Stringy Rugs�@(CUNEIFORM RUNE 95)

Blast is a Dutch quartet notable for compositionally complex music and brutally powerful performances. Since forming in 1989 the band has worked to develop a sound both dense and kaleidoscopic. Ranging from atonal counterpoint to improvised explorations of aural texture, Blast's music includes polyrhythmics, intricate band precision, intoned absurdist lyrics, and noise, woven into passionately desolate songs. Blast have performed throughout Europe including stops at major centers such as Rome, Zurich, Vienna, Bruxelles, Budapest and Amsterdam. They were featured at the 1990 M.I.M.I. festival in France and performed in the US in January, 1993 at New York's prestigious new-music showcase, The Kitchen, where the performance was reviewed by The New York Times. In 1996, Blast played at the world-renowned F.I.M.A.V. Festival [Victoriaville Festival] in Canada and did an East Coast tour of the U.S.A.. The band self-released their 1st CD, Puristsirup, in 1992. In 1995 Cuneiform Records released Blast's 2nd CD, Wire Stitched Ears. The release received much positive press; Gibraltar said, "Pay close attention and you'll slowly begin to unravel the details and you will be well rewarded". Expose raved that "If one can appreciate the extremes of precision and complexity, then this is the real stuff." Stringy Rugs is the band's 3rd release. Musically, it is their most assured. Intensely difficult arrangements and compositions are handled with ease. Blast's members are Frank Crijns, Dirk Bruinsma, Edward Capel, and at various times, one of two drummers: Rob Snijders or David Kerman. All members are first-rate musicians and skilled composers. Frank Crijns (guitar) has been a composer since 1986nservatory. In addition to Blast, Crijns has performed with Fred Frith, Eliott Sharp, Jacques Palinckx, Pavel Fajt and others. Dirk Bruinsma (electric bass, baritone saxophone, tapes, vocals) has written for chamber ensembles, opera, film, dance, theatre and audio-visual spectacles. He has collaborated with Evan Parker, Barry Guy, and George Lewis, and performs in theatre situations as a musician and performer/director. In addition to Blast, Bruinsma is a member of the rock duo Otolithen, currently preparing a debut disc on Cuneiform. Edward Capel (alto and soprano saxophone) studied saxophone, composition and improvised music at the Tilburg (Holland) Conservatory. He is the saxophone teacher and workshop leader at a school for music and dance in the towns of Goirle and Den Bosch. Besides Blast, Capel has performed with other musicians, including Eliott Sharp, Jacques Palinckx and Fred Frith. Rob Snijders (drums) studied drums and percussion at the Tilburg Conservatory. As a composer, Snijders writes music for a number of small ensembles. David Kerman (drums) plays with numerous challenging New Music ensembles including U Totem, Present, Thinking Plague, 5uu's and others. He is also a composer with many works to his credit. An American, Kerman joined Blast when living in France and accompanied them on their 1996 North American tour.