Blonde Redhead
Japanese twosome Maki Takahashi, Kazu Makino and Italian twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace were the quartet who formed Blonde Redhead in 1993, taking their name from a song by the much admired DNA. Inspired by no-wave New York (where all the band live and work, yet the brothers Pace didn’t live in the States til their teens and Makino only moved from Kyoto to the US in the 90s) and all things Dischord, they soon began to attract the attention of some big and very credible names who would provide gentle, helping hands along their way. The first of these was Sonic Youth sticks man Steve Shelley, a man whose work the band were huge fans of, and who would lend production to their self titled debut record and release it on his own label, Smells Like Records. Shelley and Smells Like would also put out the band’s second record, ‘La Mia Vita Violenta’ in 1995, before the band moved to the legendary Chicago based indie Touch and Go to oversee the release of their next three LPs.
The next underground leg-end to assign himself to the cause of Blonde Redhead would be Unwound bassist Vern Rumsey, who replaced the departing Maki Takahashi for the recording of their third record (and first for Touch and Go), ‘Fake Can Be Just as Good’. Though their second record and each LP since ‘Fake…’ hasn’t featured a full time, dedicated bassist at all, the list of indie figureheads rallying round the flag continued unabated, with Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto producing and contributing inimitable guest yelps to their fourth LP ‘In an Expression of the Inexpressible’. It was the beginning of a decidedly fruitful period for Guy and the band; indeed, Picciotto would stay on to produce the rest of the band’s output to date.
Between the recording of their fifth and sixth records, ‘Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons’ in 2000 and ‘Misery is a Butterfly’ in 2004 (released on 4AD, and arguably the band’s breakthrough LP), singer Makino suffered a near fatal accident in which she was trampled by a horse, leading to an understandably lengthy break between albums and the returning opus being peppered with much equestrian imagery and references to the accident. Thankfully, Makino has now made a full recovery, and the music gets stronger and stronger with each release. This week sees the unveiling of ‘23’, a daring, challenging and beautiful work, and one amongst the best of their career.
**COMING SOON**: We’re currently in the process of pinning the band down and convincing them to become the latest contributors to our ‘It’s Genius… I Swear’ column, whereby scene figureheads dust off a piece of crinkle-covered vinyl from their own personal collections and try to convince you, dear reader, that it is in fact an unfairly discarded gem. Wonder what they’ll pick…
BLONDE-REDHEAD.COM: The band’s official site is as hazy, pretty and often as difficult to figure out as their music can be.
BLONDE REDHEAD @ 4AD: Blonde Redhead’s home amidst their label’s website, here you’ll find up to date news, tour dates and other ephemera.
BLONDE REDHEAD @ SOUTHERN / TOUCH AND GO: Their previous home collects a discography and some reviews from their time on the rightly revered label.
BLONDE REDHEAD FANSITE: Gotta love the fans. Check out the great collection of old Blonde Redhead memorabilia here.
MISERY IS A BUTTERFLY: The band’s breakthrough LP, and first for 4AD. We can’t help but be somewhat smitten.
ELEPHANT WOMAN: As we were with this single effort lifted from it, all “shivering strings that climax eerily and alternately between major and minor”.
EQUUS: If yet to hear a Blonde Redhead track, s’probably a good idea to hear this one first. It’ll convince you ownership of some others should become a priority.
23: Most recently, Blonde Redhead pushed this the way of our ears – a sonic leap forward in the most playful, beautiful and unfathomable of ways.
23:
MELODY:
EQUUS: