Artist
Laddio Bolocko
New York, United States • 1996 – 2001
Laddio Bolocko is a music group from New York, United States, active 1996–2001. Their discography on Gatefold includes 2 records.
2
Albums tracked
1
In collections
1996
Since
Biography
Laddio Bolocko were a noise rock band from New York City, formed in 1996 by guitarist Drew St. Ivany of The Psychic Paramount and bassist Ben Armstrong of Panicsville and drummer Blake Fleming of the Dazzling Killmen with Marcus DeGrazia on horns. Their sound has drawn comparisons to experimental rock groups such as This Heat and Can and free jazz musicians like Albert Ayler. The band favored limited releases, offering only small pressings of their original albums.
The Arc of Laddio Bolocko
The pivots — what forced Laddio Bolocko to reinvent.
The Vermont Cabin Sessions
Isolating in a remote ski lodge forced the band to rely on raw acoustic physics rather than studio trickery. This era defined the 'Strange Warmings' sound, where the cold environment seemed to seep into the brittle, high-end guitar tones and the claustrophobic rhythm sections. You hear a band that hasn't quite decided if they are a math-rock outfit or a noise-rock project, resulting in a jagged, nervous energy that captures them before they found their groove. It is the sound of four people trying to survive a winter by playing as loud as humanly possible.
The DUMBO Industrial Peak
Moving the operation to a Brooklyn warehouse changed the scale of the noise, leading directly to the 'In Real Time' sessions. With Marcus DeGrazia’s saxophone becoming a primary lead instrument rather than an accent, the music shifted from tight punk structures into long-form, repetitive nightmares. They started leaning into the acoustics of big, empty industrial spaces, letting the natural reverb smear the lines between the instruments. This is the definitive Laddio sound: a relentless, mechanical grind that feels like it’s going to fly off the rails but never actually does.
Influences
- Can — Blake Fleming has explicitly cited Jaki Liebezeit as his primary North Star for rhythm. You hear it in the 'motorik' pulse that anchors their longest jams, turning chaotic noise into something weirdly danceable. It is the repetition that makes it work.
- This Heat — The band frequently pointed to the 'Deceit' era for its use of studio-as-instrument and jagged editing. The way Laddio uses silence and sudden bursts of static is a direct descendant of the Cold War anxiety found in those Brixton recordings. It is art-rock with a serrated edge.
- Captain Beefheart — St. Ivany’s angular, non-linear guitar lines are a documented nod to the 'Trout Mask Replica' school of playing. Instead of standard blues scales, he uses the guitar to create friction and discordant shapes. It is the sound of a guy who learned the rules just to break them in the ugliest way possible.
- King Crimson — The 'Red' era lineup is the blueprint for their heavy, improvisational power-trio-plus-one dynamic. The interplay between the distorted bass and the frantic saxophone mirrors the Bruford/Wetton/Cross era of the mid-70s. It’s prog-rock stripped of the capes and the bullshit.
- The Stooges — The band often cited the raw, unhinged energy of 'Fun House' as the target for their live performances. You hear it in the way the saxophone enters the mix—not as a melodic voice, but as a pure, screaming sheet of sound. It is about the physical impact of the air hitting the microphone.
Discography
Their records — most-collected first.
Related artists
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