field recordings are cool but overrated

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.

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...

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...

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

...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

field recordings can be cool but yeah sometimes theyre just.

yeah i get that!! some of them do just feel like white noise but there’s this one album, forgotten landscapes i think, where the birds and wind sound so eerie it feels like its own song...

i dunno, i think teh appeal kinda depends on what you're expecting... like if you're looking for a proper "song" then yeah, field recordings are gonna feel like a letdown. but if you treat it like... idk, ambient texture or something, it can work. that forgotten landscapes one does sound interesting though, maybe i'll check it out...

...do feel pointless but others can be pretty cool if theyre done...

hahaha yeah i get that!! sometimes it’s just like... lowkey crickets for 10 minutes and you’re like “why tho” but then some of em are so atmospheric!! totally depends on the vibe honestly...

omg stargazer6 i thought i was the only one who felt that way!!! some are just like nothing but others hit so hard you’re like “ok i get it now.” gotta sift through the boring ones to find the good stuff i guess also why is 10 minutes always the default...