New Blockaders

About

The New Blockaders, erupting from Newcastle upon Tyne in 1982, obliterated musical conventions with a ferocity that echoed the industrial heart of their city. Philip and Richard Rupenus, enigmatic figures shrouded in mystery, engineered sound experiences that defy description, using tape manipulation and field recordings to craft abstract soundscapes that mock the very idea of music itself. Simphonie in ø Minor (1991, Hypnagogia records) stands as a monument to their total rejection of melody and rhythm, a cacophony that challenges the listener to find meaning in chaos. Their collaborations with kindred spirits like Organum and Ferial Confine forged a tectonic alliance, pushing the boundaries of noise into new, ecstatic territories. Releases such as Epater Les Bourgeois (1984, Frux) and Live At Morden Tower Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (1984, Aeon) document their relentless pursuit of the overwhelming, transforming live spaces into crucibles of sonic deconstruction. The New Blockaders didn't just make noise; they saturated the very concept of music with their anarchic ethos, leaving a legacy that reverberates through the noise scene to this day.