Listening habits

[hsv]

I would have guessed this would have been up for discussion earlier, but couldn't find anything through search. I'm just curious about how people generally listen to the music this forum deals with (in what situations, how you prefer your listening experience to be, etc.)

I just realized that my listening habits have changed somewhat from when I was younger. Living at my parent's house, I'd usually listen with headphones cause I didn't have a stereo of my own, and consequently I had to pretty much sit still in one spot and just listen focused, doing nothing else except possibly looking at the release artwork and any booklets and such.
Nowadays I usually put releases on the stereo while doing something else that doesn't require too much attention, so I can still pay attention to the sound. This mode of listening works for me but I usually pay less attention to artwork, packaging etc. than in the first example, and the experience leans more toward background music than really focused listening.
I used to think washing the dishes was the perfect opportunity to listen to new releases but lately I've become distracted by the sounds of water and such haha.
I listen to music on portable player constantly when out on the town, subway etc. but rarely industrial/noise, I don't get much out of it in that context, maybe I can't really focus on it or something.

[ARKHE]

Only aggressive industrial P.E. like Grunt, Genocide Organ and Institut work for me outdoors, in mp3 player. More down-key, lo-fi, subtle music is ruined by surrounding sounds (esp. since I mainly listen on the bus going to work - grindcore & prog rock is much better for that...). No I prefer to be listening to "our" kind of music at home, by my self, on the stereo. The sound has to circulate through the room and interact with me; listening in headphones immobilizes me and I don't like that. Most of the time, i listen to music while doing other things - reading, idling away on forums like this, communicating etc. Only using a laptop I rarely listen to music from the computer, since that would require me to hook the machine up with my soundsystem, and I rarely can be bothered. It's between me and the physical sound carrier, not me and the analysts at Spotify or LastFM or Youtube/Google logging every track I listen to when and how.

That doing dishes routine still works for me somehow, but mostly only for reviewing albums, and then it's only metal.

[Mattias G]

I have always constantly listening to music at home. But since i got my daughter the listening have change a little bit. Before i could play almost anything except the most annoying stuff. Like very high pitched tones that shake your ears. But since i got a music room (man cave) it´s no problem.
Now i play music all the times also but not noise, experiential stuff when they are around. And since i have a very broad taste it doesn´t matter. But it´s mostly cause i don´t wanna be interrupted 15 minutes in of a longer piece etc. So nowadays i play that kind of stuff mostly at late evenings and when she sleeps her afternoon sleep. Or when they are not around. 
Otherwise i listens to music in the car. I never listens to music on my computer except for some sound snippets or like youtube.
I bought an ipod 2004 but used it for a few months, did´t like it at all.

[icepick method]

I too only listen to harsher music at home. While driving around i need more active foreground music, which is usually hip hop like jedi mind tricks and immortal technique; or 80's-90's "industrial"-EBM stuff like Dive and Numb.

The gym is a completely different story, i need really upbeat, fast, simple music for that, a lot of DHR stuff like atari teenage riot and Bomb20, Berzerker when i do overhead press, ghetto-tech like dj godfather and bitch ass darius.

[Bleak Existence]

since i sold my hi fi system i mostly listen to noise in my car , computer or big synth amp

[Black_Angkar]

It all depends on technology for me. At home, both my cd-player and my vinyl player has broken down since quite some time, and the computer is dying too. Which means I never play vinyl and rarely cd. I listen mostly to tapes or mp3's through the cassette player. This has led to me actually recording more music and listening to that than the actual releases I buy. Will get a new stereo system sooner or later, but it's been a year or so since I listened to vinyl at home.

When I'm outdoors I must listen to music, I can't stand being around unknown people and being forced to listen to them talking on the bus, street or wherever. It's also quite handy for me in order to concentrate while reading or writing on buses and trains as the talking and "natural noises" just gets under my skin. There is no real pattern of choice in music though, as long as the volume and equalisation are approppriatley set.

[acsenger]

I only listen to music at home on my hifi. I used to live alone and therefore I could listen to anything any time, but since I've been living with my girlfriend, I can only listen to 99% of my collection when she's not at home. So that really reduces my listening time unfortunately; I don't want to listen to music on headphones when she's at home.
The only good thing about living in a very small unit is that I can hear the music everywhere in it; I used to listen to music even when taking a shower (although of course softer music wasn't the best choice then). Doing the dishes is almost perfect for me as I can easily concentrate on the music (and the hifi is just a few metres away).
I used to listen to metal/grindcore when going to/coming from work but I stopped about a year ago as I had to listen really loud to block out the outside noise (traffic, people etc.) and I figured I was probably damaging my hearing while at the same time not even enjoying the music that much as the quality through iPod headphones was crap (plus add to that mp3 quality and outside noises).
Despite the fact the ideal (and pretty much only) way for me to listen to music is on the hifi at home, I have a very cheap hifi and no record player (although this doesn't stop me from buying the occasional vinyl). Once we move to a larger apartment, I plan to save up for a decent hifi and turntable (although I should probably start saving now if I want quality).

[tinnitustimulus]

I need noise when I have a bad day, if it's on the subway or on the street or in the library with on an ipod so be it. i play tapes and records on the hifi while laying down on the bed and absorbing it, or cleaning my room or bathroom. most noise will cause me to drive wrecklessly but not as bad as drone, GO is great really loud and I'm trying to stay awake though.

[Ashmonger]

Living with a girlfriend who doesn't like extreme music, I listen with wireless headphones quite often, but mostly not more than an hour a day and then often, also with headphone, when she's gone. So only through the speakers when she's not home, which doesn't happen too much, since we've got more or less the same working hours.
Got an mp3-player which I use at work, or I check out new stuff on youtube and such at work. Used to use my mp3-player on the bus as well, but stopped doing that for the same reason as acsenger. Also, going by bicycle to work, I don't listen to my mp3-player while riding. Would have to put it too loud and don't feel safe, because I also listen a lot whether cars are approaching. And judging from seeing other cunts ride their bicycles while listening to their mp3-players, I guess they shouldn't do it either.
For work I also sometimes have to ride around with cars, so if I know that from before, which I mostly do, I always take some CDs with me.
Whether it's noise or metal or anything (except for ambient), I listen to most music anywhere.

[jesusfaggotchrist]

Ipod usually at work, as my co-workers don't like that type of music, although I showed some stuff to my boss and she found it intriguing. she's an old hippie with buttloads of krautrock vinyl, but is also a christian and actively dislikes the black metal I listen to, and digs noise as long as the vocals aren't harsh (wtf?). I tend to listen to more variety at home as my Ipod only holds 8 GB and I need active, loud, disturbing music to block out the radio and the two darkies who obnoxiously sing along to it.

I have a non-working turntable and just acquired a temporary cassette deck (actually a karaoke machine) so I plan on collecting a ton of recycled tapes. most girls I dated were either indifferent about what I listened to, or found it silly. its pretty redundant to say but noise and harsh industrial is a hard sell, but I get a few active listeners on my radio show on Saturdays, so eh.....

[Black_Angkar]

After my experiences of living or partly living with girlfriends who do not share my taste in music I have come to the conclusion that I will NEVER live or even enter a relationship with a woman who doesn't like at least partly the same things as me. It just ain't worth it.

[hsv]

Interesting, sometimes I look in the Playlist thread and wonder how people have the time to listen to all of these releases... since listening through start to finish usually takes at least 30-40 minutes, and that's just the first listen, often 2-3 more are needed before you even know if you like it or not. I figured some people who post here must constantly listen to new releases to be able to keep up, but it seems that most people, like me, mostly listen for a few hours a day, after work, when no unappreciative family members are present, etc.

Even though my girlfriend and some of my friends share my music tastes, I rarely play music for other people, I tend to listen in private, or through headphones when I'm around others.

[Black_Angkar]

I listen to music almost all the time when I am awake. Unless I'm watching a movie, work or sleep. Either in headphones, or aloud when I'm at home. I can't really stand the silence. Sometimes I burn out on sound and just can't stand it in turn, but most often there's always music.

[Black_Angkar]

Then there is also, in regard to thesde playlists - exactly how finely tuned are these listings? Do people really listen to these releases in their whole, how long time constitutes a "recent" listen? Most of the time I listen to music on mp3 or cassette as I said, which means I only hear the original tape releases all others are cd's that are bought and ripped or just downloaded. I also tend to pick my favorite tracks and then focus on them instead of the totality, though I think a lot of people prefer whole sessions of listening to every track on a release?

[ConcreteMascara]

I prefer to listen music on speakers most of the time I'm at home. Living in a house, I don't have to worry about neighbors complaining, only my family. I put together a nice speaker system in high school using old, but very good equipment my dad had and no longer wanted. An aunt of mine gave me two huge Technics speakers for moving them out of her house. I used to have two smaller Sony speakers hooked up to my receiver as well, creating artificial surround sound. That's my ideal listening condition. Music cranked up to wall shaking levels! I always try to listen to music on its original format but I do rip all of my music into digital format, mostly in case the originals ever get damaged or stolen (which has happened). I also have my computer, laserdisc, VHS, etc all hooked into my receiver so that I can play games or watch movies of any type using the stereo + computer monitor.

I listen to music during most of my time at home, but recently I've been listening to less while out and about. I think this has a lot do with stress. When I'm super stressed I can't focus on or enjoy music as much. And I just prefer more attentive listening.