This cat is something short of A mental patient- Hearing Prince’s music in the womb, having Sickel Cell,
being in mental facilities & group homes, hanging out with gangs, drugs, alcohol, sex, exposure to Stanley Kubrick at
A young age, & A wide world of underground music , Don’t even begin to describe how the hell Daniel Blak has come to be.
This eclectic & diverse artist does it all: Compose, produce, dj’s WHILE performing, Rap’s, Sing’s, Book’s shows, run’s them,
& STILL has enough energy to mingle with A crowd after A good 2 hour set.
Daniel Blak’s prowess over the year’s is not A mistake. His ear for music is what gave him the style he has now-
Which then is so wild, that trying to pinpoint it to influences is enough to induce A headache.
To which Blak say’s : “Just enjoy it, & let the music do the thinking for you. Think of it as 'Audio Substance Abuse'"
Blak has gracefully abused the following venues: The Roxy & On The Rox, Club Vodka, The Old Towne Pub Pasadena,
McMurphy's,Mt. SAC,Pasadena City College,88.9 Lancer Radio, The Terrace, Club Dragon Fly, Air Conditioned Venice, No Future Cafe,
Home Brew Cafe, High Dive(Seattle, Wa) Rendevous (Seattle,Wa) The Make Music Pasadena Festival 2008 Pasadena,
The Mountain Bar,The Unknown Theater,The Palms Bar, CIA in North Hollywood, 14 Below in Santa Monica, Ca,
The Josephine (Seattle,Wa) Nazfiratu's Den(Battle Ground, Wa) The Red Room (Portland, Or) Twilight Cafe & Bar(Portland, Or)
Kpsu's "That Live Show" & Praradio.com.
Skilled in the use of numerous instruments, from diverse classic African and Cuban percussion to modern ones like the
electric guitar and keyboard, his style culminates as a pioneer in electrometal. Born in 1985 and raised in the Los Angeles
area, there was no shortage of genres to sample from and absorb. From big band jazz to the aggression of metal and
industrial, and the intensity of the club scene there is little that has escaped his notice. His influences range all over
the map as a result.Blak’s music can only be described as an admixture of sounds anyone immersed in technology would
immediately recognize if they give pause: video games, metal, anime, and techno/club scene music.
The best description of this conflagration comes from the artist himself: “The stuff you hear, but don’t pay attention to.”
His style blends in seamlessly into the activities that have permeated the last ten years in film, television,
and the gaming world. Where they leave off as background noise to evoke moods, Blak brings to the fore in a no-holds-barred
and evocative package.Like many solo artists, Blak takes on several roles. His ability to play bass and electric guitar,
piano, dijembe, congas, talking drum, Del Rio mini saxophone, drums, vocals and DJ skills create the backbone of Blak’s
music. This mix has helped him mingle breakbeat/downbeat with jazz and blues in one track only to find another track
running the gamut of techno sounds from the last twenty years. When asked why he makes music, he responds
"Damn, didn't think I needed a reason to make music..."
There is no simple musical definition for Daniel Blak other than to call him a force unto himself.
Written by Richard T. Balsey
