Biography
Since the dawn of the 1980s, the instrumental rock trio Blind Idiot God—its moniker drawn from science-fiction author H.P. Lovecraft—has fused metal, dub reggae, funk, free jazz, and twentieth-century classical elements into a volatile, technically demanding style of aggressive music uniquely their own. Formed in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1982 while guitarists Andy Hawkins, drummer Ted Epstein, and bassist Gabriel Katz were still in their teens, the outfit began as a hardcore-punk ensemble before weaving reggae and jazz textures into its approach; lacking a fitting vocalist, the musicians chose to remain strictly instrumental. A self-produced demo cassette reached Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn, prompting him to sign the band to SST Records. Relocating to Brooklyn in 1986, the group sought a producer for its first album; although British producer Adrian Sherwood had initially been considered, the self-titled debut was tracked in early 1987 under Martin Bisi’s guidance. The record featured the trio’s readings of works by Igor Stravinsky and the Meters and closed with three atmospheric dub-reggae pieces; issued by SST in 1987, Blind Idiot God earned widespread critical acclaim.
The musicians soon joined forces with kindred experimentalists Bill Laswell and John Zorn. Laswell helmed the sophomore album Undertow, which appeared on his Enemy Records imprint in 1988. Zorn supplied alto saxophone on the concluding track, “Purged Specimen”—a piece he had written for the group—and shared stages with them, at times within the John Coltrane cover ensemble Ascension. Laswell again produced the third album, Cyclotron, issued in 1993 on Zorn’s Avant Records label; though still marked by technical prowess, the set garnered a cooler reception than its predecessors. In 1993 the band cut its sole vocal track, teaming with Henry Rollins to compose and record the title song for the film Freaked, co-directed by longtime admirer Alex Winter. All three members also performed on Sacrifist, the 1993 release by Laswell’s project Praxis. Under the alias Azonic, Hawkins issued the experimental solo album Halo on Strata Records in 1994; the following year he released the split album Subsonic 3: Skinner’s Black Laboratories with Godflesh guitarist Justin Broadrick on Sub Rosa. Katz appeared on Dub Terror Exhaust, the 1994 debut of Laswell’s ambient-dub outfit Automaton. Epstein departed in 1996, placing the band on indefinite hiatus.
Blind Idiot God resurfaced in 2001 after Khanate drummer Tim Wyskida joined the lineup. Hampered by Katz’s hearing loss and tendonitis, the group did not resume live performances until 2006. Katz exited in 2012 and was succeeded by Will Dahl. The trio supplied three tracks—its first new material in more than two decades—for Downloaded, Alex Winter’s 2013 HBO documentary on Napster. In 2015 Blind Idiot God delivered its long-awaited fourth album, Before Ever After, through Hawkins’s own Indivisible Music imprint. Once more produced by Laswell, the record drew on compositions written since the 2001 reunion and was captured prior to Katz’s departure.
The musicians soon joined forces with kindred experimentalists Bill Laswell and John Zorn. Laswell helmed the sophomore album Undertow, which appeared on his Enemy Records imprint in 1988. Zorn supplied alto saxophone on the concluding track, “Purged Specimen”—a piece he had written for the group—and shared stages with them, at times within the John Coltrane cover ensemble Ascension. Laswell again produced the third album, Cyclotron, issued in 1993 on Zorn’s Avant Records label; though still marked by technical prowess, the set garnered a cooler reception than its predecessors. In 1993 the band cut its sole vocal track, teaming with Henry Rollins to compose and record the title song for the film Freaked, co-directed by longtime admirer Alex Winter. All three members also performed on Sacrifist, the 1993 release by Laswell’s project Praxis. Under the alias Azonic, Hawkins issued the experimental solo album Halo on Strata Records in 1994; the following year he released the split album Subsonic 3: Skinner’s Black Laboratories with Godflesh guitarist Justin Broadrick on Sub Rosa. Katz appeared on Dub Terror Exhaust, the 1994 debut of Laswell’s ambient-dub outfit Automaton. Epstein departed in 1996, placing the band on indefinite hiatus.
Blind Idiot God resurfaced in 2001 after Khanate drummer Tim Wyskida joined the lineup. Hampered by Katz’s hearing loss and tendonitis, the group did not resume live performances until 2006. Katz exited in 2012 and was succeeded by Will Dahl. The trio supplied three tracks—its first new material in more than two decades—for Downloaded, Alex Winter’s 2013 HBO documentary on Napster. In 2015 Blind Idiot God delivered its long-awaited fourth album, Before Ever After, through Hawkins’s own Indivisible Music imprint. Once more produced by Laswell, the record drew on compositions written since the 2001 reunion and was captured prior to Katz’s departure.
Albums
