Genre/Influences: Noise.

Background/Info: The New Blockaders are commonly considered as one of the noise pioneers. They were inspired by the ‘anti-music’, but were still into ‘anti-art’ creating a kind of ‘nihilistic sound universe’, which can be simply defined as ‘noise’. “Live At Sonic City” is a live recording, which took place in Kortrijk (Belgium) in 2017. It has been the last ever performance of the duo ‘Rupenus’ – ‘Niemand’. The performance features a single ‘composition’ of 40 minutes. Next to the CD you also get the DVD of the same performance.

Content: The beginning and final part of the performance features familiar classical music. Right in between you get a terrific noise outburst, which is totally improvised. The DVD will give you a better idea about the performance. The noises are mainly created by the sonic destruction of a piano and the unconventional use of a concrete mixer. Real instruments have been replaced by a saw, hammers, Larsen effects and other noise manipulations. Both protagonists are wearing terrorist caps, which perfectly reflect their way of creating noise.

+ + + : The New Blockaders bring us back to the essence of early noise experiments. But it’s more than simply noise like contemporary artists have used to showing us. This is also a real performance and even if this performance has something provocative (destroying a piano) it also has something artistic. Arts have no limits and anti-art is also an artistic format. That’s the kind of contradiction, which made the essence of this formation. The DVD is essential to understand the approach of the duo!

– – – : The total improvisation –which however has something conscious, and noise cacophony is not exactly accessible for a wider audience. You definitely have to be experienced with this kind of performances.

Conclusion: This album brings us back to the origins of anti-music and the cradle of contemporary noise!

Best songs: “Live At Sonic City”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.thenewblockaders.org.uk / www.facebook.com/The–New–Blockaders-52194758223

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq