Karl Blake

Karl Blake (born 1956 in Reading, Berkshire, England) is a vocalist, bassist, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Most of his own music can be described as progressive-experimental and sometimes psychedelic.

Musical career Blake is most noted, in addition to his solo work, for his work with Lemon Kittens, Danielle Dax, Shock Headed Peters, Sol Invictus, Current 93, Left Hand Right Hand, Seven Pines and Gaë Bolg and the Church of Fand. Other past projects include Alternative TV, The Underneath, Evil Twin, British Racing Green and various other solo and session work.

He began playing and self-recording in 1973/4, and his first band to have a commercially released record, Lemon Kittens, was formed by Blake and Gary Thatcher on 5 April 1978. It went through numerous line-up changes before it again became a two-piece group consisting of Blake and Danielle Dax, with the addition of others for live performance (the group only played around 22 concerts during their entire existence). Between 1979 and 1981, Lemon Kittens released two albums as well as two EPs, described by Simon Reynolds as "aggressively absurdist records". Cassette-only Lemon Kittens recordings were made under the name Gland Shrouds in 1980. At present, Blake plays (live only) for Gaë Bolg and the Church of Fand and also for Seven Pines. The instrumental track Zoé on the Seven Pines CD Le Cri (2006) was in fact written and performed by Blake on the spot and, unknown to him, orchestrated and released by the leader of Gaë Bolg, Eric Roger. It is one of the last recorded pieces by Blake to be released to date.

Discography

As composer/songwriter

Solo work Tank Death (cassette, 1977–9), Daark Inc. The New Pollution (1977–9), Darrk Inc. The Prehensile Tales (Compilation) (1983), Normal Records Mandibles: Thirty Pieces of Silver (cassette, 1992), Tak Tak Tak Paper-Thin Religion: Solo Archives 1977-1981 (1993?), Pro-Evil Pro-Devil Mandibles: En Route to Toothless (1995) Swordex Hieroglyph Proper ON: The World and Everything in it (Compilation, contributing track) (CD, 1996)

Gland Shrouds Staff in Confidence/Toyshop Universal (1980), Daark Inc. Animal Dance (1980), Daark Inc. Your Animals (1980), Daark Inc. Everyone Wants to Win (1980), Daark Inc. Fortune Cheats (1980), Detrimental History Sound Series A Telescope in the Sky (1980), Detrimental History Sound Series

Homunculus Morgue Dreams (1979), Detrimental History Sound Series

Lemon Kittens Spoonfed and Writhing (EP, 1979), Step Forward We Buy a Hammer for Daddy (LP, 1980), United Dairies Cake Beast (EP, 1980), United Dairies (Those who bite the hand that feeds them sooner or later must meet) The Big Dentist (LP, 1981), Illuminated

Shock Headed Peters I, Bloodbrother Be (EP and single, 1984), el The Kissing of Gods (EP and single, 1985), el Not Born Beautiful (LP, 1985), el Life Extinguisher (EP, 1986), Beach Culture Fear Engine (LP, 1987), Produkt Korps Several Headed Enemy (CD, 1992), Cyclops Prod Fear Engine II – Almost As If It Had Never Happened (CD, 1993), Cyclops Prod Tendercide (CD, 1996), Cyclops Prod Not alone (Compilation, contributing track) (2006)

The Underneath The Imp of the Perverse (EP, 1986), el Lunatic Dawn of the Dismantler (LP, and CD in Japan only, 1987), el

Evil Twin The Black Spot (CD, 1992), Livesey The Lamp of the Invisible Light (Compilation, contributing track) (1992)

Collaborations as session and live musician

With Sol Invictus/Tony Wakeford In the Jaws of the Serpent (Live album) (LP, 1989) Lex Talionis (1989) Nurse With Wound · Sol Invictus · Current 93 (Split 12", 1989) Trees in Winter (1990) The Killing Tide (1990) See the Dove Fall (7", 1990) King & Queen (CD, 1992) In the Rain (CD, 1995) Cupid & Death (Tony Wakeford solo album) (CD, 1995) The Blade (1997) In Europa (Radio live session album) (CD, 1998) In a Garden Green (CD, 1999) The Hill of Crosses (2000) Brugge (Live album) (CD, 2001) Thrones (2002) The Devil's Steed (CD, 2005)

With Current 93 Thunder Perfect Mind (1992) Hitler as Kalki (Live album) (CD, 1993) All Dolled Up Like Christ (Live album) (CD, 1999) Cats Drunk on Copper (Live album) (CD, 2001)

With Left Hand Right Hand Humdrum (1990) Legs Akimbo (CD, 1992) Rise and Fall (7", 1994) In Mufti (CD, 1995)

Various Danielle Dax: Jesus Egg That Wept (1984) Chrystal Belle Scrodd (Diana Rogerson): The Inevitable Chrystal Belle Scrodd Record (1985) Nurse With Wound: The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion (1985) In The Nursery: Anatomy of a Poet (CD, 1994) Andrew King: The Bitter Harvest (CD, 1998) Joolie Wood: Tales of Colour and White (Maxi CD, 2006) Simon Finn: Accidental Life (CD, 2007) Andrew Liles: Ouarda (The Subtle Art of Phyllorhodomancy) (2008)