The North East has proven to be fertile ground for the experimental and noise scene for several decades now, playing host to a multitude of globally renowned acts. The seeds for this were initially sown in Newcastle in 1982 when brothers Richard and Phillip Rupenus would form one of the genre’s most influential groups, The New Blockaders.
While Johnny Rotten claimed the Sex Pistols were playing “anti-music”, The New Blockaders sought to genuinely accomplish this, rejecting all conventional notions of rock and classical music structures, instead, creating sonically-challenging improvised pieces.
This year sees the 40th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut LP, ‘Changez Les Blockeurs’, which in many ways has served as the ‘Nevermind The Bollocks’ of modern noise and the first true document of the contemporary movement.
‘Changez’ was recorded in a shed, with the implements used in the recording still remaining a mystery. The sound of broken amplifiers, scrap metal and the ambience of the environment all seem present; however, one could listen to the record thousands of times and it would still keep its mysteries intact.
Included with the record was the group’s now-legendary manifesto, emphasising their nihilistic approach. The band would later proclaim “even anti-art is art, and that is why we reject it!”
An awareness of Dadaist and futurist art movements is apparent; however, the group have hastened to point out that they were not directly inspired by anything proceeding them, with Richard describing a quote by John Cage as a “Eureka moment”, where he stated: “everything is music and everywhere is the best seat”.
Limited to 100 copies, Record Collector magazine has described original pressings of ‘Changez’ as one of the most collectable records of the experimental genre, with copies regularly selling in excess of £500.
During rare live appearances, group members wear masks, and also a suit & tie, maintaining their visual anonymity.
Following the release of ‘Changez’, several gigs took place at the now well-renowned cultural hotspot Morden Tower in 1983. A recording of two of those gigs was released as Live At Morden Tower, showcasing a more amplified and noisy take on ‘Changez’, which proved to be enormously influential.
Described in the noise chronicle Idwal Fisher as “full-on brutalism that would lay down the gauntlet for the likes of Merzbow”, it also helped kickstart the wider Japanese noise scene.
Forty years on, after several reissues, tribute albums and a remix edition, the influence and relevance of ‘Changez’ in the current day is greater than ever.
For further information about The New Blockaders, head to thenewblockaders.org.uk.
