Blaak Heat (formerly known as Blaak Heat Shujaa) is a French-American musical group whose recordings blend psychedelic rock with a number of outside sources, such as traditional Middle Eastern music, progressive rock, surf rock, spaghetti western, and metal.
Blaak Heat | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles/Paris |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, Progressive rock, Surf rock, experimental |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Svart Records Tee Pee Records Improvising Beings |
| Members | Thomas Bellier Mike Amster Guillaume Théoden Nicolas Heller Henry Evans |
| Past members | Tom Davies Antoine Morel-Vulliez Timothée Gacon |
| Website | Blaak Heat official website |
The band was founded by Thomas Bellier and Antoine Morel-Vulliez in 2008 in Paris while they were graduate students at Sciences Po.[1] In 2012, the band relocated to Los Angeles, signed to Tee Pee Records, and subsequently hired Orange County-based drummer Mike Amster.[1] Blaak Heat has toured Europe and the United States, appearing at festivals such as Levitation Austin, Reverence Valada, and Red Smoke Fest.[2] The band collaborated with Nobel Prize-nominated Gonzo poet Ron Whitehead on two of their releases, leading to multiple live appearances with Whitehead in the US and Scandinavia. Blaak Heat's latest full-length album, Shifting Mirrors, was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Hyde and came out in the Spring of 2016.[3] It has been called "A new standard for a new generation" by PopMatters[4] and "Almost too good to be believed" by Loudwire.[5]
Members
editCurrent members
edit- Thomas Bellier - guitar, vocals (2008–present)
- Mike Amster - drums (2012–present)
- Guillaume Théoden - bass (2016–present)
- Nicolas Heller - guitar (2016–present)
- Henry Evans - bass (2015–present)
Former members
edit- Tom Davies - bass (2015)
- Antoine Morel-Vulliez - bass (2008-2014)
- Timothée Gacon - drums (2008-2012)
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Blaak Heat Shujaa - 2010 - Improvising Beings
- The Edge Of An Era - 2013 - Tee Pee Records
- Shifting Mirrors - 2016 - Svart Records, Tee Pee Records
Extended plays
edit- The Storm Generation - 2012 - Tee Pee Records
References
edit- ^ a b Jason Roche (2013-04-19). "Blaak Heat Shujaa: Desert Rockers". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ^ "Past Shows". Archived from the original on 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2015-05-27.
- ^ "Blaak Heat Release Shifting Mirrors May 13". Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Blaak Heat Shifting Mirrors". Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ "Rumblings From The Underground". Retrieved 2016-10-13.