF INDUSTRIAL MUSIC I am going to to write very analytic work on David LYNCH's movies and a book about INDUSTRIAL MUSIC / NOISE (which the first of these I don't know yet). The book about INDUSTRIAL MUSIC will be concentrated mainly on  on various aesthetic aspects and anticulture foundations. I think this book will be good follow-up to Paul HEGARTY's work.

[ImpulsyStetoskopu]

Wreckers of civilisation ( TG )

If that book, which is very good in my opinion, I could recommend "Painful but Fabulous (The Lives & Art of Genesis P-ORRIDGE)" too.

[xdementia]

I've read MICROBIONIC and really enjoyed it. The John Duncan, Whitehouse, and Laibach articles are awesome.

[RyanWreck]

Just ordered it. I've been meaning to read it ever since I read the excerpts from 4 chapters on the internet, which can be found here:

http://www.archive.org/details/microBionicElectronicMusicBookExcerpts

[ddmurph]

How about books on experimental music in general?

roger sutherland - new perspectives in music
michael nyman - experimental music: cage and beyond
san francisco tape music centre: 1960s counterculture and the avant-garde

are all really great. i'd highly highly recommend the roger sutherland one in particular.


john cage - silence and morton feldman - give my regards to eighth st might also be of interest


musiktexte have published some pretty great looking stuff but i haven't gotten around to checking any of it out yet ... http://www.musiktexte.de/contents/en-us/d2.html

... alvin lucier - reflections, christian wolff - cues and robert ashley - music with roots in the aether have been on my wishlist for a while now.


a few of michel chion's books have been translated to english but again, i haven't gotten around to checking any of them out yet



anyone coming to paul hegarty's noise/music expecting a history of noise as a genre is probably going to be disappointed. it's more academic than journalistic, more of an "analysis" than a "history" i suppose, although i personally have no issue with the title ... "a history" works fine for me but i can see why it might be misleading for some. for anyone who hasn't read it but is curious, you can get a fairly good indication where he's coming from by checking out some of his papers here ... http://www.dotdotdotmusic.com/seminars.html.

again, the book has a relatively heavy academic bent to it. i have virtually no background in philosophy/critical theory so it's coming from a very different angle to how i would usually listen to/think about noise. i really enjoyed it though, contains a lot of very good insights, rigorously argued and, again, offers a very different take on noise to what i'd usually look for

endless 'what is noise/what is music?' pieces

the actual core of everything, passion of artist towards his own sound and approach is utterly absent in that book.  It's Hagerty's visions, Hagerty's speculations.

as a "history" it doesn't really scan

these are all perfectly valid but, for better or worse, that's exactly what the book is/isn't. it's exactly the author's own speculations. artists are discussed in relation to specific themes/arguments put forth by the author. again, it's more academic, less journalistic. personally, i enjoy both approaches (if done well) but it might not appeal to everyone. re: the "history" aspect, it's a good few years since i've read it but as far as i remember this is addressed very early in the book. it's not a comprehensive survey of noise and a lot of very prominent noise artists (e.g. new blockaders) get little to no mention in the book. again, artists are discussed in relation to specific themes and sometimes the supporting examples are relatively arbitrary.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

SOCIAL MUSIC (booklet and cd in folder)
errant bodies press

Gathers the material of radiobroadcast project that happened back in 2001, with Achim Wollscheid, Minoru Sato, Brandon Labelle, Giuseppe Ielasi and Michel Henritzi. Booklet is A5 size, 48 pages, mostly text, but some photos too. It ranges from highly "academic" conceptual works to a bit more sensible things. Experimentation of experimental sound and it's social elements. Whole "why it matters?" keeps remaining slightly distant to me personally, but in other hand, that's what conceptual art often does for me.