Rusty Maples & Blood Party

“We can’t be a metal band because we don’t have a guitar player…We can’t be a pop band because we don’t have a singer…Nor do we want to be classified as either.”
Blood Party is an aggressive, experimental, hard hitting rhythmic duo consisting of Ben Humphrey on a lead six string bass and Paul Wilson on drums. This heavy hitting instrumental band is not your typical group of mainstream music. Blasting through through the fog of their dim lit stage performance with a style of music falling between the free-form, innovative compositions of the Progressive Rock movement and the experimental edge of Krautrock. Blood Party combines a heavy, crunchy, peculiar array of bass tones, electronic synths, keys, and acoustic and electronic drums creating a cocktail of curious sound. With bursts of warm melodic, ambient compositions followed by grinding, angry energetic beats of pure chaos that invite the listener to question how so much noise is being produced by two people. Considering being heavily influenced from bands ranging from the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Lightning Bolt, Tool, Bjork, Battles, Deftones, The Flaming Lips, Isis, The Mars Volta, Aphex Twin and Russian Circles; it’s easier to make sense of the drive behind the band.
Ben Humphrey began playing bass at a very young age. Growing up in the Bay Area, Ben played with his high school friends in a band called Impact. Gaining enough attention, his early music experience began with Impact by playing with well know bands such as: Deftones, No Doubt, and Papa Roach. Ben later developed an interest in electronic music, practicing bass incessantly and educating himself on a variety of odd tones which developed into his unique style of playing.
As a baby, Paul chose banging on pots and pans over toys, promoting his Mom to write in his baby book at age two that she believed he was destined to become a drummer. Picking up his first pair of sticks and a copy of Tool’s album Aenima at the age of fourteen, Paul started his first rock band and developed a love for music and performing. Playing in a wide variety of local bands throughout California over the years, he has continued to pound through the local music scene. Paul joined the Imperial Cymbal team in late 2012 with a cymbal sponsorship.
In 2010 Paul tried out for Ben’s current electronic rock project, Nosebleed Academy. Playing their first show together at Slims Club in San Francisco. Paul and Ben found common ground and a very compatible music style. Throughout the following year in Nosebleed Academy they continued to explore the combination of electronic and hard rock while playing shows throughout the Bay Area with bands such as: Flipsyde, The Kehoe Nation, Eightfourseven, Death Valley High, Full on Flyhead, Lavish Green, and Our Vinyl Vows to name a few. Eventually they left Nosebleed Academy to fully pursue and nurture the embryo which was soon to be known as BLOOD PARTY.
First EP due out in early February 2013 after a recording session at Shine On Studio’s in Oakland, California.