Knurl is the

noise music Noise music is a genre of music that is characterised by the expressive use of noise within a musical context. This type of music tends to challenge the distinction that is made in conventional musical practices between musical and non-musical ...

project of Canadian experimental composer Alan Bloor. Based in Quebec, the composer has been performing and recording as Knurl since 1994, the year of project's seminal

harsh noise Noise music is a genre of music that is characterised by the expressive use of noise within a musical context. This type of music tends to challenge the distinction that is made in conventional musical practices between musical and non-musical ...

release "Initial Shock." As Knurl, Alan Bloor has released over one hundred albums internationally and has performed with Jim O'Rourke and

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a member of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moo ...

. He has also played in festivals and performances worldwide in countries such as Japan, Turkey, and the United States.

Biography

Alan Bloor, originally from

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

, was involved in several bands in the early 80s, including a

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

band called ''Binge of Violence.'' After Binge of Violence's breakup, Bloor pursued a career as a solo musician, studying jazz bass, as well as classical and flamenco guitar. In the late 1980s he began performing noise backgrounds at poetry readings in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, Michigan. While performing, Bloor experimented with his bass guitar by placing metal objects on the strings to alter the timbre of the instrument (a technique often called

prepared guitar A prepared guitar is a guitar that has had its timbre altered by placing various objects on or between the instrument's strings, including other extended techniques. This practice is sometimes called tabletop guitar, because many prepared guitar ...

). Since that time, Bloor has delved heavily into experimentation with found objects as sound sources, including fan blades, typewriters, scrap metal and car springs. He has also supplied musical scores for performers Andrew Hammerson (ex DV-8) and Jake Brown, from the UK and Montreal respectively. Since the beginning of 1995, Bloor has been performing solo as Knurl in Canada, the U.S, and abroad. Bloor has explored a less harsh side of noise music in his acclaimed

ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It u ...

project called ''Pholde''.

Music

Bloor's objective with his project, Knurl, is to take music and strip it entirely of its rhythm, melody, vocals, even production quality which is most associated with music today. Bloor records and performs without the assistance of computers, synthesizers or samplers. Labels that have released Knurl material include

Alien8 Recordings Alien8 Recordings is an independent record label founded in 1996 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The label was founded by Sean O'Hara and Gary Worsley. The label released material from prominent noise artists such as Merzbow, Think About Life, A ...

RRRecords RRRecords is a record label and used and new record shop based in Lowell, Massachusetts. RRRecords was the first American record label to publish underground "noise music" in the early 1980s, and published the first American vinyl by Merzbow, Maso ...

, Solipsism, Harshnoise, Troniks, Gameboy, and Obscurica.

Partial discography

* Initial Shock 1994 Self released- cas. *Tetramatrix 1994 Self released- cas. * Nervescrap 1994 Self released cassette, and later on Pure as a CD. * Diapason- 1995 Self released- cass. * Meatrag- 1995 Self released -cass. * Infraneuroma-1995-Self rel. -cass. * Headgrate -1995- Deadline-cass. * Chain meal 1&2-1995-Self rel. cas. * Inelastic Scattering-1996- Self Abuse Records - cass. * Hyperflux -1996- Self rel. cass. *Flat Bastard- 1996- Self rel. 2xcas. * Supravital Mephitis-1996-Self rel. cass. *Paraphasm-1996- Self rel. cass. *Recycled-1996- RRR cass. *HearingTrumpet/Knurl-1997-Misanthropy- 7” *Synovial Nematics-1997- Panta Rhei-cass. *Intrasyntax-1997-Panta Rhei- cass. *Preparative Suppletion-1997- Panta Rhei- cass. *Interdisciplinary Optromorphide-1997- Xerxes- cass. *Aube/Knurl- 1997- Alien 8 Rec. CD *Phylomonoperistalside-1998- Xerxes- CD-R *Floritura Deuteranopia-1998- Solispsism-CD-R *Symbioplexus-1998- Labyrinth-cass. *Dimorphic Multiplicity-1999- Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers- cass. *Torus-1999-Alien8 Recordings-CD-R *Periodic Nephromucilaginosity-1999-Total Zero- CD *Plank-1999-Spite Rec.- cass. *Exotosemia-1999-Cohort Rec.-CD-R *Government Alpha/Knurl-2000- M Recordings- CD-R. *Nocicept-2000- Panta Rhei- CD-R *Kharborundumm-2000-Panta Rhei-CD-R *Kurtosis-2002-Harshnoise Rec.-CDR *Thymostat-2002-Panta Rhei-cdr *Knurl/Koryphaia-2002- Galactique Rec. CD *Magnetomotive-2003-Gameboy Rec.- cdr *Revoltion-2003-Panta Rhei-mini cdr *Vorticose-2003-Panta Rhei- cdr *Cytostatic-2004-Panta Rhei-cdr *Triapse-2005-Panta Rhei- cdr *Paramecium-2005-Panta Rhei- cdr *Chromosytoma-2005-Panta Rhei-cdr *Acidamide-2005-Harshnoise Rec. cdr *Hematoma-2005-Obscurica-cdr *Scyamine-2006-PACRec/Troniks-CD *Lectophysis-2006-Pitchphase-mini cdr *Subluxation-2007-Wintage Rec.-cdr *Hyperplasia-2007-Brise-cul Rec.-cdr *Invection-2007-Skeleton Dust Rec.-cdr *Vermifuge-2007-PACRec/Troniks-CD *Knurl/Mabus-2007-Wintage Rec.-cass. *Triboluminescence-2008-Brise-cul Rec.-cdr *A Hail of Blades-2008-Impulsy Stetoskopu- cdr *Mesosoma-2009-Impulsy Setoskopu- cdr *Knurl/ Buried Machine-2009-Wintage Rec.-cass. *Dichromatism-2009-Panta Rhei—cdr *Thiocarbamide-2010-Phage Tapes-CD *Reactance-2011-Wintage Rec.-LP *Obturation-2011-Inyrdisk-mini cdr *Halometh-2011-Cohort Rec.-CD *Tetrothema-2011-Banned Prod.-cass. *Pyrolysis-2012-Terror Rec.-cass. *Metasynogen-2013-Audio Dissection-cass. *Knurl/RDCD-2014-TrangSao-cdr *Knurl/Zyzaxom-2015-TrangSao-cdr *Retinomatosis-2015-Danvers State Rec. cass. *Thoracia-2015-Emergentism-cass. *Ectodurotomy-2015-New Forces Rec. -cass *Acetylphasia-2015-Impulsy Stetoskopu- cass. *Standard Deviation-2016-Oxen Rec.-cass *Knurl/Zyzaxom-2016-Bandcamp *Thirunantha-2016-Panta Rhei-Bandcamp *Parasphere-2016-Panta Rhei- Bandcamp *Methaphase-2016-New Forces-2xcass. *Acceptance of the Existence-2016-Level of Vulnerability-cass *Interthiodide-2016-PantaRhei-cdr *Knurl/Armenia/Macronympha-2016-Bizarre Audio Arts- cass *Abrasive Interludes-2016-Temporary Trisomy Rec.- mini cdr *The Closed Interval-2017-No Rent Rec.-cass. *Divaritrance-2017-Walnut&Locust-mini cdr *Phenohalasin-2017-Terror Rec.-cass. *Knurl/Ames Sanglantes-2017-PantaRhei-cass. *Primary Halciation-2018-PantaRhei-Bandcamp *Knurl/Hybrid Frequency-2018-Label unknown-cass. *Themes for a Car Crash-2018-Dark Days Ahead-cdr *Chromiumiophage-2019-Foul Prey-cass. *A Turbulent Obsession-2019-Absurd Exposition-cass *Risk of Entrapment-2019-4ib Rec.-CD *Periphoric Strain-2019-No Rent Rec.-cass. *A Modicum of Joy-2019-Petit Soles-cass. *The Partial Exception-2020-PantaRhei-Bandcamp, Trashfuck Rec.- cdr *The Tide of Unreason-2020-PantaRhei-Bandcamp *Lathyrism-2020-Nefarious Activities-cass. *Initial Shock(re-release)-2020-Absurd Exposition-CD/DVD *Various Artists-2020-New Forces-CD *Knurl/Godpussy-2020-Tribe Tapes-cass. *Plasmacyanin-2020-PantaRhei-Bandcamp *Vengeance Bades Weary-2020-PantaRhei-Bandcamp *Enchantments-2020-SGFF Rec.-cass. *Phenalsyasis- 2021-Pantarhei- Bandcamp *The Now Sacred Turmoil-2021- AAD Records- CD Cryocarbazine- June, 2021- Rural Isolation Project.

External links

Knurl on label site Alien8 Recordings
with MP3 samples from both Bloor projects. {{DEFAULTSORT:Knurl Canadian experimental musical groups Musical groups from Toronto Musical groups established in 1994 Alien8 Recordings artists 1994 establishments in Ontario