Changez Les Blockeurs / THE NEW BLOCKADERS
All of the New Brockaders’ (TNB) albums are masterpieces, but my favorite is their first album.
It sounds like they’re doing something endlessly, but I can’t understand what.
There’s a sound that sounds like something is being pulled or dragged over and over again.
What I like about TNB is that they don’t create sound by manipulating effects pedals, but rather produce sounds directly from objects, creating sound collages.
Creating violent sounds using effects pedals is fine, but I like the idea of creating endless collages.
It’s so meaningless.
I’m guessing this lack of meaning is one of TNB’s themes.
The sound blocks created by TNB have no vocals.
They simply create sound from objects.
I find this process very fascinating.
I really like the violent, racing white noise that can be heard on their other albums, but the sound blocks created from these “objects" also have a meaningless, rebellious feel to them.
That’s what makes them cool.
I saw a live performance in LEEDS, UK in 2003.
I don’t think TNB had performed live shows very often up until that point.
So when the announcement for this show came out, I was excited and went to see it, even though LEEDS was quite far from London.
TNB appeared as the final act at NOISE FESTIVAL, which also featured COM-DOM, GREY WOLVES, and ANOMALI.
The three members appeared in suits and stocking-like masks, and it was a strange live performance in which the microphone picked up the sound of crumpling and unscrewing something like duct tape.
It wasn’t as violent as the later live performances seen on YouTube, and there was no pedaling, but rather the sound production was exactly like this album, repeated over and over again.
Naturally, there wasn’t need for three people, as they took turns sitting in chairs facing forward and doing nothing.
The word “nothing…" perfectly applied to this live performance, and this album exudes a similar atmosphere.
It was almost like a modern art performance, but I think that’s what they hate the most.
Time passed as I wondered whether they were doing it intentionally or not.
By chance, Mr. Tano (MSBR), publisher of the magazine “Denshi Zaun", asked me to contribute a report of this live performance to the magazine, and it was published along with photos.
Sadly, Mr. Tano passed away young, but when I listen to TNB, I am reminded of him and feel a sense of emptiness, so I don’t think it’s a coincidence.