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9353

9353 is a new wave-era band from the 1980s hardcore punk scene of Washington DC. The original iteration of 9353 consisted of lead vocalist Bruce Miles Hellington, percussionist Dan Joseph, guitarist Jason Carmer, and bassist Vance Bockis. The namesake of 9353 directly encapsulates the oddball and controversial music they produced, being named after a pickled punk — a baby preserved in formaldehyde — from the Walter Reed Medical Museum.

Early Years

The group unofficially began as a trio of Hellington, Carmer, and Bockis, playing in tandem with a Roland TR 606 Drum Machine. Eventually, drummer Dan Joseph, who moved to Washington DC at age 16 and attended high school with Carmer, joined 9353 and replaced the drum machine. The four of them united in May, 1983 at Inner Ear Studio in D.C. to record a promising four song demo, shaping their momentum as a collective.

Musical Career

1983: First Booking

9353’s first booking as a quartet was in June of 1983 at d.c. space, a premiere venue for punk, avant-garde jazz, and poetry readings in D.C. The band would continue to gain popularity, delivering regular sets at d.c. space and 9:30 club — a live concert venue still in operation — alongside other venues in the D.C. area. In their first year on the scene, 9353 would go on to play alongside acts like Sisters of Mercy, PiL, and Tupelo Chain Sex.

Later in 1983, bassist Vance Bockis left the band briefly, being replaced by Michael Gittleman, the bassist that helped them record four more songs that year. With the intentional effort to record as much as they could, it culminated in a 1984 album entitled To Whom It May Consume, released by DC-based record label R&B Records. In a review, the Washington Post labeled it musically exact and accomplished for a first effort.

Eventually, Bockis returned to 9353 and the band continued to ascend in prominence, largely bolstered by college airplay and WHFS, the Baltimore/DC radio network. The following year, 1985, the band released We Are Absolutely Sure There Is No God with Fountain Of Youth Records, their second studio album and a testament to their determination. The Washington Post also commented on this release, remarking that it was “superbly recorded and offers a wholly original sound that is as compelling as unnerving.” Before disbanding in 1986, 9353 achieved much local success, selling out concert venues throughout the DC area.

The music that 9353 produced fit snugly into the wider context of the new wave scene in D.C. Joseph delivered angular punk-funk percussion while Carmer offered distorted guitar and Hellington sang in both growls and high tones. Though 9353 was undoubtedly influenced by the expressions of bands like PiL and The Cure, they distinctly produced their own sound and embraced a refreshing musical complexity.

The 9353 Sound

Historically, 9353 were entering a time of “disaffected youths,” where young people were rebelling against Reaganomics and the social turmoil of the era. The response manifested in an alternative punk sound and style, tacked under the label of DC hardcore — or harDCore, stylistically. At the heart of the hardcore movement were the Bad Brains, a band regarded as the pioneers of hardcore punk that would go on to influence the Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The D.C. punk scene was also defined by the independent record label Dischord Records that was created in 1980 to document music being produced by the Washington D.C. punk community. Dischord supported tens of D.C. punk groups, allowing them to release music without the need of funding from major distributors.

9353 defined itself by creating distance from the straightedge hardcore culture of D.C., instead adopting their own original habits and controversial noises. Their leader, Bruce Hellington, built 9353 on a brooding, surrealist, nightmare vision of the world, producing music that disoriented its listeners. Hellington was ultimately the rock of 9353 — the individual that stuck with the band as members revolved in and out throughout the later 80s and 90s and the creative force behind the band’s experience. While he recognized that 9353 would never be the next pop sensation and admitted that gigging around D.C. would not get them incredibly far, Hellington never gave up on the band and his vision for it.

Miscellaneous

Hellington was known for his vivid and brilliant posters and flyers that he would plaster throughout D.C. to direct attention to 9353’s upcoming performances. In an era before smartphones and the internet, graphics were fundamental in developing a band’s presence and reputation — zines, record sleeves, and art work signaled a band’s philosophy. Through his omnipresent wheatpasting, Hellington succeeded in ensuring that everyone in D.C. knew about them.

Throughout their early and late careers, 9353 had a hard time gaining respect from record labels, but recorded and produced anyways. Despite receiving occasional support from labels like R&B records, Dutch East, and Adult Swim Records, they had to release their later projects on their own Brainwashington label.

Today, original percussionist Dan Joseph is a free-lance composer based in New York and the founder of the Dan Joseph Ensemble. Original guitarist Jason Carmer moved to California and is now a Grammy-winning producer, engineer, and instrumentalist who has over 100 technical and production credits on Discogs. Bassist Vance Bockis, who went on to play for The Factory and The Obsessed, passed away in 2012 at age 50 following complications from a shoulder surgery.

Discography:

Albums

LPs

• 1984: To Whom It May Consume, R&B Records
• 1985: We Are Absolutely Sure There Is No God, Fountain Of Youth Records
• 1993: UFO’s Sideswiped Our Reform School Bus And That’s Why We’re Home Early, Adult Swim Records

CDs

• 1993: Make Your Last Days Loud Days, Adult Swim Records
• 1994: Insult to Injust, Magically Delicious, Self-Released
• 2009: The 2009 Re-Recorded 9353 Oldies, Brainwashington Records
• 2012: Ravens of Glenmore Drive, Brainwashington Records
• 2014: Born on Probation – The 1983 Demos, Brainwashington Records

Appearances

• 1994: Dummy Planet Decoy (Inflatable Trash Filled), WGNS Recordings
• 1984: Ten Witches, Fountain Of Youth Records
• Unknown: Born To Be Wild – Unforgettable Songs, Not On Label