field recordings are cool but overrated

[datawrangler92]

tbh okay look i get it, people love the idea of capturing 'real' sounds and using them in tracks but half the time its just birds chirping or city noise that sounds like static. like sure its unique but doesnt always add much to the music unless youre super intentional with it. ive seen too many tracks where its just layered in as filler and doesnt do anything interesting. also the gear for this stuff is expensive for what you get — youre better off sampling weird household objects or something if youre after texture tbh that said, theres some sick stuff out there if you dig — like people who record underwater or in caves. now **that** is wild and actually adds character anyone got recs for artists doing this well? i wanna hear stuff that actually uses field recordings as more than ambiance.

 

[PurpleFencepost]

field recordings can be cool but yeah, they’re often just... there. like someone walked outside, recorded some birds, and slapped it on a track because ‘ambient’ or whatever. doesnt always serve the music. and the gear thing? totally. you can get way more interesting sounds messing with a microwave timer or something random around teh house cheaper too. that said, when it’s done well — like actually woven into the structure of the track so it’s not just background noise — it can work but thats rare...

 

[Stargazer6]

haha yeah i get that!! some of them feel like theyre just filler... but ive heard some field recordings that totally transport you, like this one album that used rainforest sounds so vibes!! still, agree theyre not always done well...

 

[PurpleFencepost]

...youre after texture tbh that said,...

yeah i mean its not like those sounds are groundbreaking or anything, just kind of there

 

[datawrangler92]

must be nice to just casually dismiss field recordings like theyre nothing. wow rub it in why dont you some of us would kill for the patience and ear to capture something even halfway decent. not all of us can just shrug off texture like its basic idk man, overrated? nah.

 

[Aragon]

I love the idea of field recordings but yes they can sometimes be there just for the sake of being there. A good recording used as a sample for a song or whatever needs context. It needs to be relevant to the subject matter or it's just noise.

 

[PurpleFencepost]

yeah i guess i can see that... some field recordings do feel pointless but others can be pretty cool if theyre done right... i mean, not like im an expert or anything

 

[Stargazer6]

yeah i feel that... some field recordings can just be like... ambiance for ambiance's sake?? but then you get ones like that artist who layered city noise with analog synth and it was wild... like, transported me to some cyberpunk future also have yall heard that weird band that blends whale songs into their tracks?? dont even know if its field recording but its so bizarre it works

 

[glitterfuel]

field recordings can be cool but yeah sometimes theyre just... a lot of background noise??? like i get the appeal of capturing a moment or place but some of it feels more like "hey look i pressed record outside" than art. **that said** the city noise + synth thing sounds wild, i need to check that out. layering stuff like that can totally elevate it and whale songs?? **lmao** i cant imagine that working but if its bizarre and works then hey, props to em maybe its not "field recording" but its definitely in the spirit of experimenting with sounds. id probably give that a listen just to see how weird it gets

 

[glitterfuel]

...synth and it was wild like, transported me honestly

yeah exactly, some of that stuff just feels like filler BUT WHEN IT HITS IT HITS, like that synth-city track you mentioned sounds rad as hell, wish i couldve heard it live or somethin