Blemish (band)
Encyclopedia
Blemish was a Brazil
ian alternative rock
band
active from 1998 to 2004. Stemming from Sao Jose dos Campos
, the band’s original lineup consisted of Clovis Tito on vocals/guitars, Daniel Dias on guitar
, Ivan Roman on bass
and Luis Nonaka on drums.
rock in their earlier career, Blemish gradually incorporated post-rock
and shoegaze elements to its sound. Their first demo tape, Daybreak from 1998 was widely acclaimed in the subterranean world of Brazilian indie rock
.
The good results achieved by the demo-tape set the band to play all the major venues in Sao Paulo and was responsible for putting Sao Jose dos Campos
on the indie
map of Brazil
. Such was the buzz
generated by it that the band ended up catching the attention of the then London-based Brazilian journalist Luciano Vianna, who soon fell in love with the group. She invited them to record what became the debut cd of the brand new London Burning Records.
, considered by many music journalists as one of the best albums released in 2000 in Brazil.
Due to conflicting agendas the bassist, Ivan decided to leave the band in late 2001. The tension generated by his exit would ultimately influence drummer Luis Nonaka in his decision to leave the band.
The two members departure would later and once more reshape the band's soundscape
. In 2002 multi-instrumentalist
Danilo Sanefuji, and old friend of Daniel, was invited to take over the band’s rhythm section
and quickly after his arrival the band released its second EP
named King Kong.
Blemish then put together a series of live lineups with Malcolm Fonseca occasionally drumming and Lindemberg Jr., Joao Paulo de Almeida and Andre Dias (from the local band Jerks) taking turns at the bass guitar
. They often toured to many nearby cities, as well as Rio de Janeiro
, Parana
and Rio Grande do Sul
and opened for international acts like ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
and Nada Surf
. Simultaneously to their intensive gigging the band started recording their first album, for the time called Hermits Cocktail.
Throughout the next two years Blemish would carve for itself a distinctive style by blending dirty sound textures with whistling melodies. That, along with the band’s energetic and emotional live performances would build the band’s reputation and earn them a loyal following in several of Brazil
’s states.
By 2005 Daniel and Tito had moved to London
aiming to find new members for the band and finally have the chance pursue their musical careers in a more rewarding environment. Unfortunately their dream would soon be abruptly interrupted by Daniel’s ill health and Hermits Cocktail would remain unreleased.
Daniel returned to Brazil whilst Tito endured alone in London
. After a while Tito and Ivan started talking again, amending their broken friendship and that lead to a wish of reworking their material. During Tito's visits to Brazil
in 2008 and 2009 they started re-recording songs, giving them a cutting-edge twist and making them relevant to the present times and to their present selfs. As the band never officially broke up they plan on releasing Blemish's unheard songs and touring Brazil in 2010.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
active from 1998 to 2004. Stemming from Sao Jose dos Campos
São José dos Campos
São José dos Campos is a municipality and a major city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and one of the most important industrial and research centers in Latin America. It is located in the Paraíba Valley, between the two most active production and consumption regions in the country, São Paulo ...
, the band’s original lineup consisted of Clovis Tito on vocals/guitars, Daniel Dias on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Ivan Roman on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Luis Nonaka on drums.
Early years
Associated with grungeGrunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
rock in their earlier career, Blemish gradually incorporated post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
and shoegaze elements to its sound. Their first demo tape, Daybreak from 1998 was widely acclaimed in the subterranean world of Brazilian indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
.
The good results achieved by the demo-tape set the band to play all the major venues in Sao Paulo and was responsible for putting Sao Jose dos Campos
São José dos Campos
São José dos Campos is a municipality and a major city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil and one of the most important industrial and research centers in Latin America. It is located in the Paraíba Valley, between the two most active production and consumption regions in the country, São Paulo ...
on the indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
map of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Such was the buzz
Buzz
-People:*Buzz Aldrin , American pilot and astronaut, second person to set foot on the Moon*George Beurling , Canadian World War II fighter pilot*Buzz Hargrove , National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union...
generated by it that the band ended up catching the attention of the then London-based Brazilian journalist Luciano Vianna, who soon fell in love with the group. She invited them to record what became the debut cd of the brand new London Burning Records.
Major period
Two years later, Blemish made its sophomore phonographic appearance with Silver Box Song EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, considered by many music journalists as one of the best albums released in 2000 in Brazil.
Due to conflicting agendas the bassist, Ivan decided to leave the band in late 2001. The tension generated by his exit would ultimately influence drummer Luis Nonaka in his decision to leave the band.
The two members departure would later and once more reshape the band's soundscape
Soundscape
A soundscape is a sound or combination of sounds that forms or arises from an immersive environment. The study of soundscape is the subject of acoustic ecology...
. In 2002 multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
Danilo Sanefuji, and old friend of Daniel, was invited to take over the band’s rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
and quickly after his arrival the band released its second EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
named King Kong.
Blemish then put together a series of live lineups with Malcolm Fonseca occasionally drumming and Lindemberg Jr., Joao Paulo de Almeida and Andre Dias (from the local band Jerks) taking turns at the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. They often toured to many nearby cities, as well as Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Parana
Paraná (state)
Paraná is one of the states of Brazil, located in the South of the country, bordered on the north by São Paulo state, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Santa Catarina state and the Misiones Province of Argentina, and on the west by Mato Grosso do Sul and the republic of Paraguay,...
and Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and the state with the fifth highest Human Development Index in the country. In this state is located the southernmost city in the country, Chuí, on the border with Uruguay. In the region of Bento Gonçalves and Caxias do Sul, the largest wine...
and opened for international acts like ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas. The chief creative members of the band are Jason Reece and Conrad Keely . The two switch between drumming, guitar and lead vocals, both on recordings and live shows...
and Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
. Simultaneously to their intensive gigging the band started recording their first album, for the time called Hermits Cocktail.
Throughout the next two years Blemish would carve for itself a distinctive style by blending dirty sound textures with whistling melodies. That, along with the band’s energetic and emotional live performances would build the band’s reputation and earn them a loyal following in several of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
’s states.
Hiatus and reforming
Despite all the adulation from critics and public, the year 2004 found Tito and Daniel exhausted. They were upset with the seemingly endless recording sessions and constant lineup changes, as well as disappointed with Brazilian’s music industry short-sightedness. More than once the band approached well known Brazilian producers who, albeit liking their material, asserted it was economically unfeasible to release English sang songs to a Portuguese speaking audience.By 2005 Daniel and Tito had moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
aiming to find new members for the band and finally have the chance pursue their musical careers in a more rewarding environment. Unfortunately their dream would soon be abruptly interrupted by Daniel’s ill health and Hermits Cocktail would remain unreleased.
Daniel returned to Brazil whilst Tito endured alone in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. After a while Tito and Ivan started talking again, amending their broken friendship and that lead to a wish of reworking their material. During Tito's visits to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 2008 and 2009 they started re-recording songs, giving them a cutting-edge twist and making them relevant to the present times and to their present selfs. As the band never officially broke up they plan on releasing Blemish's unheard songs and touring Brazil in 2010.
Studio albums
- Daybreak (1998)
- Silver Box Song EP (2000)
- LB cd001 28/8/2+Blemish (2001)
- King Kong EP (2002)
- Hermit's Cocktail (2004)