Blanck Mass is a British

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

solo project by Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Benjamin J Power. He is a founding member of Fuck Buttons. In 2022 Power announced he joined

Editors Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, or ...

as a full-time member.

Career

His track "Sundowner" was used at key points during the

Opening Ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the 2012 Olympic games. 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 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses icons, flags and symbols to elevate the Olympic Games. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competition—such as the flame, fanfare and theme—as well as those used throughout ...

was paraded, and finally as the Olympic Flame was brought to the stadium in a speedboat. Blanck Mass opened for Icelandic band

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fr ...

on their 2013 UK tour. In 2014, Power announced that he was close to finishing off a new Blanck Mass album, and supported Jon Hopkins at the Royal Festival Hall in September. Power released

Dumb Flesh ''Dumb Flesh'' is the second studio album by the English experimental musician Blanck Mass, released on . Critical reception ''Dumb Flesh'' was met with positive critical reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of ...

through

Sacred Bones Records Sacred Bones Records is an American independent record label founded in 2007 and based in Brooklyn, New York. The label has released recordings from artists including Zola Jesus, David Lynch, John Carpenter, Blanck Mass, Crystal Stilts, Marissa ...

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. 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 Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson; 22 February 1950 – 14 March 2020) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the COUM Transmissions art ...

, Dalhous and Konx-Om-Pax. A 12" version of the EP limited to 500 copies in Pumpkin and Mulberry coloured vinyl was released for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

2016. On 20 July 2016, Power announced a new track "D7-D5" via

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...

as part of their Adult Swim Singles 2016 campaign which was released on vinyl in October 2016. On 20 April 2022, it was announced that Power had joined

as a full member, releasing the new single "Heart Attack" on the same day. Power had previously worked with the band on their 2018 album '''

Violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

and the alternate version of the album titled '''The Blanck Mass Sessions'.''

History

''Blanck Mass'' (2011–2012)

The self-titled album ''Blanck Mass'' was released in 2011 through

Mogwai Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). ...

Rock Action Records Rock Action Records is a Scottish, Glasgow-based independent record label, founded and maintained by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. The label has showcased such diverse talents as Part Chimp, Errors, Chris Brokaw, Trout, The James Orr Comp ...

label and is Benjamin John Power's first solo effort after spending seven years as one half of Fuck Buttons.

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. It was established in 2001. ''RA''s editorial team provides news, musi ...

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'' (2015–2016)

'' is the second album by Blanck Mass and marks the switch from the

label to

. The album has been described by ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' 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". ''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 In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, a ...

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.

''World Eater''

Power's third solo album was released on

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

, with various limited edition vinyl versions available. Reviews were generally favourable, with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' calling it "an album that fuses existential fear with sheer beauty".

Musical style

Blanck Mass' musical style has been described as

drone music Drone music, drone-based music, or simply drone, is a minimalist genre that emphasizes the use of sustained sounds, notes, or tone clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harm ...

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation ...

and

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

. Power has been influenced by the likes of

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ...

and

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classic ...

to the "infinity of nature". Power has also said that in his younger years he was a fan of

's post-rock instrumentals.

Personal life

In a 2015 interview, Power stated he is

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

, and prior to that he had been

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat ( red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetaria ...

for 10 years.

Discography

Albums

* '' Blanck Mass'' (20 June 2011, Rock Action) * ''

'' (11 May 2015, Sacred Bones) * '' World Eater'' (3 March 2017, Sacred Bones) * '' Animated Violence Mild'' (16 August 2019, Sacred Bones) * ''In Ferneaux'' (26 February 2021, Sacred Bones)

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

* ''

A Field in England ''A Field in England'' is a 2013 British historical psychological horror film directed by Ben Wheatley. The film, shot in black-and-white, is set during the mid-17th-century English Civil War. The film was released on 2013 on multiple platform ...

: Original Soundtrack Recording'' (18 October 2013, Death Waltz/Rook Films) * ''Blanck Mass Presents - The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears Re-Score'' (2015, Death Waltz Originals)

References

External links

Blanck Mass on Bandcamp
{{Authority control Ambient musicians Musical groups established in 2011 Musicians from Bristol Sacred Bones Records artists Rock Action Records artists 2011 establishments in England