Laddio Bolocko | Hamburg @ Hafenklang | Mar 24 2000

For an indexed overview of all un:ART:ig recordings please refer to http://unartignyc.com/recordings Laddio Bolocko live in Hamburg, Germany at Hafenklang on March 24th, 2000. Laddio Bolocko is one of those bands that gained in popularity quickly upon breaking up. Their aggressive, blown-out records of instrumental avante-punk -- recorded cheaply (but slowly and painstakingly) on digital equipment -- intermix violent rage, grace and subtlety in a heady, brooding way reminiscent of Can or Miles Davis. The group formed in 1996 in the midwest and then moved to New York -- guitarist Drew St. Ivany and bassist Ben Armstrong from the noise music group Panicsville, Blake Fleming from the Dazzling Killmen and Marcus DeGrazia on horns. Though they never received a major label contract, the group was a favorite among critics and toured internationally constantly, often with vocal-less compatriots Trans Am. The group split in half in 2000, Armstrong and St. Ivany forming The Psychic Paramount, while Fleming and DeGrazia formed Electric Turn To Me. Since then, their music has been re-released and used in various soundtracks, including a David Cross DVD. http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclope... Blake Fleming started drumming at age 8, and spent several years in Fife and drumming corps, bagpipe bands, jazz bands, orchestras, etc. His first band was Dazzling Killmen, which he joined at age 15. Later he played with the Japanese prog-punk band Zeni Geva. He then moved from St. Louis to New York City and formed the instrumental band Laddio Bolocko. After breaking up Laddio, he moved to Los Angeles and helped start The Mars Volta in 2001, but left after only recording a handful of demos. He also drummed on Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's solo album 'A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1'. He then returned to New York City to form Electric Turn To Me, which in turn broke up in 2006. He rejoined The Mars Volta after drummer Jon Theodore's departure on July 28th, 2006. He later left the band and was replaced by Deantoni Parks for the remainder of the 2006 tour. He has since built a career as a freelance performer and drum teacher in New York. http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclope...