Blanck Mass

Blanck Mass is a British electronic solo project by Benjamin John Power, one of the founding members of drone band Fuck Buttons.[1]

Blanck Mass
July 2015
Background information
OriginWorcester, England
GenresDrone, electro-industrial, electronic, experimental
Years active2011–present
Associated actsFuck Buttons
MembersBenjamin John Power

Career

His track "Sundowner" was used at key points during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic games.[2] It was first heard as the Union Flag was brought into the stadium by members of the Armed Forces. Later it was played when the Olympic Flag was paraded, and finally as the Olympic Flame was brought to the stadium in a speedboat. Blanck Mass opened for Icelandic band Sigur Rós on their 2013 UK tour.[3] In 2014, Power announced that he was close to finishing off a new Blanck Mass album,[4] and supported Jon Hopkins at the Royal Festival Hall in September.[5] Power released Dumb Flesh through Sacred Bones Records on 11 May 2015. The vinyl version included an exclusive track "Life Science (Ambient Suite)". Power supported the release with tours and dates in the UK, US, Europe and Australia and received critical acclaim for the album.[6] Later in the year Power released The Great Confuso EP which featured a brand new three-part track as well as remixes of album tracks by Genesis P-Orridge, Dalhous and Konx-Om-Pax.[7] A 12" version of the EP limited to 500 copies in Pumpkin and Mulberry coloured vinyl was released for Record Store Day 2016.[8] On 20 July 2016, Power announced a new track "D7-D5" via Adult Swim as part of their Adult Swim Singles 2016 campaign which was released on vinyl in October 2016.[9]

History

Blanck Mass (2011–2012)

The self-titled album Blanck Mass was released in 2011 through Mogwai's Rock Action Records label and is Benjamin John Power's first solo effort after spending seven years as one half of Fuck Buttons.[10] Resident Advisor said that the album "makes the most sense in a car at night, or any place that you can immerse yourself in its atmospheres in cocoon-like surroundings". The album was Power's first experience with production work, and it paved the way for him to make his subsequent album Dumb Flesh.[11]

Dumb Flesh (2015–2016)

Dumb Flesh is the second album by Blanck Mass and marks the switch from the Rock Action Records label to Sacred Bones Records. The album has been described by Pitchfork as danceable and more accessible than the first self-titled album: "Power's strengths come out at once: dark noise gives way to a pounding rhythm which, in turn, melts into a tapestry of airy synths".[12] Dumb Flesh received ample critical acclaim and it was toured extensively throughout 2015.

The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears re-score (2015)

The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears is a brand new original score to the 2013 Giallo film of the same name. Originally the film had no original score and used music from existing Giallo films instead. The re-score of The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears is a stage experimentation and collaboration with different artists from across the globe. Every artist had a different scene assigned and were given complete freedom to score that particular scene however they wanted. The album was recorded in 2014 and was released by Death Waltz Recordings.[13]

World Eater

Power's third solo album was released on Sacred Bones Records on 3 March 2017 on limited edition black/red marble vinyl, standard vinyl, CD and digital. The Pitchfork review (8.1) said that the album was "suitable for casual noise fans who have some curiosity for extreme music and a decent threshold for pain".

Animated Violence Mild

Power's fourth album under the Blanck Mass moniker was released on 16 August 2019 on Sacred Bones Records, with various limited edition vinyl versions available.[14] Reviews were generally favourable, with The Guardian calling it "an album that fuses existential fear with sheer beauty".

Musical style

Blanck Mass' musical style has been described as drone music, post-rock, electronic and experimental. Power has been influenced by the likes of Carl Sagan and Ennio Morricone to the "infinity of nature".[15] Power has also said that in his younger years he was a fan of Mogwai's post-rock instrumentals.[16]

Personal life

In a 2015 interview, Power stated he is vegan, and prior to that he had been vegetarian for 10 years.[17]

Discography

Albums

Singles and EPs
  • "White Math" / "Polymorph" (21 August 2012, Software Recording Co.)
  • "Hellion Earth" (2012)
  • The Great Confuso EP (26 October 2015, Sacred Bones)
  • "D7-D5" (4 November 2016, Richter Sound)
  • "Odd Scene" / "Shit Luck" (21 April 2018, Sacred Bones)

Compilations

References
  1. "Fuck Buttons' Power Goes Solo as Blanck Mass". Pitchfork.com. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  2. "Olympics Opening Ceremony: Arctic Monkeys, Underworld, Dizzee Rascal... and Fuck Buttons". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  3. "Sigur Rós world tour". Sigur-ros.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  4. "Elektronauts". Elektronauts.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  5. "What's On". Southbankcentre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  6. Reece, Nathan. "Blanck Mass: Dumb Flesh". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  7. "Blanck Mass – The Great Confuso - EP review - The Skinny". Theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. "BLANCK MASS". Recordstoreday.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  9. "Adult Swim Singles 2016". Adultswim.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  10. "Blanck Mass interview: "What's more grand than the idea of someone's internals?"". Dummymag.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  11. "Blanck Mass". Prsformusic.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  12. "Blanck Mass: Dumb Flesh". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  13. ""The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears" Soundtrack Launch". Philjulian.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  14. "Blanck Mass: Animated Violence Mild - Sacred Bones Records". Sacred Bones Records. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  15. "All Tomorrow's Parties". Archived from the original on 6 September 2015.
  16. "Interview". Nydailynews.com. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  17. "Benjamin John Power of Fuck Buttons: 'I Wish I'd Gone Vegan Sooner'". YouTube. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  18. Murray, Robin (11 January 2021). "Blanck Mass Confirms New Album 'In Ferneaux'". Clash. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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