I mean specifically the more avant-garde stuff based around things like feedback loops, distortion, and white noise, like Merzbow or the Incapacitants. I personally consider it valid as music, but exploring different techniques and sensibilities than "normal" music.
Any noise groups/musicians y'all like?
Hi, big noise fan here. I've posted a little bit in /music in the past and if there's interest I can post a lot more. Used to do a little bit of my own back 15 years or so ago but it was not very good and I didn't really put any of it out there.
Little Incapacitants story here: I was fortunate enough to see them at their very first live performance in the US. Despite being an active unit since the early 80s, the first time they arrived over here was in 2007 for the multi-night No Fun Fest show in Brooklyn. Mikawa-san works for a bank and Kosakai-san is a government employee, so the organizer of the fest intentionally scheduled the 2007 festival for a date when there would be a bank holiday in Japan so they could attend. Got some great pics. The set came out later on CD.
Top-tier noise and excellent guys in general. A documentary was put out a couple years ago about them and is a pretty good watch. (CW for video: strobe lights)
I'm kind of in awe you got to see them. That's cool as hell. What kind of setup did you use to have?
A huge influence on my personal taste was Macronympha and their audio of mechanical chaos: the sound of a factory in its death throes. For a time I was working doing repair on laundry equipment—what's called "OPL" or on-premises laundry, the big machines they use in hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and the like. A lot of these big machines, when the washing hits the extract cycle to spin out all the water, can deliver over 100 Gs of force depending on how loaded they are. When a belt's wearing out or when a drum bearing is near failure you can get some incredible and terrifying sounds. Used a lot of those layered with distortion and a neat boutique ring modulator I think I still have somewhere. It was a while ago and I lost any backups I had unfortunately.
I don't know where you're at now but I really suggest getting back into making stuff
I really appreciate you saying that. Not really at a good place in my life right now (who is!), but if/when that changes we'll see. Still got all my old equipment!