Industrial / noise / experimental magazines that has existed?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Mr Untitled is scheduled for WCN interview. Will be interesting.

Read Rocker #6, which was easily worst issue so far. The Haters piece is absolutely the highlight here and makes zine worth having, but... I guess Rocker doesn't necessarily "identify" as NOISE ZINE, but that's how I've seen it and therefore expect noise content in it. It is noise related to some degree, but it is very frustrating to go through long audio-to-text interviews where artists focuses on insecurities and uncertainties and somewhat random life stories and just about anything... but noise. hah. NWN is fine, but recently been listening to not only his interviews in the podcasts, but also several hours long interviews of his from NWN podcast as well as interviews he has been making and it seems there is barely anything new here? Also not exactly deciding any specific angle to interview. If someone been around for as long as many grown up noise artists tend to be, these days could be good idea to plan interview a bit more to suit the purpose. Newbies we don't know, could tell more, but veterans could focus on something they're most interested to discuss, rather than re-telling whole story again?

Rocker #7 was started, and curiously there 30 year old American experimental noise maker is at page 10 of his interview as says "you're really just busting out the big questions. Let's go back and talk about noise"!
Yep. Fuck. "Have you ever been in love?", "Lets go to your childhood in detail". Dudes, this is not how interviews become "deep". That's the all day everyday chit chat you need to try to bear when interacting with people. Tell me something I would even know why I am listening to what is being said. If sign of good interview is that you want to hear the artists work, The Haters, I got instantly feeling that I NEED to listen to more The Haters. More than I already do. With Monte Cazazza interview, I got tempted to revisit. With Jacob Winans, perhaps mostly due his "let's go back and talk about noise", I feel tempted to check out his noise. The rest? Don't even know who they really are. People talking about stuff people talk about. I hear that everywhere.
#7 is definitely better. Despite not yet read ODAL feature, I feel it will be good writing from Frans De Waard, about artists who most certainly can be placed next to "under-rated" -label. Damn those ODAL tapes are good!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

UNTITLED 9
Says fall 2024 on cover, but I guess this was more like end of year. I know I mentioned elsewhere that I have yet to really feel what is the spirit of the magazine. Most zines somehow identify with its maker. Night Science, Noise Receptor, Shock Tilt, even SI might have certain identity, even if I make very small % content. With Untitled, not really sure what the makers like. What is their taste or vision with what they do. Editorial here is funny, that it reminds so much of vintage zine culture. Remember times when editorials always included excusing for delay or saying that one doesn't know what to write, and does that kind of meta-writing. In this one, luckily he gets to write about eerie abandoned malls. Also curation of issue is very good. You got WCN oskar getting his top-5 noise written down. Small Cruel Party unpublished doodles, interviews with bunch of artists and Kayu Nakada is curious as he is making sound, but insists it is not music and should not be viewed as such. Harlow MacFarlane interview, the guy known from Black Metal bands, but also Sistrenatus and such talks about his music and sound, but also about involvement in movie industry. Man working with Nicolas Cage in Longlegs for example.
Feels like this issue has probably more content than some others, more reading. Good stuff. Uniform lay-out & design, and perhaps indeed I must adjust my views that I may not really know what's up with editors taste and vision, but how magazine is put together probably tells enough. Noise, but always also quite big attention to movies, artwork indeed has created certain feeling now that magazine is about to reach to admirable 10 issues!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

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.

[Penon]

Another great issue indeed! I am almost done with it and will be moving onto SI #17 soon.

I think the problem is broader than just some people seeing absence of "lived experience" as "cultural appropriation". Even among more reasonable noise and industrial fans who are above such simplistic judgements, there is tendency to believe that the most honest and moving music is made by people who have been through suffering and trauma. The romanticised image of a struggling artist remains alluring, I guess. This approach also pretty much implies that lived experience is a superior method of creating art.

The reason why I reject this idea is that it essentially strips the artist of agency. In simple words, it says "you have created something notable not due to skill, talent or hard-work; first and foremost, it is thanks to circumstances of your life, thanks to environment you happen to be in". It is really quite dismissive, if you think about it. And it seems to be uniquely found in music - no one demands the director of Schindler's List to have lived through the Holocaust, or the author of Crime and Punishment to actually have murdered a granny. Fine, the only artform where lived experience is commonly expected is stand-up comedy - but that is perhaps the most literal form of art, while music is most abstract. Demanding "lived experience" from the creator of abstract art is intellectually disenfranchising.

[Penon]

Very enjoyable discussion of unusual packaging in SI #17 (although probably less of a discussion and more like two parallel monologues but still good). I was surprised not to see more on GO's Save Our Slaves metal/concrete box but then, it is not that experimental compared to other examples in the article (release distributed with vials of HIV blood?!?!?).

While not "physical packaging" per se, the below release has one of the most unusual distribution strategies I have ever seen, and it falls squarely into "I don't care if true of myth" bucket.

https://dalniepriiski.bandcamp.com/album/i

The album was recorded in August 2020 and published on a city phone number. To listen to it, you need to call +7 (343) 385-78-63, press the number from 1 to 5 corresponding to the track number, and enjoy music from any phone even without Internet access and built-in memory. Suitable codecs and equalizer settings have been selected to improve sound transmission.

The phone number with the album was written on business cards, which were distributed at an underground event in an abandoned building, as well as among friends and acquaintances.

Published online for the first time.

[DBL]

Very enjoyable discussion of unusual packaging in SI #17 (although probably less of a discussion and more like two parallel monologues but still good). I was surprised not to see more on GO's Save Our Slaves metal/concrete box but then, it is not that experimental compared to other examples in the article (release distributed with vials of HIV blood?!?!?).

Thanks for the comment. This is the mentioned blood vial release: Death Shape - Master Of Moral.

Publishing something as a phone number like that sounds pretty neat, be it true or not heheh!

[Confuzzled]

Mr Untitled is scheduled for WCN interview. Will be interesting.

Read Rocker #6, which was easily worst issue so far. The Haters piece is absolutely the highlight here and makes zine worth having, but... I guess Rocker doesn't necessarily "identify" as NOISE ZINE, but that's how I've seen it and therefore expect noise content in it. It is noise related to some degree, but it is very frustrating to go through long audio-to-text interviews where artists focuses on insecurities and uncertainties and somewhat random life stories and just about anything... but noise. hah. NWN is fine, but recently been listening to not only his interviews in the podcasts, but also several hours long interviews of his from NWN podcast as well as interviews he has been making and it seems there is barely anything new here? Also not exactly deciding any specific angle to interview. If someone been around for as long as many grown up noise artists tend to be, these days could be good idea to plan interview a bit more to suit the purpose. Newbies we don't know, could tell more, but veterans could focus on something they're most interested to discuss, rather than re-telling whole story again?

Rocker #7 was started, and curiously there 30 year old American experimental noise maker is at page 10 of his interview as says "you're really just busting out the big questions. Let's go back and talk about noise"!
Yep. Fuck. "Have you ever been in love?", "Lets go to your childhood in detail". Dudes, this is not how interviews become "deep". That's the all day everyday chit chat you need to try to bear when interacting with people. Tell me something I would even know why I am listening to what is being said. If sign of good interview is that you want to hear the artists work, The Haters, I got instantly feeling that I NEED to listen to more The Haters. More than I already do. With Monte Cazazza interview, I got tempted to revisit. With Jacob Winans, perhaps mostly due his "let's go back and talk about noise", I feel tempted to check out his noise. The rest? Don't even know who they really are. People talking about stuff people talk about. I hear that everywhere.
#7 is definitely better. Despite not yet read ODAL feature, I feel it will be good writing from Frans De Waard, about artists who most certainly can be placed next to "under-rated" -label. Damn those ODAL tapes are good!

Agree! I enjoy the reviews, but overall not a solid noise zine.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

There are also noise zines you don't hear about! I would STRONGLY recommend Portuguese zine: Katabasis. Editor, who is known for various noise/industrial projects, is not only phenomenal visual artist, but clearly looks noise from different angle than most. Artists he interviews is one indication, but questions he makes displays he has very strong interest in these artists and topic they cover.  Something like Junkyard Shaman interview, is very much thought provoking, but also the others featured in this issue.
It is curious how Junkyard Shaman explains here, but I think also elsewhere, that he never felt like belonging into Finnish noise scene (OR any scene really). But that is interesting question. What constitutes belonging to scene? I mean more contemporary description you see used, in English speaking countries, or USA in particular, seems to be "noise community". If someone would say in Finland, he feels to be part of "noise yhteisö", I am sure almost everybody feels instant rejection. What fucking "community"? No part in such, whatsoever. Scene, feels more like word that literally just means stuff what happens out there. Junkyard Shaman, no matter if he would be different sounding, different vibe, different aesthetics, was very much part of Finn noise. Releases on Freak Animal, Satatuhatta, playing live shows... it may be in same way like Ahola & Silander or something. Doing their own thing, but, it is visible force in large phenomena/landscape of Finn noise, no matter if it is intentional or not. Community generally means "a group sharing a common understanding and often the same language, manners, tradition and law". Noise, is basically diametrical opposition. You can have different understanding, different means on language/communication, different manners, different background and no rules. Still being part of the phenomena what constitutes (in this case) Finn noise. But could be applied elsewhere too.

"The first issue of Katabasis features interviews with soundscape crafstman Murmer, nomadic sound poet and writer Junkyard Shaman and the frenzied sonic assembleur Blunt Instrument (a.k.a. the illustrator André Lemos), visual narratives and illustrations by André Coelho, André Lemos, Jere Kilpinen as well as prose by Roman Beridze."

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

Hardcore Country and Western Issue #2

Just announced yesterday. I really liked the first one. A good sense of humor throughout and solid interviews. Some of the reviews were more honest than most other zines and that was interesting in issue #1. I'll be waiting for some distros to grab it state-side, but very excited for it.

• Armenia
• Jim Haynes
• Simon Johns
• Triptyckon
• Plus reviews and more

[FreakAnimalFinland]

AGONIST SOUNDS #1
ana fosca / Analfabetism / Attic Shrines / Compactor / DAYOFWRATH / Death Appeal / Empty Vessel / Fanalstatt / Hounding / LUST FIST / The Nausea / Sa Bruxa / Xiphoid Dementia

Side thing for Noise Receptor and one may ask why do two zines that look similar and cover sort of same territory. Editor explains his motivations and of course fine with me! Agonist Sounds is all about interviews. Nothing else. No ads, reviews, articles, etc. Some artists photos to go along the interview.
I doubt you can say with any zine that they feature the same old, hah. Even if amount of noise related zines is probably bigger than ever (?) and also podcasts on to of that, I doubt there are "not this guy again!" -type reactions very often. With Agonist Sounds, I am more leaning to reaction like "who are these guys?!". Of course half of them are stuff I even distribute, but several I never listened to and have no idea what they are doing. So far, interviews have turned out to be pretty interesting!

[DBL]

Hardcore country and western #1 zine. I got someone send photo of a "review" made of Koufar tape, and it's was like ouch! Perhaps being published on paper it won't stir artists reaction, hah. Anyways, that was first time when I heard about this zine, but bought it as soon as it made to Finn distro. The Rita, Smell & Quim, Detatchment Programs and reviews etc

Hardcore Country and Western was a really enjoyable read, highly recommend if you can find it. Found out issue #2 has a March 2025 release date for anyone interested.

I read both issues quite recently. While I feel a lot of noise/industrial publications (or actually underground publications in general) have become more like proper magazines if not even books/bookazines, this is very much a fanzine in the best sense of the word. Lots of enthusiasm and personality packed in a relatively small publication. Choice and style of content is based on personal connections, history and curiosity rather than thinking what "should" be featured. Some reviews are like random blurps or displays of immediate disinterest, and some are actually informative and raise interest. Both zines have a good combination of randomness and oddities (out-of-context email exchanges, etc) and just plain interesting stuff based on long history and roots in the scene. I really hope more is to come. Also, big fat thanks to Satatuhatta for having distributed this (sold out from them now though I think!).

[FreakAnimalFinland]

New Rocker has improved lay-out! Yet to dig in deeper, just browsed through fairly quickly, reading God of War interview and rest is waiting.

Untitled new issue, I only read one interview so far.

Noise Accordion by Satatuhatta label is no longer "accordion" shape, but stapled mini-zine. Easier to read through and nice little interviews with Ieskadulla and C15 + Nuori Veri!

[FreakAnimalFinland]

L'ETRANGER newsletter
This is radio show in Belgium. Every second Sunday on Radio Panik. They publish A5 newsletter that usually has playlists, but extra artwork and such. Now latest one I got, is A5/20 pages, almost a zine. Besides playlists of show, it has artwork, photos and 4 pages of album reviews. Don't know how exactly you get copies of this, but at least if you happened to send them some promo stuff, its likely they send you these.
URL with some info here:
https://www.radiopanik.org/emissions/l-etranger/

While browsing the link to post here, I noticed there's old interview still online:
https://www.radiopanik.org/emissions/moacrealsloa/william-bennett-interview-part-2-whitehouse-come-cut-hands-essential-logic-/

[FreakAnimalFinland]

UNTITLED #10
Always nice to see Junkyard Shaman noticed. His art here. Perhaps in full color could be better? It seems like full color may have been advantage, like clearly is in Weston Czerkies artwork that absolutely needed color to be there.
Eva Aguila a.k.a. Kevin Shields, Hate State, etc. Mexican female noise. Clearly artists background here and plenty of things to say. Canadian early days cassette culture doesn't get into noise yet, but more like weirdo post punk thing. Ghost Taco, female artists with routine of having SM57 microphone in her pussy for source of noise. She writes in length. There are questions that follow more than one page long reply, hah. A lot of stories about DIY punk house ethos and such. Very good. Jonas Torstensen from Denmark who talks a lot about being young noise maker and fairly primitive use of gear etc. Briefly visits themes of gender confusion at young age. The Nausea & Echthros is discussion between two sound makers, one being female other as indigenous person. Good stuff. The Nausea LP was very good, other fellows works don't know too well.  TAC is the old artist from the 80's. Perhaps some know him from Pure/RRR disc, but he's been around all the time and perhaps even finns reading this know him from TAC/Max Eastman tape that Satatuhatta put out some time ago. There is talk about that collaboration, but also his career since mid 80's. Great stuff. At the end five page MK9 interview. After following his things since the mid 90's and having heard almost all of it and following closely what he has been doing, I wasn't sure how much interview will give, but it was great reading! I was slightly cautious will there be rants about most popular daily politics, but no. It gets briefly mentioned, but overall we get all the interesting stuff we are not bombarded by news and social media. And surely not advocating that noise folks should praise escapism and indifference towards what is happening in the world, but there is really line between are you concerned about injustices of the world, or are you part of social media machine that sucks out all the energy from human mind, just voluntarily multiplying the contagious addictive "news information".
Anyways, great issue! Could be among the best. And tip for the people who are always nagging about women or minorities or such not getting voice in noise in the "scene". You better place order to get this magazine now when they're indeed giving what so many have indicated they are waiting for.

ROCKER #9
Did they change printing place? Or did place get new stapling machine? They sure did improve few things: Lay-out is in theory "the same", but most of flaws and crooked details have been fixed. Margins look good, font size good, all things more in balance. GRANT talks about his work, both noise and mastering. Sunk Heaven, queer female POC artist goes on rants, which is fine, but when I was eagar to hear what kind of noise she makes, it is actually more like beat oriented sung/rant vocal electro-music. Noisy at time, but not noise. History of Leather is good interview, but again, there is that specific approach to noise where anything is noise. They explain it well in interview. USA, certain age, when you got DIY live house, and there is loud punk band, performance art, improv, and harsh noise project - its all "noise" and they embrace that spirit. I, on the other hand, while being very flexible what to call noise, punk band really is a punk band and it is absolutely sucky to go to gig to see art school kids playing with toy pianos while wearing furry costumes and we should pretend this is NOISE in same sense as noise in context that for example SI is using the word...
Freak World story here is sort of same type of thing, but covering live event of same name, where countless weirdo artists get together, some of it being noise.
God Is War interview is track-by-track commentary of the new album. New album has indeed vastly better production and songs than some of the stuff I have, but like in interview they mention its sort of dub music, and I have very very limited tolerance to listen "beats" and "effects". I am quite sure there is way bigger "scene" out there where this stuff finds fans compared to noise or PE guys. Profound Lore is probably label that can get it into ears of vastly bigger crowd?
Then the usual review section comes in the end. Plus there is neat live show report. With out-door live photos, it is actually feature I'd like to see more!
It is pretty good issue, but from my own perspective, when I buy "noise zine", I hope to get noise stuff. I suppose Rocker, like No Rent is not like die hard noise publication.

[urall]

L'ETRANGER newsletter
This is radio show in Belgium. Every second Sunday on Radio Panik. They publish A5 newsletter that usually has playlists, but extra artwork and such. Now latest one I got, is A5/20 pages, almost a zine. Besides playlists of show, it has artwork, photos and 4 pages of album reviews. Don't know how exactly you get copies of this, but at least if you happened to send them some promo stuff, its likely they send you these.
URL with some info here:
https://www.radiopanik.org/emissions/l-etranger/

While browsing the link to post here, I noticed there's old interview still online:
https://www.radiopanik.org/emissions/moacrealsloa/william-bennett-interview-part-2-whitehouse-come-cut-hands-essential-logic-/

Being from Belgium myself i'm familiar with Radio Panik and know people who have a show on the radio, but wasn't aware of the zin. Thnx for the info. Brussels can be weird when it comes down to experimental music (and everything else as well haha), so many silos, unaware of eachother. And when you talk to 'noise' people here they never heard of Freakanimal, WCN, .. and all the usual labels.