Blank Banshee 0
| Blank Banshee 0 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2010–2012 (Saint John, Canada)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:03 | |||
| Label | Hologram Bay | |||
| Producer | Patrick Driscoll | |||
| Blank Banshee chronology | ||||
| ||||
Blank Banshee 0 is the debut studio album by Canadian artist and producer Blank Banshee. It was released for free via the streaming service Bandcamp on September 1, 2012.
Background and composition
In 2010 Patrick Driscoll and Curtis Ferguson began performing as “Blank Banshees” (previously Shinjuku MAD) which consisted of “predominantly instrumental” compositions.[2] This set the precedent for what would become Driscoll's solo project Blank Banshee, with Ferguson appearing as a recurrent guest vocalist. Seeking to escape the “bubble of economic and demographic slump” plaguing the creative industry in his Maritimes hometown, Driscoll made a move for the west coast of Canada[3] in the summer of 2012 - relocating to Vancouver, Canada, releasing Blank Banshee 0 shortly thereafter.[4]
Blank Banshee 0 was produced, recorded and mastered primarily in Driscoll’s hometown Saint John, Canada.[4] It was composed with an Akai MPD26 using Ableton Live.[5] The album consists of largely 1980s and 1990s sourced samples layered over original beats, instrumentation and vocals. Several aspects of the album including song titles allude to computer technology. Many tracks blend trap style beats with elements previously associated with genres like seapunk and vaporwave, such as OS start-up sounds and 1990s era video game music.[6][1] Commenting on his use of sampling, Driscoll states it “stemmed from a desire to separate myself from the guitar driven music I was making and listening to at the time."[7]
Many songs on the album feature vocal and lyrical contributions by Cormorant - the stage name accredited to Curtis Ferguson.[4] The song "Dreamcast" is a rework of a Shinjuku MAD song originally released in 2010.[8]
Blank Banshee 0 has been released on Cassette Tape, Compact Disc, Vinyl, and USB Flash Drive independently through the online store Hologram Bay.
Reception
Blank Banshee 0's style and influence have been attributed to a shift in the direction of vaporwave.[9][10][11] Esquire calls it "more approachable" than other Vaporwave subgenres while building "on the basic premise of the genre."[12] In 2016 The Fader called Blank Banshee 0 a "definitive document of the Vaporwave era."[13] Bandcamp Daily called the album "a progressive record, abandoning the often dissonant nature of Vaporwave but emphasizing the more accessible elements, and incorporating beats characteristic of trap music."[1]
In popular culture
'Teen Pregnancy' became part of a viral video trend in 2016 called Simpsonwave.[14][15]
Music from the album has appeared on the Netflix series Unplanned America.[16]
In 2020, TikTok users shared their experiences with cyber bullying using the song ‘Teen Pregnancy’.[17]
Track listing
Adapted from official liner notes.[18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "B:/ Start Up" | 1:09 |
| 2. | "Wavestep" | 2:43 |
| 3. | "Bathsalts" | 2:49 |
| 4. | "Ammonia Clouds" | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Venus Death Trap" | 2:14 |
| 6. | "Hyper Object" | 2:45 |
| 7. | "Photosynthesis" | 2:51 |
| 8. | "Deep Space" | 2:17 |
| 9. | "Dreamcast" | 2:02 |
| 10. | "Cyber Zodiac" | 2:21 |
| 11. | "Teen Pregnancy" | 2:57 |
| 12. | "Purity Boys" | 1:42 |
| 13. | "Visualization" | 1:47 |
| 14. | "World Vision" | 1:54 |
| 15. | "B:/ Shut Down/Depression" | 0:52 |
| Total length: | 33:00 | |
Notes
- "Wavestep", "Venus Death Trap", "Hyper Object", "Photosynthesis" and "Dreamcast" feature words and vocals by Cormorant
References
- ^ a b c Editorial (2016-11-21). "Genre As Method: The Vaporwave Family Tree, From Eccojams to Hardvapour". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ "Electro East Stage for the 2011 ECMA's - Get to know the artists". Noisography. April 12, 2011.
- ^ MacDonald-Dupuis, Natasha. "The Exodus of the Maritimes' Creative Class Is Hurting Its Electronic Music Scene". Vice.
- ^ a b c "Blank Banshee - Official Website". Blank Banshee. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12.
- ^ "The New Wave: An In-Depth Look at Live 10's Wavetable". ableton.com/blog.
- ^ "Blank Banshee - Blank Banshee 0". Sputnik Music.
- ^ Paige, Bowman. "Blank Banshee: The Anonymous Internet Sensation in Our Vicinity [Interview]". Rendrd. Archived from the original on 2018-05-01.
- ^ "Shinjuku Mad - Dreamcast (Youtube)". Youtube. Jun 23, 2010.
- ^ Editorial (2016-10-17). "After a Three-Year Hiatus, Blank Banshee Breaks His Silence with "MEGA"". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ "System Focus: The Evolution of the Voice in the Digital Landscape". The FADER. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ Editorial (2016-08-23). "Music of the Spectacle: Alienation, Irony and the Politics of Vaporwave". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ "How Vaporwave Was Created Then Destroyed by the Internet". Esquire. Aug 18, 2016.
- ^ "Blank Banshee Returns With New Album MEGA". The Fader. Oct 10, 2016.
- ^ "What the Hell Is Simpsonwave? | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
- ^ Song, Sandra (2016-06-06). "What Is Simpsonwave? A Brief Introduction Via the Microgenre's Lucien Hughes". PAPERMAG. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ "The Digital Love Industry - Love Industries - VICE Video". VICE Video. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ^ Twersky, Carolyn (May 19, 2020). "Charli D'Amelio Just Posted and Deleted a Heartbreaking TikTok About All the Online Hate She Receives". Seventeen.
- ^ "BB0-Information". Archived from the original on 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
