AN IRONIC MESSAGE // Refused - New Noise // Composer Reaction & Analysis

Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Refused - New Noise (video)
ORIGINAL VIDEO // kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJyklmZmlqp6a8U
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0:00 Intro
01:12 Reaction
06:26 Analysis - Very Forward Facing
08:08 Analysis - Exploring New Sounds
14:47 Analysis - Simplicity At It's Core
20:47 Analysis - A Casual Listen For Me
21:35 Analysis - Lyrical Dive
29:10 Analysis - Kinda Gatekeepery
32:23 Outro
#reaction #refused #posthardcore

[@SLENDAMANN]

Re the "Kinda Gateekeepery" part of the analysis; I think you've got it in the reverse. Refused were making fun of the gatekeepers who said stuff like electronics and classical influence didn't belong in hardcore. The whole album is an exploration of outside influence mixed with hardcore - while New Noise specifically is basically a parody of the hardcore scene (i.e. they're making fun of both audience and the rest of the bands in the scene for not appreciating the "new nosie", but just wanting the same old shit over and over). But like so often happens, a band makes a deliberately simple song that in no way represents their sound and it becomes their breakthrough hit lol - no wonder they disbanded after this record.

[@redshift912]

There were plenty of bands experimenting. Either they didn’t listen to much music back then or they are very pretentious

[@jankjaws9815]

@@redshift912we’re talking about a band that was heavily influenced by 80’s hardcore. I mean hell “Pump The Breaks” sounds like it should be on a Suicidal Tendencies album.

[@klausbremner_autotelic_art]

Yeah. I saw an interview a while back and Dennis pretty much said this. The were shunned from their local hardcore scene for exploring influences from other genres on this record. This song is basically a commentary on how close minded the hardcore scene in Europe was at the time.

[@Jafiveon]

My guy... It's not just this song. This whole album was fucking wild. They also were heavily influenced by their political,opinions and write about that a lot too. That was even part of why they broke up.

[@xxxtkvxxx]

Its the opposite of gatekeeping, hardcore of the time was locked into pretty rigid boxes and they are saying, “lets push the boundaries, we need to lead people out of their comfort zones” and thats exactly what they did.

[@cameronberry457]

I think it's worth listening to the whole album. Given how much they incorporate electronic sounds across the tracks I definitely think they view it as part of legitimately being innovative in their realm rather than using it for parody. I think it's a style they were very interested in at the time.

[@progperljungman8218]

Yup. Especially since the album is so eclectic overall, also using acoustics and changing styles.

[@jorm6194]

Yeah there is something to be said that my mind recalls "hardcore techno megamix!" and "we got a little session going" when thinking of the album just as much as it recalls the melodies.

[@dwpoloni]

they covered prodigy's "voodoo people" on one of their previous eps, they were definitely sincerely interested in electronic music.

[@stevek8]

I am 52 and this is my all time favorite song.

[@slickmechanical]

I saw the video in 1998 on Much Music in Canada and i was instantly hooked. The rhythms on the whole album were so elevated and hooky i was blown away. I listen to this album regularly 25 years later.

[@Cynips]

Can also be worth noting that they were part of the straight edge scene - adopting a pure lifestyle of veganism without alcohol, tobacco or other drugs - also reflected in their lyrics, as well as touching on animal rights and marxism.

[@BjoernMueller]

its been one of my favorite albums of all time...since i listened to it first in ... probably 1999. effing love that whole album.

[@progperljungman8218]

About the lyrics. I think you need to regard them from a "punk"/"oppositional" perspective: Opposing how things work in general within the "business". Of course they use an agitated "scream" (figuratively speaking, but yeah, literally as well 😁) as a "wake up call". And, on "Good frames won't save ugly paintings" I have two perspectives to add: 1. Doesn't mean there's no great paintings within good frames. 2. The "ugliness" can refer to the ugliness of the business where the good frames could actually be good music. Especially paired with the line "Great words don't cover ugly actions", which is easily applied to the "actions" of the music industry. Also, the use of "modern electronic sounds" is probably just an expression of their joy of experimentation and not an irony. This is a very eclectic album musically!

[@lrimmf]

I was gonna post a comment like this, but you did it sooner. And so much better.

[@progperljungman8218]

@@lrimmf Nice to be of same thoughts 🙂

[@Uachtar]

I think to understand these lyrics, we also have to have a look at the hardcore scene in the 90s. Refused was a Swedish hardcore band that had the chance to tour in state in that era and was on the label Victory Record. They didn't really like that crowd and the whole scene that was way more aggressive. It as also a scene that was going nowhere in soundwise and the white suburb kids in basketball jersey trashing the show was really clashing with the more leftist way of thinking of refused If you happen to listen to the full album, you would see theme that are far away from what the 90s hardcore scene was talking about and there was a big clash with the whole hardcore scene. The album put in that context make so much more sense and the lyrics too. Punk was doing it's thing, hardcore it's thing but there was nothing really new getting released. i recall that my friend bought that CD in 1998. i was living in a remote town in Canada and we had the luck to have a music store that was dedicated to punk/hardcore and metal. First few listening was shocking for us. We really disliked the CD as it was so different than anything we heard at that time. But for a reason that i can't explain, we were also obsessed by it. In the end, i bought the album 2 times, it's the album i have listened the most in my life.

[@progperljungman8218]

Yup. This album was revolutionary. And this track only shows a small portion of their inventiveness.... The album was so ahead of it's time that it went by pretty unnoticed. The band disbanded and some years later the audience was ready and elevated it to legendary status. SO influential! And about variation. There's definitely more than enough of it on the album as whole. Awesome stuff! Think you got to react to two songs before - and really enjoyed them (too).

[@CriticalReactions]

This isn't the first time I'm commented about a song lacking variety to be told that the album has the variety I'm looking for. It's a reminder that a lot of music is designed with albums in mind, not single tracks (even if the song in questions *is* a single).

[@progperljungman8218]

@@CriticalReactions I'd like to add that this is one of the simpler songs of the album

[@Terandula]

I have to disagree on the history and impact of the album. It definitely didn't go by unnoticed. New Noise was kind of the anthem of the youth back then. The music video was in heavy rotation on mtv even. One of the reasons Refused disbanded reportedly was that they were being overhyped without the media and probably the general audience understanding their political messages.

[@progperljungman8218]

@@Terandula That's another perspective. All is relative 😊

[@ryanmcgill5048]

I was born in 87... Heard this in 99... This album blew me away and turned me onto later bands that followed suit like Everytimeidie and Alexisonfire

[@thewal1ofsleep]

It's still wild to me that Refused made this album in 1998. It blew my mind when I was in high school and this dropped. It still sounds completely fresh.

[@ThePatcriss]

Post-hardcore or not, I just love bands like this who pack so much energy, unpredactibility, experimentation and prog elements into their music yet manage to stay catchy, and yeah post-hardcore checks those boxes - I'm also in discovering a lot of it lately. I would also count Voivod and Cardiacs as bands that checked those boxes and while not being post-hardcore they do have a lot of punk elements.

[@progperljungman8218]

100%❤️

[@grandroyal66]

Check out Raised fist. Album: dedication.

[@progperljungman8218]

I'd also like to recommend the band The Osiris Club who draw very inspiration from both Cardiacs and Voivod while remaining original enough on the whole.

[@andrewrigney5888]

You really gotta react to some Q & Not U, specifically tracks off their album No Kill No Beep Beep. It’s a classic post-hardcore album I’d also highly recommend reacting to tracks off of Lurid Traversal of Route 7 by the band Hoover, another incredible post-hardcore band from DC

[@riffgroove]

"What year did this come out?" About 14 years too early. Nobody was ready for it at the time.

[@mat_j]

always loved this song

[@tommaw3204]

Yes! Post-Hardcore week! Take me back to my emo blunder years! Bryan if you haven’t already, I really think you should listen to the self titled Ode And Elegy album. Not even on the channel, I just think you’d love it. A single monstrous track that is essentially a requiem, but it’s also a slow burn Post Hardcore journey.

[@meatsuit6922]

Idk if you're already familiar but you should check out some of The Blood Brothers! To me they're kinda like Refused's demented little brother that pushed that same strain of 2nd wave post-hardcore to it's frenetic limits. My favorite tracks from them are 1-900-USA-NAILS, We Ride Skeletal Lightning and Set Fire To The Face On Fire, but also a good starter track to note their undeniable pop sensibilities as well is Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck

[@constructionbootgazer]

He has done a Blood Brothers track before. He did Giant Swan a year ago.

[@Luldaasgmail]

Totally agree with this take. The Blood Brothers and Refused were on repeat during this era for me. Ambulance vs Ambulance would be good blood brothers song to checkout for this same sort of energy.

[@yurishatniy1103]

the album surely wasn’t that influential at the moment of its release, largely overlooked, but later on, influenced the commercial emo scene, which is not what the band had in mind- they are a bunch of swedes that got hooked up on vegan straight edge hardcore and metalcore in the early nineties (aka Umeå hardcore scene); they played some more usual metallic hardcore before, but got tired a bit and made this record; it also contains numerous samples and allusions to jazz music, as well as earlier 80-90’s (post-)hardcore bands like rites of spring, born against and rye coalition. the sound they had on this record made their recording producer a big guy for the bands that wanted to sound just like refused on this one. so, also, the band members played in numerous other cool bands that I love, but yea, the importance of refused’ can’t be overstated.

[@satricon]

killer track

[@yurishatniy1103]

their lyrics a very typically ironic also, mimicking the emo scene of that time, and their appearance (haircuts, nerdy cardigans etc) became somewhat a trend also

[@_Helm_]

oh, yes, the most alterna-metal version of Blur's Song 4! Jokes aside, massive skill, massive hooks, ridiculously headbangable and catchy. This was SO influential when it came out. This is 1998. I have to say I find swedish kids playing punk really funny because life in the nordics is very comforable, so this kind of punk is fuelled by ennui, not political necessity. So the real irony of this 'New Shape of Punk to Come' was a punk of existential ennui, driven by middle-class apathy. It didn't go anywhere much! The album however is a 10 out of 10 masterpiece because the amount of hooks on every song is insane, dude. This whole album is fire if you like melodies and rhythms and hooks. Left everyone far behind, but didn't really start any movement like the anthem would hope to inspire.

[@hanspenner535]

The electronic part was definitely genuine. They came out of the hyper masculine 90s hardcore scene and a lot of music they made on tsoptc was drawing a line in the sand and rejecting what was popular at the time. They are all super eclectic musicians and doubt they out right hate all pop music. They were also pretty young and idealistic at the time and it shows in their music and this song. I wouldn’t read too deep into it.

[@tobiaswedin]

The singer Dennis Lyxzén started a straight up pop band after Refused had ended, The International Noise Conspiracy

[@hanspenner535]

Totally, I could never get into INC. Oh and just to be clear I meant they were rejecting the “Hyper masculine hardcore scene” just in case that was misinterpreted.

[@tobiaswedin]

@@hanspenner535 INC was extremely basic with the twist of having super marxist lyrics so I totally get you, not my cup of tea either. I was just trying to respond to the "doubt they out right hate all pop music" by pointing out that the singer turned to pop straight away after the split

[@oe8723]

so good!

[@marcusedwards8283]

This album is outstanding start to finish. Just wondering if you've ever heard the band Quicksand. They are post hardcore from much earlier. Especially their album "Slip", which came out in 1992 or 1993. I first heard it in 1993. It's still one of my all-time favorite albums. Walter Schreifels (guitar/vox) was in the hardcore bands Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today prior to forming Quicksand.

[@deathbyvideo1620]

They were so ahead of their time

[@voidwraithprime8521]

"Money buys the access...and we can't pay the cost"

[@lrimmf]

"How can we expect anyone to listen if we're using that same old voice? We need NEW NOISE!!!"

[@AA-ou2ye]

This was one of my favorite bands around 1998. It have some inspiration from rage against the machine that what got me interested. This album was way ahead of its time and the production hold up very well until this day.

[@Streamingstuff-qq3vw]

It wasnt ahead of its time because it is the creation

[@yurishatniy1103]

gatekeeping is a thing also, but now they look so posh, you shouldn’t judge them by 2024 standards, they are a product of their time, and especially being Swedish…

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

I remember being impressed by the last couple of Refused tracks we've heard. Generally, punk/hardcore isn't my jam, but these guy throw in enough musically interesting elements without just leaning on the aggressive, anti-establishment angle, and they do so while still keeping the energy that punk was built on. They remind me a bit of a rockier At the Drive-In or ...Trail of Dead. I'm very much here for that combination. Will probably have to get around to at least checking out this album, if not doing a full discog run.

[@InigoBurzako-tj5ot]

You said "this is post-hc and hc is punk so this is post-punk" and so.... This band is unique, so just enjoy it without putting any label or tag to it. They achieved their own style, flow and sound and for me that's the most important thing as musician. Their lirycs are a criticism of the society in where we live and a different look at how to live in it.

[@ublej]

Every time you talk about repetition it makes me want to request Nomeansno - Metronome (Live and Cuddly). Nomeansno is a (the?) "prog-punk" band. Metronome was recorded for a 1986 album, and the Live and Cuddly version is from 1990. It's all about repetition.... ;-)

[@nielsmandemakers720]

Yess!!! and Victims Family!

[@thewheezingdead]

Yeah this is a single from a much more eclectic album. The track Tannhäuser/Derivè from The Shape of Punk to Come is unreal.

[@CriticalReactions]

I got you covered! Checked that one out a couple of years ago kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoWui5agYrmshc0

[@wolfhawk1999]

"The Shape of Punk to Come" was an accurate title. They really set the stage for something new

[@DiegoGamboa-lo2lw]

I think that the lyrics might be not only about the music itself, but the thing about "music for the people" makes me think that there is some reference to their leftist ideals. Their previous album was called Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent. Maybe they are less explicit in The Shape of Punk to Come but they were definitely leftists, I think they still are, at least the vocalist.

[@Thorna111]

"...an ice cream!..." Btw, Meshuggah released Chaosphere in -98. Both bands from Umeå 🤔 Sweden from the future!

[@hvlifvx]

This album is pure genius.

[@No20six]

Please, please do 'Circle Takes The Square - In the Nervous Light of Sunday'

[@richardjones38]

I can't work out why I know this song so well, yet couldn't have told you what it was called or who it was by. I assumed it must have been one one of the few compilations in my music collection, but it isn't.

[@lukegiduz7040]

It was in tony hawks underground, a lot of us grew up playing that game

[@ryukan250]

Thursday and Hopesfall are essential post hardcore too

[@davidwalman]

Refused - Pump the breaks (from 1994)

[@andrewrigney5888]

Also I wouldn’t say this qualifies as post-punk. Post hardcore has always been a subgenre of punk. Semantics tho at the end of the day lol

[@muskett00]

We enjoyed you enjoying the song. Don't feel like you always need to find critique, even though it's the primary modus operandi of the channel. The lyrics for this song are excellent, but of course they don't mean all music. They are just saying you can't polish a turd (the turd is modern crap pop music). I like them for the reason you don't :p

[@Onionbaron]

GUT!

[@ublej]

Huh - 5:19 = Birth of clown-core.

[@Hoscitt]

Album before was better! 😮

[@WOLZI]

You are so smart and wise, speaking like the old shaman of long gone cultures, down to the viewer - I have no own thoughts left. Bravo. Dislike. Also, you don't get the lyrics. Super-Bravo!