Blake

Genre: Blues / Metal / Rock
Location: HELSINKI, Uusimaa, Su

Blake recorded his first album, Solomon's Tump in 2003, in a Cheltenham bedsit playing all the parts himself, following the break-up of his relationship with his fiancé. (NB A good four years before those catalogue model choristers nicked his name!) In 2004, inspired by The Bevis Frond, Blake formed retro-rock band Karmatruffle with his mates Magda McCaffrey, Paul Kench and Jamie Jordan. The same year, having received a copy of Solomon's Tump, Pacale Giovetto (Oasis, My Bloody Valentine, Dave Stewart) asked Blake to sign to her newly formed London based record label Ectomusic. Blake persuaded the label to sign Karmatruffle as a band instead and they set about recording three of Blake's songs for a debut EP. Karmatruffle achieved success with this release, She's Not All That, and embarked on their first UK tour, receiving some rave reviews for their performances at London's Hope & Anchor. The band decided to self-finance the follow-up album What You Do Comes Back To You to give themselves more artistic control and Blake created his own record label, 'Rockhopper Records', to facilitate this. Another successful nationwide tour supporting Stephen Fretwell to promote the record followed.
Feeling constrained by the indie-rock format, however, Blake embarked on a solo career in 2006 in order to embrace a more eclectic range of songwriting styles, releasing Final Whistle - again playing all the instruments himself - and a remastered version of Solomon's Tump. 2007 saw the release of another two albums recorded at his home studio and released via Rockhopper Records: Carruthers Gets Bashed and By The Banks of the A350. The following year Blake's frenetic recording schedule was scaled down following the birth of his first child, and a compilation of demos and outtakes, Antheology, appeared on the EmuBands imprint. Between May and October of 2009 Blake recorded a new record, Latest Pop Sounds, with, for the first time since Karmatruffle, the assistance of other musicians on a number of tracks: Paul Kench on lead guitar, Chris Scrivens on drums and Joe Brown on organ; released on 11th January 2010.
Blake released a double album, The Parousia, on the 27th July 2010 along with a new single, a re-recorded version of A Better Way featuring Kench, Scrivens and Brown. A compilation of tracks from 2003-2010, entitled A Taste Of Blake, was released on 27th August 2010 to coincide with Blake's appearance at the Greenbelt arts festival.
A Christmas single, The Coventry Carol, featuring Helen Bousfield on flute and concertina, was released on 1st December 2010. Also on this date, Blake performed his debut gig as part of The Bearfield Commune, a collaboration with Razored Cone playing a mixture of Blake and Cone originals and covers.
In April 2011 Blake began writing songs for a new album, Stay Human, as a response to reading about the death of the Italian peace activist Vittorio Arrigoni in the Gaza strip. The album was crowd-funded via PledgeMusic.com, with all profits going to the Greenbelt festival. Stay Human was performed in its entirety on Sunday 28th August 2011 at Greenbelt. It was released on 208 Records on 15th April 2012 and is now available for download from Bandcamp with six bonus tracks.
Haze Parade Hype Records, 24.11.2010 Helsinki based heavyrock band Blake has signed a deal with Hype Records, and the band is set to release their new album Haze Parade on November 24th 2010. Blending blues and rock influences with a heavy metal backbone, the new album sounds like the devil jamming on 70's rock classics. Haze Parade was recorded in old-school style, concentrating on the groove and the rootsy feel of the music. We wanted the album to have an intensity that you tend to lose if you start spending too much time with every detail. We got down from the space tripping of our previous records, and now we're operating on ground level, even below it,,, enthuses Blake's lead singer Aaro Seppovaara. Fingers Crossed, the first single from the new album will be released digitally on October 25th. Haze Parade, Blake's fifth studio album, was produced by Aaro Seppovaara together with the famed Finnish producer Hiili Hiilesmaa. Over the years the band has played hundreds of shows, sharing the stage with AC/DC, Motörhead, Black Label Society, Cathedral, Therapy?, Mustach and Iggy Pop, to name a few. http://www.blake.fi/ For more information: Maiju Asikainen Frontier Promotion 045-6316 728 maiju@frontierpromotion.com
Influences: Black Sabbath, Danzig, AC/DC, Type O Negative, Monster Magnet, Pink Floyd
Jethro Tull "Get ready to shake that fringe because this is a big punchy pop swagger that suggests the Dave Clark Five have spent the last 40 years in sub-zero rejuvenation tanks, only to emerge as pointy-booted 21st century pop warriors. Very catchy, very good." Overplay
"an eclectic mix of classic 60s sounds with a touch of early 70s and a sprinkling of the 80s.. FAR OUT !!!" The music was so groovy i came back for another listen..Check this dude out, folks.. ."
Todd Dillingham
"Admirers of the Bevis Frond’s earliest bedroom recordings, with squeaky Farfisa bleat, fuzzy guitars and crash-bang drums will find much to admire..." Phil McMullen, Terrascope Online
"a psychedelic vibe that sounds like it was ripped stright from the 60's. The sound is captivating, moody and most of all authentic." Zack Daggy
"Intelligent, soulful pop that’s more seductive than a box of After Eights." BBC Introducing
"a pulsating, trippy nod to the late 60s, this talented, Bath, England-based artist is one to watch and groove to for the long haul.” Alan Haber, Buhdge
“Like the tracks that follow, She's Not All That is a perfect pop song with catchy riffs, tight harmonies and a memorable and sing-a-long chorus.” Stephen Morris, BBC Gloucestershire
"Part of the charm of watching Blake is the honesty that comes through the songs which really does give you an insight into not just the artist but the man behind the art which is a rare quality found these days." Gavin Owen, CrossRhythms
"playing 'Girls' at club - kind of art school in its old school tape sound but no less interesting" DJ Keiron Club EVOL The Liquid Room, Edinburgh.
"non manufactured sound - a lot of talent here. A listed" Burst FM Bristol
"Like his previous releases, Blake's eclectic musical sensibilities shine through on the twelve tracks on offer here." Time Out
"sit back and enjoy carefully constructed songs and wonderful vocal harmonies...as they say "Let the music do the talking" Gloucester Citizen.

Members:
• Aaro Seppovaara - vocals, guitar,
• Sami Hassinen - guitar,
• Antero Aunesluoma - bass,
• Kari Reini - drums.

Official Website: http://www.blake.fi/
MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/blakeband/