Black Dice formed during the spring of 1997 in Providence, RI as a loud, chaotic mix of early eighties-sounding thrash and harsh noise experimentation. 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 finishing up high school in Maine.
Early shows seldom lasted more than 15 minutes and were characterized by violent performances where injuries were often sustained by 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 began playing.
It was around this 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, though injuries became less frequent. The music bore more resemblance to crude first generation industrial music or contemporary power electronics than straight noise or hardcore. Many of the changes in sound were related to the use of outdated electronics and unconventional instrumentation.
Currently, the music retains elements of noise and proto-industrial experimentation, while organically suggesting minimal, ambient electronic and psychedelic ideas as well as those of tropicalia and dub. Black Dice is now the organised presentation of improvised sound, assembled into deliberate structures based on visual concepts.
(Official Biography by Fat Cat)
Website: http://www.fat-cat.co.uk
