Knurl is the

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

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 release "Initial Shock." As Knurl, Alan Bloor has released over one hundred albums internationally and has performed with Jim O'Rourke and Thurston Moore. 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. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...

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

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

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 List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, 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). 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 Musical tone, tone and atmosphere over traditional Musical form, musical structure or rhythm. Often "peaceful" sounding and lacking Musical composition, composition, beat, and/or structured melod ...

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, RRRecords, 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