Releases on Afe:
Aperture of the Internal Surface [afe098lcd]
On the web:
http://www.pholde.com
Pholde is the dark ambient project of sound artist Alan Bloor who is also known for his extreme noise music project called Knurl.
Bloor, originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, was involved in several bands in the early 80s, including a Hardcore punk band called Binge of Violence. After the band's breakup, he pursued a career as a solo musician, studying jazz bass, as well as classical and flamenco guitar.
In the late '80s he began performing noise backgrounds at poetry readings in which he experimented with his bass guitar by placing metal objects on the strings to produce the sounds.
Since that time, Bloor has delved heavily into experimentation with found objects as sound sources. He has also supplied musical scores for performers Andrew Hammerson (ex DV-8) from the U.K. and Jake Brown, Montreal.
Bloor has performed at festivals with Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore and Alan Licht, and has toured the eastern United States and Japan.
While Knurl unleashes harsh noise performances and side-project Pyrox creates intense electronic drones, Pholde creates dark ambient soundscapes by the bowing and scraping of self-created metal sound-sculptures with hand files, smooth and threaded metal rods, angle iron and blocks of steel to produce atmospheric, haunting soundscapes.
"I find the metal instrument must contain different tensile strengths to achieve a complexity of sound. The way it is played and the objects that are used to play the instrument also play a vital role in achieving the desired sound."
Alan Bloor's music was released on many labels worldwide, including Alien8 Recordings, Gears of Sand, Mystery Sea, RRRecords, Taâlem and Troniks.
"Aperture of the Internal Surface" was released by Afe in April 2007.