Blackvoid, "Ahì Viene la Migra"
The trilingual band popped up on the Rawckus radar this season with the release of the latest single, “Mr. Blow,” which fuses a funky alt-sound with Mexican rhythms, Spanish rap, and English vocals. This tune twists and turns as the thrumming bassline suddenly cuts away to a screeching guitar solo, and English breaks into Spanish without warning. One line in particular reflects the journey: If you slip into my brain try to catch it when you can, man / You’ll never be the same”
BlackVoid
“It’s about addictions,” the Montreal and Mexico-based band–guitarist Bērt Men, bassist Rémi Defresne, drummer Félix Bordeau, and vocalist Luis Gomez–explains about “Mr. Blow.” “Not necessarily to drugs, but to anything that has a hold on you.” Conceived shortly after their EP, Ahi Viene la Migra, released in 2015, “Mr. Blow” creatively stems from the same source, though the band waited until they gained confidence from touring before taking it to the studio.
Technically, Ahi Viene la Migra was Blackvoid’s second studio EP, though they request we forget the inaugural 302 Delta, which they claim is only memorable for the smell of cat piss permeating the house in which it was recorded. Plus Luis Gomez was forced to miss the release party of 302 Delta after he had been captured by immigration services and sent back to Mexico. Since then, the band is happy to report, he’s returned to Canada, legally this time
Issues like immigration are woven throughout the band’s music, as in the video for “Mr. Blow,” which opens with a sound clip of US President Trump talking up his infamous wall. In today’s political climate, the band strongly believes that inclusion is the solution. “If people are fleeing from their countries, there’s a reason and we need to stop trying to put up walls and ridiculous laws excluding people from territory. Music has no borders; people shouldn’t either.”
As far as touring goes, the band splits their time between home turfs Québec and Mexico. Though they predominantly work in French together, the lyrics of their songs are always in English and Spanish, giving shows in Mexico more relatability. There isn’t a big rock n’ roll scene in Montreal, so while the band is well-known and enjoys joking and speaking with their Québécois audiences in French, finding a musical niche there is trickier.
We’re Blackvoid from Montreaxico and we play funky rock music…LOUD.
Conversely in Mexico, the band believes, “Our music just fits in with the musical environment. People love heavy rock n’ roll, want every piece of you in the mosh pits, and crave new music from the outside. When you see a guy entering the mosh pit with his eight-year-old daughter sitting on his shoulders, you know you’re somewhere special!”
Riding the momentum of “Mr. Blow,” Blackvoid plans to keep the crowds amped with new singles until the release of their first, full-length album, BANGERS in 2018. Not wanting to miss out on the thrill of the live experience, they have an autumn tour in Québec planned “just for kicks.” They also hope to make it to the US someday, as the last time they were there, “we were 19 and got busted for drinking alcohol.”
