you're very right.

isn't it kind of physically impossible to go "beyond noise?" i mean, you could have this insane screeching consisting of the simultaneous emission of sound at every Hz audible to the human ear, on top of hyenas screeching and a classical symphony played backwards with this massive wall of percussion in the background, but that would still be . . . noise. we can only have music, noise, and silence. you could, in theory, be more abrasive than the noise that's currently being put out, but you'd still be producing noise. that's just the way the word functions in the language -- any sound that is neither music nor silence (though the latter is not, strictly speaking, sound) is, by definition, noise.

damn, literary theory!

I feel that some of Steve Reich's recordings are more unlistenable than many noise artist due to the fact it is a more about the experiment in his recordings then the actual aesthetics of it. The first time I listened to "Piano Phase", 25 minutes of repetitive loops of a 4 second sample, I felt like I got hit by a train...

Duh, Nsync.

I think you're underestimating the combined powers of the Backstreet Boys.

Microchip music is where it all ends.

i enjoy the backsteet boys in a most unironic way. just sayin...

Bollocks, you're absolutely right and I hang my head in shame. The only question now is quite what my defence of David Toop is... I'm sure there's some reason I don't dislike him as much as T & B, but I'm utterly buggered as to what that is...

You should all bow to David Toop.If it wasn't for him sound would never be described they the way it was meant to be described.Go read 'Rap Attack' and cry.

..or 'an ocean of sound'.

Chris Watson is amazing.
It's very hard to make field recordings that stand out at all, let alone field recordings that evoke serious unease.

i haven't read that book but everything i've heard about it sounds like he knows nothing about hiphop but took it upon himself to write a book about it. i've decided not to read it to save myself some irritation..

Don't read interviews with him either.
Just sayin'.

Again,have you read the book?

no, i already said i haven't, i'm going to charing cross road now, so i'll have a look at it in one of the book shops, i'm sure it will vex me.

Read it first,then form your own opinion about it.There are enough people without a stable and concise sense of judgement on this board already.I'd say 'An Ocean of sound' is even better.

fine... i've heard from reliable sources the book/toop really has no idea when it comes to hiphop and from reading his other writing i can believe it.

Quote.

Wont the shops in charing cross be closed by the time you get there?;)