Listening habits

[NaturalOrthodoxy]

(I'll move this comment elsewhere if the thread gets moved as per above comment, but will reply here for now)

Most of my listening is digital, be that spotify or stuff downloaded from bandcamp. I do buy some physical items, but that is rare, mostly due to to funds, and the physical items I do have are rarely played due to time constraints. That said, I really enjoy having my small collection, and each item means a lot to me. So having contextualised that-

I do listen to noise when working out. I find that 'thick' sounding PE of the Tesco variety is perfect for it, especially stuff like G.O. with clanking rhythmic metal/percussion elements. Even without though, the atmosphere just seems right for it- the notions of strength, might, Nietzschian overcoming, etc. This stuff is also perfect for walking around, either on a commute or just going for a stroll, especially if (as many of us do) you live somewhere pretty industrial and urban. If I lived in the countryside, I'd probably listen to more black metal or drone on walks.

I'm currently studying, and whenever I need to concentrate I nearly always find myself listening to Total Slitting Of Throats. I explained this to my wife as being because it feels like "amplified silence" and pretty much blocks out distraction with no 'hooks' in the sound which would cause a lapse in concentration. It also kinda lets me feel like I'm doing something I enjoy when working, because I'm a degenerate millennial with no attention span who cannot do one thing at a time.

I nearly always listen to music to fall asleep - I've recently found myself listening to Lussuria a lot for this purpose. I think because it is cinematic and has an escapist value to it. The feeling of narrative and atmosphere is an enjoyable think to fall asleep to.

Basically, I cram as much noise/music listening into my day as possible, because it's my favourite thing in the world, and the digital format makes that an easy thing to do. The magpie in me collects physical releases so that I can support friends' labels, have a finite physical item to go with particularly good releses, or to enjoy the artwork/item in a more tactile way, but it's not the be all and end all.

[Soloman Tump]

I purchased a walkman specifically so I could go out for a walk and listen to noise / experimental / whatever tape.

Most often if I go for a walk at night time I will leave my phone at home and just listen to a randomly chosen noise tape from my collection.  So that is what I do.
I quite often enjoy the results, especially if there is a clear sky and I can do some star gazing and zone out to whatever sounds are in my ears....

[Theodore]

Listening for me have became to not do anything else on the same time, just sit down or lay on bed, listening, drinking my thing and looking at the speakers or the wall -i dont listen music outside or with headphones- . Ofcource this is not the only time / way music is played but if i do something else either i cant focus on that thing or on the music -and i know that cause even if i feel i am listening it and enjoying it, at the end i wont remember much of what i just listened-. Which is strange cause i could do both listening and studying successfuly when i was teen, but i wasnt listening to noise ... Songs, -rhythm, melody, singing- doesnt require your attention that much. Hm, now i am thinking that be very familiar with something, having listen it multiple times, to already know it well, is probably the key. I admit i rarely do that anymore. And it's something i want to 'correct' . To 'stay' with releases longer, to repeat more stuff that i like instead of trying new and exploring. Easier said than done ...

[Balor/SS1535]

http://www.special-interests.net/forum/index.php?topic=2545.msg21099#msg21099

Sorry for the repeat post.

[Balor/SS1535]

Songs, -rhythm, melody, singing- doesnt require your attention that much.

That's really interesting, as my experience feels to be almost the opposite of this.  Songs with rhythm and melody demand/command my attention, while noise naturally retreats to the background.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

combining two topics..

[burdizzo1]

Songs, -rhythm, melody, singing- doesnt require your attention that much.

That's really interesting, as my experience feels to be almost the opposite of this.  Songs with rhythm and melody demand/command my attention, while noise naturally retreats to the background.

Completely agree. In my insomniac days I used to put on noise tapes to help me get off to sleep. Boyd Rice/ NON, and Daniel Menche's "Furnace Fucker" were ones I remember doing the job particularly well, and I'd be asleep before the end of the tape. If I ever tried drifting off to something song based - say, C93 - I'd ALWAYS be awake for the end of the tape!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

My listening habits have shifted a bit. Now the routine for last couple of years has been than I listen pretty much exclusively NEW material at work during the day. Things that are being released, or arrives to mailorder. When at home, in evenings, I do not listen new stuff, but pull out classics and things I have not listened for looong time. It has been really good for picking up things from shelves that may have not been played for decade or more. It is likely that this habit will remain for the future as well.

[Balor/SS1535]

Songs, -rhythm, melody, singing- doesnt require your attention that much.

That's really interesting, as my experience feels to be almost the opposite of this.  Songs with rhythm and melody demand/command my attention, while noise naturally retreats to the background.

Completely agree. In my insomniac days I used to put on noise tapes to help me get off to sleep. Boyd Rice/ NON, and Daniel Menche's "Furnace Fucker" were ones I remember doing the job particularly well, and I'd be asleep before the end of the tape. If I ever tried drifting off to something song based - say, C93 - I'd ALWAYS be awake for the end of the tape!

It reminds me a bit of when I used to work in a store that played terrible pop and country music over the loudspeakers every day.  It was almost impossible to ignore - no matter how much I tried to.  But if it had been white noise or even nothing apart from the ambient sounds of the store, then I would have been able to zone out much more easily.

[Theodore]

Songs, -rhythm, melody, singing- doesnt require your attention that much.

That's really interesting, as my experience feels to be almost the opposite of this.  Songs with rhythm and melody demand/command my attention, while noise naturally retreats to the background.

Completely agree. In my insomniac days I used to put on noise tapes to help me get off to sleep. Boyd Rice/ NON, and Daniel Menche's "Furnace Fucker" were ones I remember doing the job particularly well, and I'd be asleep before the end of the tape. If I ever tried drifting off to something song based - say, C93 - I'd ALWAYS be awake for the end of the tape!

We pretty much say the same thing. Maybe we are confused cause i dont speak / understand english well. To explain : "Noise retreats to the background" - That's why requires your attention if you actually want to listen it and not use it as background music or to fell for sleep.

Songs are there. You can do something else, but at the end you will remember what you listened -lyrics, melody, rhythm-. Dont require attention, they are easy to 'digest' .

Maybe still i use the wrong words, anyway, we mean the same ...

[absurdexposition]

My listening habits have shifted a bit. Now the routine for last couple of years has been than I listen pretty much exclusively NEW material at work during the day. Things that are being released, or arrives to mailorder. When at home, in evenings, I do not listen new stuff, but pull out classics and things I have not listened for looong time. It has been really good for picking up things from shelves that may have not been played for decade or more. It is likely that this habit will remain for the future as well.

I feel like I'm always playing catch up with new releases coming into the distro and don't have enough time to listen to classics, but overall my habits tend to be a rotated version of yours. At work I'm mostly listening to favourites as I don't always have time to dedicate my attention to something new, and at home I'm often listening to new arrivals while I add them to the webshop, pack orders, etc. Then there's some weeks where I don't listen to noise/etc at all and the "catch up" pile just grows even more.

[Bleak Existence]

laptop or tape deck straight into my 15'' 200w bass amp in a apt :)

[Balor/SS1535]

Songs, -rhythm, melody, singing- doesnt require your attention that much.

That's really interesting, as my experience feels to be almost the opposite of this.  Songs with rhythm and melody demand/command my attention, while noise naturally retreats to the background.

Completely agree. In my insomniac days I used to put on noise tapes to help me get off to sleep. Boyd Rice/ NON, and Daniel Menche's "Furnace Fucker" were ones I remember doing the job particularly well, and I'd be asleep before the end of the tape. If I ever tried drifting off to something song based - say, C93 - I'd ALWAYS be awake for the end of the tape!

We pretty much say the same thing. Maybe we are confused cause i dont speak / understand english well. To explain : "Noise retreats to the background" - That's why requires your attention if you actually want to listen it and not use it as background music or to fell for sleep.

Songs are there. You can do something else, but at the end you will remember what you listened -lyrics, melody, rhythm-. Dont require attention, they are easy to 'digest' .

Maybe still i use the wrong words, anyway, we mean the same ...

I see what you mean now.  I think you are right that we are saying the same thing, and am reminded of a certain Heidegger quote about needed a really focused mind to actually appreciate noise as noise rather than the sound-of something (such as hearing the low rumbling as a low rumbling rather than the sound of a car's engine as it drives past your house).

[Lazrs3]

I tend to like playing stuff in car on the way to and from work a lot. If having to get the bus on my phone via headphones, this is also good when walking. Soloman mentioned a walkman, I would like to get another one for tapes when out. Often play mp3s from Bandcamp on phone or rip them to disc for car. Play all formats at home when cooking, have kitchen diner and like to listen and review in there a lot. Prefer boombox for kitchen listening with CDs and tapes for some reason. Stereo just used for vinyl.

[skyloop]

I have my sound system wired to the back of my computer so I never use headphones, headphones to me are way too constrictive. I like to have tower speakers filling the room with it. No one here seems to mind noise as long as it's not too late and I'm listening to it super later not realizing how loud it really is which happens a lot when I get really lost in something. I both passively and actively enjoy it while I'm on my PC here. If I'm really feeling it I'll just zone out to it, if not I'll do other things. I listen to a pretty wide variety of stuff though so I'm not always getting noisy. I don't know anyone that into music in general and especially not collecting physically so it's a lonely path. Sometimes I do get burned out from music in general and need more silence. I'll even want to enjoy more sometimes but I'll just never feel comfortable listening until I do, hard to explain. I do have some on and off sensory issues though so I'm sure those ups and downs play a role.