Blake Fleming
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Blake Fleming is an American drummer known for his involvement with several influential experimental bands.


Early life

Born in Alton, Illinois, in 1972, Fleming started drumming at age 8, spending several years in fife and drumming corps, bagpipe bands, jazz bands, marching bands and orchestras. While in the Alton Colonial Fife and Drum Corps, Blake studied under Jerry Whitaker, the East Coast Rudimental Snare Drum Champion from West Point.


Band history

At the age of 15, Fleming co-founded his first band,
Dazzling Killmen Dazzling Killmen was an American math rock band from the St. Louis, Missouri area. Formed in 1990, the group issued four singles and two full-lengths before officially ending in 1995, with a majority of it released through the independent label ...
. The Killmen toured the US extensively, recording four 7" singles in addition to two full-length studio albums and one live album (Skin Graft/Touch and Go Records). They worked closely with Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo) and Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, PJ Harvey) and shared the stage with Fugazi,
The Jesus Lizard The Jesus Lizard is an American rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas and based in Chicago, Illinois. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground… hoturned out a series of independent records filled with ...
, Neurosis, Helmet,
Uncle Tupelo Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to atten ...
, Sleep, Shellac, Agent Orange, The Bad Livers and Jim O'Rourke.
Dazzling Killmen Dazzling Killmen was an American math rock band from the St. Louis, Missouri area. Formed in 1990, the group issued four singles and two full-lengths before officially ending in 1995, with a majority of it released through the independent label ...
's 1994 sophomore studio album, Face of Collapse, was named the "number one heavy record of the decade" by Alternative Press Magazine, the criteria for which included the dexterity of the rhythm section. Fleming traversed the US with the Japanese progressive punk band
Zeni Geva Zeni may refer to: * Zeni (letter), a letter of the Georgian alphabet * Zeni, Iran, a village in South Khorasan Province, Iran * Zeni Husmani (born 1990), Macedonian footballer * Zeni (surname), surname See also * Zenigata Heiji , usual ...
on their 1996 Freedom Bondage tour. Later that year, he moved from St. Louis to New York City and formed the influential instrumental quartet
Laddio Bolocko Laddio Bolocko was a noise rock band from New York City, formed in 1996 by members of Panicsville and the Dazzling Killmen. Their sound has drawn comparisons to experimental rock groups such as This Heat and Can and free jazz musicians like Albe ...
. Laddio Bolocko independently recorded and produced three studio albums, and toured the US and Europe numerous times between 1998 and 2000, earning Fleming the reputation of being a master drummer both in the US and Europe. After Laddio disbanded the previous fall, Fleming moved to Long Beach, CA in March 2001 to co-found
The Mars Volta The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership for ...
, and recorded their very first demo recordings ("The Haunt of Roulette Dares" and "Cicatriz ESP") for Grand Royal (the Beastie Boys' record label). He also drummed on guitarist
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...
's first solo album A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1. Fleming then returned to New York City and, in 2002, formed Electric Turn To Me, who toured the US and Europe extensively before splitting up in 2005. Fleming briefly rejoined The Mars Volta after drummer Jon Theodore's departure in June 2006, playing a sold-out arena tour opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers throughout the US and Canada. He also appeared with the band on the Henry Rollins Show on the Independent Film Channel. Upon Fleming's return to The Mars Volta in 2006, vocalist
Cedric Bixler-Zavala Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta and the only constant member of the post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, for whic ...
stated:


Studio work and collaborations

After the Chili Peppers tour, Fleming returned to New York City, devoting his time to teaching and session work, with artists including Evan Dando (Lemonheads) and Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers),
The Ropes The Ropes are an indie rock duo from New York City, composed of vocalist and bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist Toppy. Formation and early work Shy and Toppy founded The Ropes after meeting as interns at a record label. According t ...
(Fleming drummed on their 2008 L.P. What They Do For Fun, which was #15 in the ABC News Top 50 Albums of 2008), Kim Taylor (NPR Artist of the Month), Israel Nash Gripka, Chris Riffle,
The Rollo Treadway The Rollo Treadway is a Brooklyn based psychedelic pop group formed in 2006. Their name is taken from a character in the 1924 Buster Keaton film, '' The Navigator.'' The group's music is distinguished by its intricate arrangements, lush vocal har ...
, Father Divine, Martin Walker, Jimi Zhivago, Underground River, and Vajra. Fleming drummed on Kim Taylor's 2006 album I Feel Like A Fading Light, which was an NPR World Cafe "Album of The Week," featured on the CW's Smallville, and was one of Performing Songwriter's "Top Records of 2007". In 2009, Fleming worked with singer/songwriter Israel Nash Gripka, drumming on New York Town and The Gold Mine is Flooding. Together, they toured the Netherlands and England (where the record New York Town was in the top 10 Americana charts for both countries), playing prestigious Americana festivals (including the Take Root and Roepaen festivals in the Netherlands), and recording TV and radio shows in Amsterdam and London. Their BBC Radio 2 taping was with the legendary Bob Harris, who started
The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...
(a famous British music TV show from the 70's) and who has hosted everyone from John Lennon to Bob Marley. Also with Israel, Fleming appeared on Uncut Magazine's CD compilation (April 2010 issue) and on the Best of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame New Writers CD (2010). Fleming played on New York City singer/songwriter Chris Riffle's 2010 debut album, Introducing..., which placed Chris on the 2011 Grammy nominee ballot for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Fleming has since drummed on Chris' two subsequent EPs, I Am Not From Here and Another Dream. In April 2011, Fleming gave a solo drum concert alongside live painters and vj Lady Firefly in a multi-media performance at St. Peter's Church in New York City. Since 2006, Fleming has worked extensively with video artist
Janet Biggs Janet Biggs is an American artist, known for her work in video, photography and performance art. Biggs lives and works in New York City. Biggs' work focuses on individuals in extreme landscapes or situations and often navigates territory between ...
, composing soundtracks and performing live at art festivals and other installations. Their collaborations have been featured at the Art Basel Festival in Miami (where he performed solo drumset poolside with Olympic synchronized swimmers); The Gibbes Museum of Art (Charleston, SC); Solomon Projects (Atlanta, GA); Smack Mellon (Brooklyn, NY); The Johnson Museum (at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY); The Mint Museum of Art Permanent Collection (Charlotte, NC); International Video Art Fair (Barcelona, Spain); The European Media Art Festival (Osnabrueck, Germany); North Sea Film Festival for Underwater Movies (the Hague, Netherlands); and the Claire Oliver Gallery (New York, NY). Blake composed the soundtrack to Biggs' In The Cold Edge, which appeared at the 2010 Pulse Contemporary Art Festival, and, in September 2011 performed in Biggs' multi-media installation, Wet Exit, on the banks of New York City's East River, along with the New York Kayak Polo team, as part of the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn, NY.


Current work

Fleming has been an adjunct professor at the
State University of New York at Oneonta The State University of New York College at Oneonta, also known as SUNY Oneonta, is a public college in Oneonta, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. History SUNY Oneonta was established in 1889 as the Oneon ...
since 2008, teaching private lessons and running a number of rock-based ensembles. Fleming recorded drums for the debut album by the India-influenced band, Vajra, which was mixed by engineer/producer Sylvia Massy (Tool, System of a Down, Prince, Johnny Cash), and is slated to be released in June 2012. In addition to freelance work and teaching, Fleming is one half of the experimental group Future By Now, along with engineer/musician Andris Balins (Sean Lennon, Nels Cline).


Discography


Dazzling Killmen

*''Numb/Bottom Feeder 7"'' (Sawtooth, 1990) *''Torture/Ghost Limb 7"'' (Crime Life, 1990) *''Mother's Day Split 7"'' (Skin Graft/Sluggo, 1991) *''Dig Out the Switch'' (Intellectual Convulsion, 1992) *''Medicine Me/Poptones 7"'' (Skin Graft, 1993) *''Face of Collapse'' (Skin Graft, 1994) *''Recuerda'' (Skin Graft, 1996) *V/A – ''Guide to Fast Living'' (Alien Feedings, 1996) *V/A – ''Camp Skin Graft Vol. 1-3'' (Skin Graft, 1997)


Zeni Geva

*V/A – ''Professional Test Record'' (Black Hole Recordings, 1996) *V/A – ''Live from the Devil's Triangle'' (KFJC 89.7 FM Recordings, 1998)


Laddio Bolocko

*''Strange Warmings of Laddio Bolocko'' (Hungarian, 1997) *''In Real Time'' (Hungarian, 1998) *V/A – ''Live from the Devil's Triangle'' (KFJC 89.7 FM Recordings, 1998) *''As If By Remote'' (Hungarian, 1999) *''As If In Real Time'' (Hungarian, 2000) *''The Life and Times of Laddio Bolocko'' (No Quarter, 2003) *''David Cross – Let America Laugh'' (DVD, Sub Pop, 2003)


The Mars Volta

*''The Haunt of Roulette Dares/Cicatriz ESP'' (2001)


Electric Turn To Me

*''Electric Turn To Me'' (No Quarter, 2003) *''Clouds Move So Fast'' (No Quarter, 2004) *''We Ain't Housewife Material, an International Collection of All Girl Punk, Rock, and Garage'' (Dionysus, 2004) *''Caution: Live From the Devil's Triangle Vol.7'' (KFJC 89.7 FM Recordings, 2004) *''Scrape the Sky'' (Internet Release, 2005)


The Rollo Treadway

*''The Rollo Treadway'' (Rollosound, 2008)


Solo

*V/A – ''Drums Love You'' (Blake Fleming – ''Chimera'', Makrame Records, 2008) *''Time's Up'' (2012) *''Drum Killah'' (2020)


Future By Now

*''Live at the Hamblin Theater 11.18.10'' (DVD, 2011)


With other artists

*
Omar Rodríguez-López Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for the ...
– '' A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume One'' (2004) * Kim Taylor – ''I Feel Like A Fading Light'' (2006) *
The Ropes The Ropes are an indie rock duo from New York City, composed of vocalist and bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist Toppy. Formation and early work Shy and Toppy founded The Ropes after meeting as interns at a record label. According t ...
– ''Cry To The Beat'' (2007) *
The Ropes The Ropes are an indie rock duo from New York City, composed of vocalist and bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist Toppy. Formation and early work Shy and Toppy founded The Ropes after meeting as interns at a record label. According t ...
– ''Kill Her Off/After Today, Before Tomorrow 7"'' (2007) *The States – ''The Path of Least Resistance'' (2007) *Martin Walker – ''Nylon'' (2007) *
The Ropes The Ropes are an indie rock duo from New York City, composed of vocalist and bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist Toppy. Formation and early work Shy and Toppy founded The Ropes after meeting as interns at a record label. According t ...
– ''What They Do For Fun'' (2008) *Omar Rodríguez-López – '' Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus'' (2008) *Father Divine – ''Father Divine'' (2008) *Father Divine – ''Requiem For Intellect'' (2009) *
The Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tour ...
– ''
Varshons ''Varshons'' is the ninth studio album and is an album of covers by alternative rock band the Lemonheads. On 27 March 2009, it was announced that ''Varshons'' would be released in the US on 23 June on The End Records. It was promoted with a US t ...
'' (2009) *
Israel Nash Israel Nash (born January 5, 1981) is the recording and performing stage name moniker of American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Israel Nash Gripka. Career Originally from Missouri, Nash moved to New York City in 2006. Nash performed in clubs ...
Gripka – ''New York Town'' (2009) *
Israel Nash Israel Nash (born January 5, 1981) is the recording and performing stage name moniker of American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Israel Nash Gripka. Career Originally from Missouri, Nash moved to New York City in 2006. Nash performed in clubs ...
Gripka – ''The Gold Mine is Flooding'' (2009) *Chris Riffle – ''Introducing...Chris Riffle'' (2010) *Anesthesia Lounge – ''Under the Influence'' (2011) *Chris Riffle – ''I am not from here'' (2011) *Chris Riffle – ''Another Dream'' (2012) *A Modern Armada – ''Gravitation'' (2011) *A Modern Armada – ''...to the breakers'' (2016) *Underground River – ''Endless Air; the Other Side of Happenings'' (2012) *Vajra – ''Pleroma'' (2012) *V/A – ''Rip This Joint'', 2010 Uncut Magazine Compilation (w/Israel Nash Gripka – ''Pray For Rain'') *V/A – ''Best of the Songwriters Hall of Fame New Writers Showcase Vol. 8'', 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame (w/
Israel Nash Israel Nash (born January 5, 1981) is the recording and performing stage name moniker of American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Israel Nash Gripka. Career Originally from Missouri, Nash moved to New York City in 2006. Nash performed in clubs ...
Gripka – ''Pray For Rain'') *Seven That Spells – ''The Death and Resurrection of Krautrock: Omega'' (2018)


References


External links


Official webpageBlake Fleming Solo PerformanceFuture By NowSIGHT/SOUND/RHYTHM Interview w/ Blake Fleming (2013)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleming, Blake American rock drummers Living people State University of New York at Oneonta faculty The Mars Volta members Zeni Geva members Year of birth missing (living people)