NOISE RECEPTOR #13
Good issue! Review section perhaps smaller than in some issues, no complaints (there 50 of them anyways!!), as it is kind of replaced by other "editors material". First thing I was diving into, was Cloister fest report. It was just couple weeks ago when I was talking one Finnish friend asking did he ever get to see any real reports of Cloister fest. We did get some at SI forum, perhaps people posted pics at social media, but it doesn't feel quite the same if there is quickly passing IG stories and 25 second video clips. What we talked, was that perhaps Finland gets a bit more "exposure" for exactly that reason that you got guys posting video documentation, writing longer reports from even slightly smaller shows, but usually every fest. One would suppose there is a lot of things happening, but it seems as if you really had to wait Australian Noise Receptor to publish report to really make sort of permanent documentation of event? Perhaps extending even further into mood of the fest could be good, but I like full coverage and opinions plus decent photos.
Even more so, next thing the essay: Trading in the Currency of Culture: a post-industrial underground perspective.
It was originally meant to be in the Fight your own war part 2 book and despite merits, it feels a bit misplaced in underground zine. As example, I got submission for SI zine that got so close to university thesis, that I had to instantly reject it. Too many footnotes, too many clever words, too many ultra basic ideas explained with complicated jargon. I just mentioned writer that it is good, for THAT purpose. If you publish it in music studies journal for some sort of academic audience, fine. IF you write to the fellow noise head, would feel like you can do many things different. First of all, you can use language in form you would talk to reader. Second, you can assume that reader is indeed already informed about thing you are saying, and besides the absolute basics, would be nice if you have something to offer that is interesting to guys of that type. My criticism in this article, that is good, but why I say it is misplaced in underground industrial culture publication: Do WE need affirmation that Muslimgauze, Whitehouse, and that types are ok? Or is it somehow news to us that industrial culture traditionally was, and still largely remains, as one of the last expressions where contemporary garbage of "cultural appropriation" and so on, has very little meaning.
...or does it? Actual core question is what is the "cultural currency" of industrial? Meaning, that if only actual lived experience is tradeable "cultural currency", and the only means of displaying true authenticity. But how does the "currency of culture", and the questions of authenticity and "appropriation", function within the post-industrial underground?
To compliment the piece, I have to say its almost refreshing to see Cut Hands simply flat out basically say "it is MY music, not theirs". My criticism would be that language has been tweaked notch too nice and artists we are discussing are great for larger audience and topic is something so common that the typical western academia can chit chat about eternally. But within noise scene? I think we could already proceed further from the mainstream style pathological afro themes into the world of industrial culture itself! Like what is authenticity and lived experience in this culture and in what ways do artists deal with external influences plus what it does for the artform if "authenticity" is seen as flat out 1:1 "lived life". In larger musical culture they're still struggling with questions like "is Ramleh acceptable, what if it is/was authentic.." and within industrial culture I feel we could be able to skip that and go into angles that are valid for our authentic industrial culture that is not subordinate to... well, pretty much anything.
That all said, I would strongly recommend mr. Noise Receptor to keep on doing essays for future magazines! It would be excellent reading and underlining that the crowd who buys a paper magazine now, is the crowd who has such level interests in industrial/noise culture that they probably hunger thoughts that go even deeper than latest artists news.
