Black Dice: Aaron Warren, Bjorn Copeland, Eric Copeland .
Recording information: Gizpad (2008); Rare Book Room (2008).
Brooklyn experimental rock outfit Black Dice are sonic pioneers with an anarchistic agenda. On REPO, the band continue to push the envelope of noise-rock, melding electronic samples from every source imaginable, including television and the Internet, in disparate collages that are as mesmerizing as they are confrontational. And while the effects may seem off-putting to the uninitiated, REPO is actually one of Black Dice's most cohesive and appealing efforts. The compositions are nearly ritualistic in nature, pulling the listener into their webby pulse even as they dazzle and disorient. In addition, the album plays like social commentary on the order of Throbbing Gristle or Negativeland. This is music from the heart of the machine age.
Professional Reviews
Spin (p.76) - "The trio whip through all manner of rubber-band noise on 'La Cucaracha,' screw down otherwise danceable breaks for 'Ultra Vomit Craze,' and mix alien choirs with punk shouts."
Pitchfork (Website) - "With its steady forward movement and messy pointillist pillars thrown up where concise beats might be, the opening 'Nite Creme' marks Black Dice's slow, lurching move towards something like techno."
