Band History
At the age of 15, Fleming co-founded his first band, Dazzling Killmen. The Killmen toured the US extensively, recording four 7” singles in addition to two full-length studio albums and one live album (Skin Graft/Touch and Go Records). They worked closely with Jeff Tweedy (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo) and Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies, PJ Harvey) and shared the stage with Fugazi, The Jesus Lizard, Neurosis, Helmet, Uncle Tupelo, Sleep, Shellac, Agent Orange, The Bad Livers and Jim O'Rourke.
Dazzling Killmen’s 1994 sophomore studio album, Face of Collapse, was named the "number one heavy record of the decade” by Alternative Press Magazine, the criteria for which included the dexterity of the rhythm section.
Fleming traversed the US with the Japanese progressive punk band Zeni Geva on their 1996 Freedom Bondage tour. Later that year, he moved from St. Louis to New York City and formed the influential instrumental quartet Laddio Bolocko. Laddio Bolocko independently recorded and produced three studio albums, and toured the US and Europe numerous times between 1998 and 2000, earning Fleming the reputation of being a master drummer both in the US and Europe.
After Laddio disbanded the previous fall, Fleming moved to Long Beach, CA in March 2001 to co-found The Mars Volta, and recorded their very first demo recordings (“The Haunt of Roulette Dares” and “Cicatriz ESP”) for Grand Royal (the Beastie Boys’ record label). He also drummed on two of guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's solo albums, A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1 and Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus. Fleming then returned to New York City and, in 2002, formed Electric Turn To Me, who toured the US and Europe extensively before splitting up in 2005.
Fleming briefly rejoined The Mars Volta after drummer Jon Theodore's departure in June 2006, playing a sold-out arena tour opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers throughout the US and Canada. He also appeared with the band on the Henry Rollins Show on the Independent Film Channel.
Upon Fleming's return to The Mars Volta in 2006, vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala stated:
| “ | I feel as if Jon Theodore's drumming was based on the simplicity of, like, John Bonham. As some kids were saying, it’s like Jon was more groove-oriented. Blake can be, too, but Blake likes to flip beats on you, and he likes to throw you off and have fun with it. He leans more toward Zach Hill, Hella's drummer. I find myself tapping my toes while I’m singing to stay on top of the beat — figuring out how to and ignore the drums sometimes, and flow over it.
Blake is the father of most of The Mars Volta songs. He’s the one that came up with a lot of beats for us. Even on Frances the Mute, "L'Via L'Viaquez" and certain parts, Blake Fleming beats Jon Theodore. Sometimes to not let Jon know that they were Blake’s beats, because he’d have a bit of a problem with that, since Blake was our first drummer and tracks like "Cicatriz ESP" and "Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)" were Blake Fleming beats. |
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