Time

[Scream & Writhe]

Something discussed in the Listening Habits thread which seems to be brought up with more consistency lately is: Where do we find the time to listen to all of this stuff? Not only the abundance of new material being released daily, but also old favourites and other past material?

The other day I took a pile of stuff off my shelves. Stuff that I haven't listened to in years (and in some cases maybe never listened to at all), but for some reason I'd kept around. Either thinking I would maybe listen to it one day, or just because it felt like something I should have around. Clearing that stuff off the shelf instantly made the rest of the collection (a little) less intimidating, but also more focused on material I appreciate and identify with. The "clutter" was removed to allow for better attention to detail, rather than a "jack of all trades / master of none" listening approach that I often find myself getting bogged down in due to a wide array of interests and the sheer quantity of everything.

Clearly this issue is not only being experienced by those who have a distro/shop or label with a flood of new arrivals, but also just everyday listeners trying to keep up (and it's not just limited to noise as a genre, the effect can easily cascade if someone is into several genres of music). It's easy to have a defeatist outlook and think that there is just too much out there and that you'll never be able to hear it all, but maybe putting a spin on it and considering the abundance of material as a positive, knowing that the well will never be exhausted is a more conducive approach. Either way, it seems there are certain sacrifices that have to be made when it comes to going beyond just listening, and towards something more actively engaging.

What are those sacrifices? Accepting that you will never hear it all and ignoring certain genres/styles that have a lesser appeal to leave more room for what better resonates with you? Sticking mostly to specific artists and/or labels? Something else? Or just keep on keeping on and try to immerse yourself in a wash of noise 24/7 in the hopes of covering as much territory as possible (and somehow make sense of it all)?

[Zalhietzli]

I think trying to listen to everything just means instant DEFEAT. No point to listening to a record only once, jumping from tapes to tapes. Multiple listens are needed to get into the sounds and really appreciate it.

I don't feel other genres have that constant stream of releases popping up. I think that's mainly due to how "easy" it is to make/release that kind of music compared to other genres. It's mostly just one person recording in his bedroom, no rehearsal of studio to book with multiple band mates obviously (with some exceptions of course).

As for making time... I don't know ! Tell me if you have ideas, a todo list maybe ? It seems even harder as I've felt out of the loop for a couple years and I feel I have so much "catching up" to do.

[BobD.]

Sundays tend to be the one day that I have all to myself, and that's when I get most of my focused listening done. It's become an important ritual for me, and something I look forward to every week. Don't get me wrong, I often have music playing in the house while I'm doing other things, but that's not what we're talking about here.

As far as keeping up with everything; it seems impossible, at least for me. There are a few distros, labels, and artists that I follow, and I assume (perhaps wrongly) that anything else I would really like will find me eventually. I think its important to shake off that sense of anxiety about needing to hear everything or you will just have a shelf full of releases you've only listened to once.

[housepig]

Just try to focus when I can, give priority to projects that I have enjoyed in the past or who I have a personal connection with, and accept the fact that I can't hear it all.

[Remi]

I stopped caring. I know what I like and if I stumble onto something I enjoy randomly or because of a recommendation, awesome. Otherwise, I just don't care. Life is too short and I can't spend as much time as I wish listening to music. I also can't buy it all and do not care about buying it all anymore. Years of record scores thread on various messageboards disgusted me from stupid music consumerism and sad label tactics who entertain said consumerism through artificial limitations or lack of quality control (I blame the artists as well.) I buy stuff from artists or labels I know I like and also listen to lots of stuff I already know and appreciate. I also usually tend to buy when I know that I'll like it, and I'll trade when I take gambles.

And finally, I went through a record purge a few years ago, and 2/3rds of my collection got sold. It felt liberating. Once again, quality over quantity in acquisitions and belongings. That led to improving the quality of the time I spend listening to music, which is very often while commuting or when I'm out, or while I'm doing chores. Also before falling asleep, in bed. And most of the time with headphones on because I don't want to bother my girlfriend.

[MiseryEngine]

I’m with Remi here. I have a full time job and a family plus a pretty packed recording/release schedule. I try to listen to as much as I can and I don’t fret about what I miss out on. I do, however, continue to buy tapes and records as I want to. I’ll get to them when I get to them and if they pile up then so be it. I’ll catch up wherever there’s time to do that but in all, I don’t let it bother me too much. Life is filled with unnecessary worries, and I try to shed as many worries as I possibly can.

[Capers]

I had no problem balancing listening to new stuff and old favorites. A couple of hours every night, some new, and a few old picks, in a good chair. Then I had a kid and things changed drastically. I listen to one album every night when Mrs and the kid have fallen asleep, so to pick that album out takes time and consideration. And I barely buy any new stuff at all anymore. I can’t and I shouldn’t. Some perennial wantlist stuff now and then, but the new stuff I get is from trades. New stuff that piled up pretty fast the first six months after I became a dad and still tried to cling to my old habits, haha. There’s just no point in that. Better give the little I get some proper attention rather than hoarding.

Also, tapes are tough now. Any little sound is heard through the whole apartment at night, so if I press stop or let the tape run out, the kid will wake up. Winding is even worse. I might play something not that rough from tape when I mess around during daytime, but it’s rare for me to really sink into a tape these days.

So, recently I filled up the phone with noise albums, just so I could listen while I commute. It’s not my preferred way of listening, and I’m easily distracted in public, even with headphones. But until the kid gets older, I just have to. I just need this shit in my life I guess.

Sacrifices? Well, I guess I’ve sort of given up following what’s happening outside the few labels I occasionally trade with, and I’m pretty fine with it. Sometimes I sense that this fear of missing out on new releases is extra strong in noise and industrial. Seems like followers of more ordinary music genres have easier to outline precisely what they need and don’t need to hear, and arent as afraid to just dismiss an entire subsubgenre, whereas in THIS field it kinda comes with ”the job” to be interested in just about anything that comes out, besides the most political or thematically vile stuff maybe.

[33033]

My work days are either 7:30-3:30 or 3:30-11:30, five days a week, which alternate week by week (one week all mornings, the next all evenings, then back to mornings and so on). Usually I do most of my listening before/after work. My days off usually have other things booked, except when a day or two falls midweek (rotating schedule), then I can get a lot of listening in. I tend to walk to do most errands as I live close enough in downtown to most things, so I pop something on my headphones. Usually I leave most noise releases though for home as I've stated I prefer them over a sound system not headphones. I recognize I can't hear it all but i make my best effort.

[Scream & Writhe]

Sometimes I sense that this fear of missing out on new releases is extra strong in noise and industrial. Seems like followers of more ordinary music genres have easier to outline precisely what they need and don’t need to hear, and arent as afraid to just dismiss an entire subsubgenre, whereas in THIS field it kinda comes with ”the job” to be interested in just about anything that comes out, besides the most political or thematically vile stuff maybe.

Meant to reply to this when the initial post was made but then things got away from me.

I think about this often. As much as I love and/or have interest in other genres I, to a large extent, don't seem to care about missing out on owning or not hearing something in those other genres. For CDs and cassettes, specifically, unless it's a noise release I don't buy a copy (with very few exceptions) and that doesn't bother me at all. There's also a sense of having more time to get to these other, non-noise, releases. Not necessarily meaning time in the primary sense of this topic, but time in the sense that they will still be there if and when I want to check them out. I guess maybe part of the reason why it's so different for noise is because that's just what we have embedded ourselves in. Maybe there are just as many true metal maniacs out there having this discussion on their own message boards... though that does seem unlikely given what Erik said above re: people's ability/willingness to dismiss entire (sub)genres and the ease in which they do so.

[consumer]

I'm definitely in the habit of buying more records and CDs (not just noise/PE/industrial, but a variety of genres) than I get around to listening to. Collecting is fun/addictive, there's lots of interesting stuff that can still be picked up pretty cheap at thrift shops, but I'm also trying to finally finish up my thesis and really require silence to get any work done. :/

I feel less pressure now to keep on top of everything that comes out in noise and related genres, if anything. I mean, it's not like these kinds of projects tend to ever come here on tour, or even come up often in real life conversation, so there's little external social pressure on me to follow anything more than I have time for, you know? With the metal scene especially, there's such a busy calendar to give me suggestions for bands I might want to spend more time getting into before their show here.

[W.K.]

No one gives me a price to listen to everything so I am happy to only follow the stuff I really like, and sometimes do new discoveries. But often enough I don't even have time to do that. Too much other stuff to do.

[holy ghost]

I recently went through my collection and pulled hundreds of records and tapes I haven't listened to in ages to sell. Between work, walking my geriatric dog and trying to keep in shape music seems to be the thing that gets put on the back burner. At my last job I was able to throw on headphones or listen to music in the car, this new job it’s almost impossible.

This is translating into “trying to make smarter choices” in my music purchasing. Now sure, I know what you’re going to say. “Nice try, dum-dum” or “Haha you’ll be buying another Incapacitants DLP reissue of a CD you already own”.

Anyway, I like lots of music. I struggle with what’s an “essential purchase” vs a kooky impulse buy. I struggle with trying to hear all the stuff I want to hear and keep up with the stuff in my collection I haven’t fully absorbed. If this were a meme it’d be hashtagged “adulting!” and I’d have a Live Laugh Love poster behind me…..

[xIncorruptibleCorpse777x]

I wish I had the money to have this problem, lol

[SS1535]

I wish I had the money to have this problem, lol

Don't we all. . .

[Ascitic]

This is a really cool topic

I have an incredibly demanding job in healthcare and many other obligations outside of that. I just recently found a happy medium to start listening and creating again, and it's been so amazing and I really try to cherish it. I work from 5am to 3pm mostly, and I have about a 2 hour period when I get home before my wife where I need to do shit around the house and can blast tapes and records at stupid volumes and really soak it in before I need to communicate and make dinner with her etc. That's the good stuff tho, where it's just me and loud noise and my full attention doing remedial stuff. She's a long time noise person also, and we will typically put stuff on while we cook and chat etc, but passive noise is doing the material a disservice.

I feel the same about trying to jam noise while I work. Like on Bandcamp or whatever. It's almost disrespectful cause I'm not paying any real attention to it, I'm focused on work. I can listen to a record in that state 5 times and not actually hear it, it's crazy. I try to avoid it.

Me and my bandmate Ryan, who also has a demanding job in healthcare, make a point to dedicate all day Saturday to jamming and recording and it's what we look forward to all week. It's not always productive and sometimes we just use our gear to make each other laugh, but we also get amazing results other times. More importantly, we get to share a passion and enjoy art when the rest of our week is typically fuckin rough

You have to MAKE time, you have to insist on it.

[xIncorruptibleCorpse777x]

I wish I had the money to have this problem, lol

Don't we all. . .

Indeed, indeed...

[holy ghost]

I have an incredibly demanding job in healthcare and many other obligations outside of that.

Man this really hit close to home for me - I work in Healthcare too and my previous job I worked 8-4 but in the community and would chart from home so I typically had 3-5 PM for “me time” before my wife finished work - play tapes, screw around with a pile of effects pedals or whatever.

I moved to a different city last year and started commuting in - I’d leave at 5:45 and get into the city within about 70 min and try to beat the traffic and be home by 3 and do my charting. That much time on the highway is unhealthy for anyone and the cost of gas just kept spiralling so I took a job way closer to home. No more spending 2.5h driving each day but now I work 9-5 and I am expected to be there the entire time. It’s improved my quality of life immensely but removed almost all my spare time. My wife doesn’t drive so I typically buy groceries, we work out 4-5 times per week and as a result other stuff has to suffer. That’s okay though! If I really wanted to sit there and play noise tapes I would, I had to prioritize what’s really important and for me as I get older it’s staying in shape.

I do wish I had like, two extra hours in the day for extra stuff. Or if they could just invent like, a pill you could take to replace dinner I’d be into that too. Making dinner is by far the dumbest shit ever for working families. And I don’t even have kids! By the time you’re done dinner, done the dishes, cleaned up it’s 8:30 pm and like, you just want to watch something stupid for an hour before bed.

[thedemonfeedback666]

I can listen to music at work & I live alone, & have been single for 2 years. So I listen to about 3 to 4 hours of noise a day, every day. It's wonderful.

[SS1535]

So I listen to about 3 to 4 hours of noise a day, every day. It's wonderful.

I envy your life. haha

[totalblack]

I do wish I had like, two extra hours in the day for extra stuff. Or if they could just invent like, a pill you could take to replace dinner I’d be into that too. Making dinner is by far the dumbest shit ever for working families. And I don’t even have kids! By the time you’re done dinner, done the dishes, cleaned up it’s 8:30 pm and like, you just want to watch something stupid for an hour before bed.

A buddy of mine from Toronto was big on Soylent for a while, basically a complete meal replacement. I feel like that would work better for breakfast or lunch instead of dinner though, he hated cooking and also hated spending money on eating out so he would just slam Soylent and not eat. I know that drinking protein shakes after exercising with all of the extra workout powders in it makes it so that I don't have to eat anything until 8-9pm, but I think I would feel unsatisfied not eating a proper meal to end the day. All this to say - there are alternatives to eating! meal prep is another one for time saving - we just cook bulk packs of protein and then throw it on top of salad- all you need and takes minimal time and effort.

As far as listening habits go - I listen to noise and experimental music at work basically 6-10 hours a day, and when I get home I generally don't want to hear anything, or listen to metal or 80s records. My wife has a similar taste in music and our house is big enough that nothing bothers her, but I find I get mentally exhausted listening to music that much in a day. Typically work days are about listening to new stuff, and at home or when guests are over is when the classics and deep cuts come out.

[JBE]

I have no children, so I obviously have more time in general, but as I've gotten older, I've done a better job of prioritizing what I do in my free time. I prioritized listening to music, reading, making music, and hanging out with wife/friends over everything else. TV, film, and other hobbies and interests (doing a radio show, writing, video games, podcasts, any kind of visual art, live DJing, etc.) are just not in the mix as much anymore. Maybe I am fortunate to have A LOT of interests, but I found the act of making a choice somewhat crippling at times and would then just end up pissing away my free time. I may reprioritize things later.

In terms of specifics, I do an
hour walk every day in the same outdoor or indoor space (weather-dependent), which allows me to pay very little attention to the physical space I'm in and maximize attention on the music, then I listen to at least one release, totally focused and undistracted, a day.

[holy ghost]

there are alternatives to eating!

I don’t actually mind cooking and meal prep to wind down my day - it’s more the planning and grocery shopping. What am I going to make? What groceries do I need to buy!?! Ugh and then I have to wash dishes like a chump? It’s tough having such heavy first world problems like me. I should write a memoir about my suffering.

I just quit my job and took a new gig that’s 8-4 vs 9-5. It’s incredible to imagine how much extra time that after work hour will allow me. Also my new location is right across from a grocery store. Watch me be super clever and shop on my lunch break.

[DsE]

I drive for work, so basically i can listen music on my van when i want. 99% of my listening is in my van.
I'm lucky because of this

[33033]

Been listening to more noise at work while doing things and definitely makes everything feel more sinister/creepy. Enjoying this.

[Bubble-Congeries]

^ idk if it's a symptom of OCD or what, but I frequently have recurrent thoughts I can't make stop, often mundane, garbage ones. One I get a lot is visions of my workplace, or technically the area I worked prior to transferring to another in the same compound of buildings, set to the original Nintendo soundtrack of Shadowgate.

All these people in blue jumpsuits making...... what?! exactly? Handling mysterious liquids... With their faces hidden. Set to sinister chiptune music. Creeps me out a lot more than it ought to.