Karl Blake
Encyclopedia
Karl Blake is a vocalist, bassist
, guitarist
and multi-instrumentalist
. Most of his own music can be described as progressive
-experimental
and sometimes psychedelic
.
, Shock Headed Peters, Sol Invictus
, Current 93
, Left Hand Right Hand, Seven Pines and Gaë Bolg and the church of Fand. Other past projects include Alternative TV
, The Underneath, Evil Twin, British Racing Green and various other solo and session work.
He began playing and self-recording in 1973/4, and his first band to have a commercially released record, Lemon Kittens, was formed by Blake and Gary Thatcher on April 5th 1978. It went through numerous line-up changes before it again became a two-piece group consisting of Blake and Danielle Dax, with the addition of others for live performance (the group only played around 22 concerts during their entire existence). Between 1979 and 1981, Lemon Kittens released two albums as well as two EPs, described by Simon Reynolds
as "aggressively absurdist records". Cassette-only Lemon Kittens recordings were made under the name Gland Shrouds in 1980.
Blake also released solo cassettes, including Tank Death and The New Pollution. In 1984 he formed Shock Headed Peters with Dave Knight. In 1986 he started The Underneath, a solo project, releasing an EP and an album featuring various guests. Shock Headed Peters disbanded in October 1987 before reforming in 1990, again with founder-members Blake and Knight. In 1987, weeks after Shock Headed Peters' first disbanding, Evil Twin and British Racing Green were formed. Evil Twin was Karl Blake and David Mellor, with the addition of guest vocalist Amy Rodenberg. They recorded one album, The Black Spot, between 1987 and 1991. Both groups are dormant since the early 1990s.
Blake toured extensively and recorded with Left Hand Right Hand from 1988 through until 2004. In 2005 Blake split ways with Sol Invictus, the group he had long been associated with through studio recordings and live appearances, and denounced both the group and the neofolk
genre for, in his view, right wing
leanings. At present, Blake plays (live only) for Gaë Bolg and the Church of Fand and also for Seven Pines. The instrumental track Zoé on the Seven Pines CD Le Cri was in fact written and performed by Blake on the spot and, unknown to him, orchestrated and released by the leader of Gaë Bolg, Eric Roger. It is one of the last recorded pieces by Blake to be released to date.
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
. Most of his own music can be described as progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
-experimental
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
and sometimes psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
.
Musical career
Blake is most noted, in addition to his solo work, for his work with Lemon Kittens, Danielle DaxDanielle Dax
Danielle Dax is an experimental musician and producer most active from the late-1970s to the mid-1990s. She was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.- Biography :...
, Shock Headed Peters, Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus (band)
Sol Invictus is an English neofolk and neoclassical group fronted by Tony Wakeford. Wakeford has been the sole constant member of the group since its inception, although numerous musicians have contributed and collaborated with Wakeford under the Sol Invictus moniker over the years.-Overview:For...
, Current 93
Current 93
Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on...
, Left Hand Right Hand, Seven Pines and Gaë Bolg and the church of Fand. Other past projects include Alternative TV
Alternative TV
Alternative TV were an English rock band, formed in London in 1976. Their punk rock and post-punk sound was influential for several musical artists.-History:...
, The Underneath, Evil Twin, British Racing Green and various other solo and session work.
He began playing and self-recording in 1973/4, and his first band to have a commercially released record, Lemon Kittens, was formed by Blake and Gary Thatcher on April 5th 1978. It went through numerous line-up changes before it again became a two-piece group consisting of Blake and Danielle Dax, with the addition of others for live performance (the group only played around 22 concerts during their entire existence). Between 1979 and 1981, Lemon Kittens released two albums as well as two EPs, described by Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds
Simon Reynolds is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term "post-rock". Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock...
as "aggressively absurdist records". Cassette-only Lemon Kittens recordings were made under the name Gland Shrouds in 1980.
Blake also released solo cassettes, including Tank Death and The New Pollution. In 1984 he formed Shock Headed Peters with Dave Knight. In 1986 he started The Underneath, a solo project, releasing an EP and an album featuring various guests. Shock Headed Peters disbanded in October 1987 before reforming in 1990, again with founder-members Blake and Knight. In 1987, weeks after Shock Headed Peters' first disbanding, Evil Twin and British Racing Green were formed. Evil Twin was Karl Blake and David Mellor, with the addition of guest vocalist Amy Rodenberg. They recorded one album, The Black Spot, between 1987 and 1991. Both groups are dormant since the early 1990s.
Blake toured extensively and recorded with Left Hand Right Hand from 1988 through until 2004. In 2005 Blake split ways with Sol Invictus, the group he had long been associated with through studio recordings and live appearances, and denounced both the group and the neofolk
Neofolk
Neofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
genre for, in his view, right wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
leanings. At present, Blake plays (live only) for Gaë Bolg and the Church of Fand and also for Seven Pines. The instrumental track Zoé on the Seven Pines CD Le Cri was in fact written and performed by Blake on the spot and, unknown to him, orchestrated and released by the leader of Gaë Bolg, Eric Roger. It is one of the last recorded pieces by Blake to be released to date.
Solo work
- Tank Death (cassette, 1977-9), Daark Inc.
- The New Pollution (1977-9), Darrk Inc.
- The Prehensile Tales (Compilation) (1983), Normal Records
- Mandibles: Thirty Pieces of Silver (cassette, 1992), Tak Tak Tak
- Paper-Thin Religion: Solo Archives 1977-1981 (1993?), Pro-Evil Pro-Devil
- Mandibles: En Route to Toothless (1995) Swordex Hieroglyph Proper
- ON: The World and Everything in it (Compilation, contributing track) (CD, 1996)
Gland Shrouds
- Staff in Confidence/Toyshop Universal (1980), Daark Inc.
- Animal Dance (1980), Daark Inc.
- Your Animals (1980), Daark Inc.
- Everyone Wants to Win (1980), Daark Inc.
- Fortune Cheats (1980), Detrimental History Sound Series
- A Telescope in the Sky (1980), Detrimental History Sound Series
Lemon Kittens
- Spoonfed and Writhing (EP, 1979), Step Forward
- We Buy a Hammer for DaddyWe Buy a Hammer for DaddyWe Buy a Hammer for Daddy is an album by British experimental rock group Lemon Kittens, consisting then of musicians Karl Blake and Danielle Dax. It was engineered by David Mellor and released in 1980 on Steven Stapleton's and John Fothergill's United Dairies record label. It was re-released on CD...
(LP, 1980), United Dairies - Cake Beast (EP, 1980), United Dairies
- (Those who bite the Hand that feeds them sooner or later must meet the) Big Dentist (LP, 1981), Illuminated
Shock Headed Peters
- I, Bloodbrother Be (EP and single, 1984), el
- The Kissing of Gods (EP and single, 1985), el
- Not Born Beautiful (LP, 1985), el
- Life Extinguisher (EP, 1986), Beach Culture
- Fear Engine (LP, 1987), Produkt Korps
- Several Headed Enemy (CD, 1992), Cyclops Prod
- Fear Engine II - Almost As If It Had Never Happened (CD, 1993), Cyclops Prod
- Tendercide (CD, 1996), Cyclops Prod
- Not alone (Compilation, contributing track) (2006)
The Underneath
- The Imp of the Perverse (EP, 1986), el
- Lunatic Dawn of the Dismantler (LP, and CD in Japan only, 1987), el
Evil Twin
- The Black Spot (CD, 1992), Livesey
- The Lamp of the Invisible Light (Compilation, contributing track) (1992)
With Sol Invictus/Tony Wakeford
- In the Jaws of the Serpent (Live album) (LP, 1989)
- Lex TalionisLex Talionis (album)Lex Talionis is the name of the third album by the English pagan folk/neoclassical group Sol Invictus. The LP was originally released in 1989 in a box set with albums by Current 93 and Nurse with Wound...
(1989) - Nurse With Wound · Sol Invictus · Current 93 (Split 12", 1989)
- Trees in Winter (1990)
- The Killing Tide (1990)
- See the Dove Fall (7", 1990)
- King & Queen (CD, 1992)
- In the Rain (CD, 1995)
- Cupid & Death (Tony Wakeford solo album) (CD, 1995)
- The BladeThe Blade (album)-Track listing:# "The Blade"# "In Heaven"# "Time Flies"# "The House Above the World"# "Laws And Crown"# "Once Upon a Time"# "See How We Fall"# "Gealdor"# "From the Wreckage"# "Nothing Here"# "Remember and Forget"# "The Blade"-External links:...
(1997) - In Europa (Radio live session album) (CD, 1998)
- In a Garden Green (CD, 1999)
- The Hill of Crosses (2000)
- Brugge (Live album) (CD, 2001)
- Thrones (2002)
- The Devil's SteedThe Devil's SteedThe Devil's Steed is a 2005 studio album from Sol Invictus. It comes in a fold out digipack style case.-Track listing:All words and music by Tony Wakeford / Sol Invictus, except where noted.# "We Are the Dead Men"# "Old London Weeps"...
(CD, 2005)
With Current 93
- Thunder Perfect Mind (1992)
- Hitler as Kalki (Live album) (CD, 1993)
- All Dolled Up Like Christ (Live album) (CD, 1999)
- Cats Drunk on Copper (Live album) (CD, 2001)
With Left Hand Right Hand
- Humdrum (1990)
- Legs Akimbo (CD, 1992)
- Rise and Fall (7", 1994)
- In Mufti (CD, 1995)
Various
- Danielle Dax: Jesus Egg That Wept (1984)
- Chrystal Belle Scrodd (aka Diana Rogerson): The Inevitable Chrystal Belle Scrodd Record (1985)
- Nurse With WoundNurse with WoundNurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak...
: The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion (1985) - In The NurseryIn The NurseryIn the Nursery are a neo-classical/martial electronica band, known for their cinematic sound. The duo has provided soundtracks to a variety of TV programmes and films, and is known for its rescoring of silent films.- Career :...
: Anatomy of a Poet (CD, 1994) - Andrew King The Bitter Harvest (CD, 1998)
- Joolie Wood: Tales of Colour and White (Maxi CD, 2006)
- Simon FinnSimon FinnSimon Finn is an English psych folk musician.Finn was born in 1951 in Surrey, moved to London in 1967, where his first performance was opening for Al Stewart at the Marquee Club in Soho. He released his Pass the Distance LP in 1970, which in later years attained legendary status as it was so hard...
: Accidental Life (CD, 2007) - Andrew LilesAndrew LilesAndrew Liles is a UK based sound artist and multi-instrumentalist. He has a vast output of recordings that he has released since the mid-1980s, covering a variety of styles as experimental music, dark ambient music, progressive rock and even hints at hard rock....
: Ouarda (The Subtle Art Of Phyllorhodomancy) (2008)