The Edmonton music scene is abundant with great artists, but few are as prolific as Blume. The solo project of Arthur Bennell has been on quite the hot streak, having released out four albums and an EP in the last three years alone. The Blume project is one through which Bennell has carved out a distinct and identifiable sound and ethos that remains present even as the project heads in new territory through new experiments of sound. On the most recent album, Inner Vision, released back in April, Bennell takes things into a jammier direction and pushes several tracks into 10+ minute dreamy psych odysseys. Blume joins us for a chat about the latest album, the Edmonton music scene, musical influences, and the creative process.
Honey on the Knife: On the Bandcamp page for your latest album, you wrote that “with Inner Vision I had wanted to make something more reminiscent of a full band, but still stay true to what Blume is in my head.” Can you expand upon what it means to stay true to what Blume is?
Blume: Yeah with that I just kind of meant I wanted to expand my sound and try some new things but still keep the overall vibe. Blume being a solo project I try to keep things fairly minimal in some aspects, drones and repetition are prevalent, and song structures are very simple – normally just a few chords. So I wanted to still maintain that part of my music and utilize the repetition as a way to open up sections for improvisation and explore sounds further. The songs ended up having a bit more of a jam feel to them more so than a lot of my previous output.
HotK: The emphasis on repetition has been one of things I enjoy most about your music. Who are some of your favourite musicians who often employ repetitious/loop-oriented compositional styles?
Blume: The majority of the music I listen to probably falls under that category. Bands like The Velvet Underground, Suicide, Neu!, Cluster, and Spacemen 3 and their later projects all are groups I listen to often who utilize repetition well as a part of their sound. I am a fan of Dub music as well and really enjoy the repeating bass lines and grooves found in that style. I find the repetition helps me get lost in the music which is something I always try to recreate for the listener.
HotK: Yeah, I find one of the appeals of repetitious music is that it can create the feeling of reaching toward infinity, where a riff, drumbeat, or chord progression cycling over and over seems as if it is never-ending and creates a satisfying sense of equilibrium. Spacemen 3 is one group that often does that for me, especially on Dreamweapon and Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To. What are some of your personal highlights from the Spacemen 3 extended universe (later/solo projects included)?
Blume: It really depends on the day and my mood, it’s always been hard for me to choose a favourite but for Spacemen 3 specifically I think my favourite album would be “Playing With Fire.” There’s a lot going on that album and it feels very different and fresh, from the softer mellow songs like “So Hot (Wash Away All Of My Tears)” to the repetitive blown out bliss that is “Suicide”, I love it. I do also really enjoy their separate solo endeavors but tend to favour Sonic’s output in comparison. “Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)” has got to be one of my favourite albums of all time and Sonic’s recent releases are great. Funny enough some other albums like The KVB’s “Of Desire”, Moon Duo’s “Stars Are Light, and Wooden Shjips “West” are all albums I had listened to for quite some time before learning Sonic Boom had a hand in making them. I’m also a fan of his output with Panda Bear and have been enjoying the new album “Reset”.
HotK: I haven’t yet branched too far into the Sonic Boom catalog, thanks for giving me some places to start! Let’s talk a little more about the new record, what is the meaning behind the name Inner Vision?
Blume: The name came from me wanting to stick with initial ideas when working on the album and not stray too far from what these were. I wanted to create a krauty, cinematic album that drew influence from 70’s psych and experimental music. Trying to capture what first came to mind there was a lot of improvisation as opposed to me working out parts. I did have a pretty clear idea of what I wanted overall going into each song in general but most of it wasn’t really planned out and written, more of a stream of consciousness kinda thing.
HotK: You mention the level of improvisation within the album’s creation, to what extent is improvisation a part of your live performances?
Blume: Playing live there is some improvisation, mainly with the guitar work and in transitions between songs. My set up is a guitar, a sampler, and maybe a small synth sometimes so playing to a sampler is a bit limiting for improvisation as a lot of the parts are pre-recorded, just being triggered an manipulated live. With a lot of my music being pretty minimal, repetitious, or loop based there is some opportunity to improvise but its definitely different than playing with a band. I’ve never been one to really sit down and write out parts and get them down so there is still an element of improvisation but I would say it is less than when it comes to the recording process itself.
HotK: What’s your favourite venue in Edmonton?
Blume: Tough question, there are a lot of great venues in the city doing their thing. I’d probably have to say The Aviary. I’ve never played there myself but they are constantly putting on great shows with a wide variety. Blakbar is another one that I enjoy, they also just have a wide variety and are constantly putting on something so that is nice to see. Very relaxed and welcoming vibe there which makes things easy.
HotK: Those are both great spots. Of the artists you’ve played with or have attended shows of, who would you say are the must-see live acts here in the city?
Blume: I gotta give a shout out to Tebby and The Heavy here, They are a newer shoegaze/psych group that I’ve been lucky enough to see play a couple of times. They are great live, the music is loud, noisy, and raw and they put a lot of energy into it. They also have a good pop sensibility about them as well so it’s something you’ll find your head bobbing to at the show and humming for the week after. I catch myself trying to sing along but I know none of the words hahaha, great music though and great people. Definitely recommend going to one of their shows if anyone gets the chance.
HotK: Speaking of shoegaze, you play in the group Charcoal Skies. Has the band been up to anything as of late?
Blume: Nothing on the go with Charcoal Skies right now. The pandemic and life in general derailed us a bit and it’s been sometime since we’ve all gotten together to make music. We were last working on a handful of songs that were going to be an EP or album so we may pick up where we left off one day and get to that but no concrete plans right now
HotK: Blume has been a pretty prolific project, you’ve put out four albums and an ep since 2021. What drives you to keep creating, and what allows you to do it at a pace faster than many other artists?
Blume: Music is what I do for fun so a lot of my spare time goes to it. I’m pretty much always working on something related to Blume in my spare time so its led to a far bit of material. One of the reason I started releasing music under Blume was to keep working on music at my own pace, not having to worry about working out a schedule with someone else, so when the inspiration hits I can work on things then. Having everything self produced and done DIY has sped up my productivity as well, being able to record on my own has definitely allowed me to release more music than I would have otherwise and its been a lot of fun to learn. I also try not to put a lot of pressure on myself with any of it and don’t get too hung up on things, in the end if I am happy with how a song sounds its good enough and I think that attitude keeps me moving forward.
HotK: I think that’s a great attitude to have. If you had to pick a Blume song/release that is your favourite or the most meaningful to you, which one would it be?
Blume: I think my favourite release would have to be Synthetic Sounds For The Modern Soul. It was my first full length and marked a shift in direction for myself that I am still continuing down and exploring. It really opened my eyes up to what was possible and was a lot of fun to make. I still listen back to some parts and think “How did I manage that?” It was pretty ambitious for me at the time but I am happy with what came out and how it all came together, it definitely holds a special place in my heart.
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Big thanks to Arthur for taking the time to chat. For more Blume, follow on Instagram and Twitter, and listen to Inner Vision below.