Black Bloc

Black Bloc started in early Spring of 2007 as an extension of another project known as DeConstructive Screwdriver Criticism. This extension would focus solely on power electronics and noise based sounds, but more importantly would be the vehicle for D to address and promote his radical political ideals on both recordings and in live settings. The live debut was in home area Buffalo NY in early April 2007 and a 4 song demo ep was recorded and given away for free at that show, and later put online for free as well. (As would be seen, Black Bloc values gift economy ideas and puts every album, ep, live recording etc. online to be downloaded by all who want it. The project also encourages sharing the sounds via p2p, droplifting, and any other way individuals choose to do so.)

The first full length was recorded during the summer of 2007 and became known as "Pop Culture Equals Terrorism." There were 50-100 physical copies made complete with front cover and an essay insert, that were freely given away in trades, at shows, or droplifted. The second live show happened in August of 2007, again in western NY but this time in the small city of Jamestown. By the end of 2007 a second full length was released by the Australian net label Smell the Stench and was titled "The Strangulation Of Free Expression." This would be the only other full length to date of the project and marked a bit of a different style rooted in pure harsh noise. T round out 2007 Black Bloc did a split with Suburbia Melting on the Dumpsterscore label.

In 2008 a limited edition tape with two exclusive tracks was put out by the UK based Pestology label. This tape showed more of a tape collage influence mixed with the lo-fi power electronics and wall noise from PCET. More live shows followed in the Western NY area including shows with Boston's Nau-Zee-Aun, November 14, and The Vomit Arsonist. Black Bloc appeared on a net label comp called Very Bad Men with an exclusive track titled "Values Or Egos?"

The project then decided to call it quits on the recordings aspect and would only record the live performances, of which none were repeated. These would be posted for free download in accordance to the projects ideals toward profit and monetary exchange. The final recorded ep was posted by another net label called Abandonment. This ep was titled "Globalized Resistance: The Arming Of Our Desires" and included 5 tracks, a 13 picture photo essay, and a lengthy text document full of explanations and ideas that went along with the pictures. The last recorded song was then posted on the projects myspace and was a 20 minute piece combining wall noise, power electronics, samples, and pissed off vocals.

After more live shows including the first ever all noise lineup as part of the legendary anarchist social center ABC No Rio's Saturday punk matinee, and a show with fellow Buffalo anarcho grind-crust destroyers Brain Pollution at the Roboto Project in Pittsburgh, Black Bloc decided it was time to record again after a year or so. The first new track will be featured on an anti hate compilation being put out by RJ Myato.

2 and a half years later the project is still working to tear down walls and build bridges between various communities and scenes with its punk rock ethics and visuals, its fusing of numerous styles, and humble personal attitude. It continues to play live shows and get some appreciation, or at least respect for its emotional and physical intensity in the live setting as well as lyrically with lengthy and thought out attacks on subjects such as imperialism, abuse, being a victim of sexual assault as a youth, emotional tolls of living in this world, earth liberation, feminism and all around general radical politics. All while holding true to its anti-profit stance best summed up by "make sense, not dollars."