Broken Ear Record is the third album by American experimental noise band Black Dice. It was released on 6 September 2005 on DFA Records. "Smiling Off" was released as single.

Artist/Band Information

Black Dice is an experimental electronic music group currently based in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Early years

Black Dice formed in spring 1997 soon after guitarist Bjorn Copeland met drummer Hisham Bharoocha at the Rhode Island School of Design. Joined by Bjorn's brother Eric Copeland on vocals and bassist Sebastian Blanck, their early sound has been described as thrash-influenced noise. They released several 7"s and embarked on a few brief tours before Blanck left the group and was replaced by Aaron Warren. In 1999 the band moved to New York City and began to experiment with their sound, with Warren and the brothers incorporating more pedals into their setup and slowly leaving their earlier hardcore-leaning style in favor of more rhythmic music similar to motorik and dub music.http

Summary

Black Dice is a rock & roll band based out of Brooklyn, NY. Brothers Eric and Bjorn Copeland and Aaron Warren have spent over a decade recording, touring, and unleashing their musical doctrine on audiences the world over. Starting as a loud, chaotic mix of early-eighties-inspired thrash and harsh noise, the band has transformed itself with each record and every era of performance. The music currently retains elements of noise and proto-industrial experimentation, while at the same time organically suggesting minimal, electronic, hip-hop, and psychedelic ideas as well as those of punk, tropicalia, and dub.

Black Dice formed during the spring of 1997 in Providence, Rhode Island. At the time, Bjorn Copeland (guitar), Hisham Bharoocha (drums), and Sebastian Blanck (bass) were students at the Rhode Island School of Design while Eric Copeland (vocals) was still attending high school in Maine. Early shows seldom lasted more than fifteen minutes and were characterized by violent performances where injuries were often sustained by the band and audience alike. Live sets mixed structured songs with improvised sound manipulation, and shows differed from night to night.

In the summer of 1998 the band relocated to NYC where Eric was going to college. At an early New York performance the band met current member Aaron Warren who had recently moved from Los Angeles to attend NYU. In the spring of 1999 Sebastian left the band and Aaron joined the group.

It was around that time that the emphasis shifted from conventional song structures to more open-ended sonic investigations. Shows of this era maintained an equally physical presence through the use of high volume levels and an extreme range of frequencies, and violent performance became less frequent. The music bore more resemblance to crude first generation industrial music or contemporary power electronics than straight noise or hardcore.

By the fall of 2001 live shows had grown in length to almost five or six times of the earlier sets, with the occasional song reaching 45 minutes. An emphasis on signal processing provided a broader sonic palette. While volume and physical presence of sound remained crucial, melody and repetition became key compositional elements.

In spring of 2004, the band parted ways with longtime drummer and friend Hisham Bharoocha. Though a trying transition, the band continued writing, recording and touring as a three-piece. Metamorphosed once again, Black Dice emerged as a tight compositional unit, with little emphasis remaining on improvisation or long-form songs. A near-pop sensibility was embraced, with shorter and catchier tunes.

Visual art has been a key counterpart to the music, with all record-sleeve design made by band members. Artists Ara Peterson and Danny Perez have made videos for songs, and Mr. Perez has contributed a live video mix to the band's live set since fall of 2005. Recent releases include limited edition posters, and in summer 2005, the group released its first non-music object; a 128-page book of collage art made in collaboration with photographer Jason Frank Rothenberg. In 2007, the band made their first video with “Kokomo”, a visual mash up of images culled from television and the internet.

The band has toured America and Europe dozens of times, and has visited Japan twice. In 2005, the trio recorded an album in Byron Bay, Australia following a tour. In 2006, the band played in Brazil and a live set was captured on national television in Lima, Peru. Virtually any and every type of venue has served as the backdrop for Black Dice shows; from basements and warehouses to art galleries and museums, from house shows to gigantic outdoor festivals or formal seated theaters. Placing the music in a context contrary to the average show remains a compelling inspiration for unique performances.

Albums with DFA and Fat Cat

The release of the album Beaches and Canyons on DFA/Fat Cat and its follow-up, 2004's Creature Comforts saw the band reaching a worldwide audience. However the band was set back with the departure of Bharoocha and their cancellation of a heavily-planned tour co-headlined by their friends Animal Collective. Nonetheless, reduced to a trio, Black Dice recorded Broken Ear Record in Australia in early 2005. Without a drummer, their music took another turn towards Afrobeat and breakbeat. Having been together almost ten years, the group has performed shows in five continents sharing the stage with artists including The Residents and Godspeed You Black Emperor.

Animal Collective's member Noah Lennox said about Black Dice in an interview with The Milk Factory in 2005: " I feel like the wisest things I’ve learned about being in a band I learned by watching them.", The Milk Factory, April 2005 In early 2009, he confirmed in an interview with Magic that he looks to Black Dice "as a model for a band. I feel like as a band, I can't speak for the other guys , but certainly for myself, like I modelled the way I approach to everything with the band watching the way Black Dice did it." Part 5/5, February 5th, 2009

Discography

Studio albums

* Black Dice #3 (2000)

* Cold Hands (2001), Troubleman Unlimited / Catsup Plate

* Beaches & Canyons (2002), DFA / Fat Cat Records

* Creature Comforts (2004), DFA / Fat Cat Records

* Broken Ear Record (2005), DFA / EMI

* Load Blown (2007), Paw Tracks

* Repo (2009), Paw Tracks

EPs and singles

* Untitled (a.k.a. Printed Paper) (1998), Vermin Scum

* Lost Valley (2003), Catsup Plate

* Miles of Smiles (2004),DFA / Fat Cat Records

* Smiling Off (2005), DFA/EMI

* Manoman (2006), DFA

* Load Blown (2007), Paw Tracks

* Chocolate Cherry (2009), Paw Tracks

Singles

* Lambs Like Fruit (1998), Gravity

* Semen of the Sun (2000), Tapes

* Ball / Peace in the Valley (2001), 31G

* Cone Toaster (2003), DFA

* Roll Up / Drool (Paw-Tracks, 2007)

Splits and collaborations

* split with Erase Errata (2001), Troubleman Unlimited

* Wastered with Animal Collective (2004), Paw Tracks

With Wolf Eyes

* Chimes in Black Water 1 (2001)

* Chimes in Black Water 2 (2002)

* Black Dice & Wolf Eyes (2003)

* Chimes in Black Water 3 (2003)

References