About Blasted Mechanism
More than just a band or collective of artists, Blasted Mechanism are a group of thinkers who got together to develop a concept that breaks barriers on stage and enters our daily reality. During this evolving process, the music and inspired words are connected to visual arts and technological concepts to create an unforgettable live experience noted by the public and media worldwide.
Since 1996 they have toured the planet and have played on some of the biggest stages, such as notable names like glastonbury, sziget festival, Rock for people, fusion festival, festival sudoeste, paredes de coura, Alive festival and vilar de mouros to name but a few, alongside names such as Chemical Brothers, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Linkin Park and Marilyn Manson.
The band has won a local golden globe and been nominated 3 times at the MTV EMA's and reached top spot of national sales with a gold record.
In 96' they release their first EP "Balayashi" which became a sales success nationwide. Shortly after in 99' they release "Plasma" followed by the 00' remix album "Mix 00" done by the group themselves. In 03' "Namaste" is released followed by "Avatara" in 05' that saw the band awarded a gold status. Other releases include the 07' "Sound in Light-Light in Sound", a double disc cd/virtual. In 09' "Mind at Large", the first disc worldwide to have augmented reality in the artwork! And in 2012 they also release "Blasted Generation".
The Blasted musicians fuse ancestrial sounds with new technologies through elaborations of their very own instruments such as the "Bambuleco", the "Kalachakra", "Mawashi", the "MaeGeri", "Banjuleco" and the "Onozone", from which they created their unique sound.
In 2009 they took 230 lucky fans in an airbus to the Sete Cidades Volcano in the Açores who joined 10,000 awaiting fans to watch the presentation of the live album "Mind at Large". During the same year they launch an environmental initiative where 4000 trees are planted with fans in the Lezírias ribatejanas region contributing to the improvement of the local surrounding area.
In 2012 the 7th album, "Blasted Generation" is released in tribute to all those who contribute to the constant improvement to our environment and stand against the destruction of it. Soon after "Metatron" is unraveled, a one of a kind architectural structure on stage where video-mapping is projected upon it adding a futuristic inovative dimension to the whole live show. The public is invited to delve into the bands universe upon witnessing the structure.
By the end of 2013 Blasted start a crowdfunding campaign that would go down in history as the most successful campaign of all time in Portugal with a total of 1200 supporters. The group then played 6 exclusive shows in a "Soundsystem" format where, at the door, each fan could choose between the various crowdfunding rewards. Due to this initiative the band was able to raise funds to create a new generation of their famous elaborate on stage suits debuted in 2015.
Later that year the album "Egotronic" is presented live in streaming at MEO MUSIC where fans assisted live across the country to the release of the new songs and the new concept of suits created with help of artist Ana Gomes. "Egotronic" is then played across many big stages across the country including Nos Alive festival, which would lead them to be invited back to Portugal's biggest festival.
In 2018 Blasted undergo a complete re-vamping. The lineup of the band changes as the 2 musicians Luis Simões (guitar) and Winga (percussion) leave, and in-steps new frontman Riic Wolf on vocals.
The project joins the label Redmojo matching them with the new generation of Portugal's top producers of which they, together, create the new sound and look of the band.
In only 3 months they manage the incredible feat of building their new live show for the Festival NOS Alive, giving birth to the "New Militia" music film premiering in select NOS theatres across the country in april. "New Militia" is the result of a long but inspired re-inventing process by a band with a career of over 25 years, leaving behind their 'Mechanism' and being re-born as Blasted.
The current band members are Valdjiu, Guitshu, Fred Stone, Ary and Riic Wolf
Blasted Mechanism are currently in tour celebrating ॐ years.
With the ॐ year show being at 12th April of 2025, with the return of Karkov to the stage.