Blaise Pascal

Websites:  No
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia, 🇨🇦
Biography:

“Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.” – Blaise Pascal

Named after the 17th-century French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal were a short-lived indie rock band out of Vancouver, active in the early 1990s. The group released two self-financed records—a 5-song EP in 1993 and the 8-song mini-LP Foreward in 1994—before fading back into obscurity. The LP pressing of Foreward included one exclusive track, “Only the Stars” (Side B, Track 1), not found on the CDEP edition.

Their sound fit neatly alongside the lo-fi indie aesthetic of the period: angular guitars, mood-laden vocals, and a balance of tension and atmosphere that drew comparisons to Pavement and Further, while carving out a darker, more brooding edge. Although their discography is slim, Blaise Pascal captured a moment in Vancouver’s underground scene when DIY releases were pressed in small batches and circulated through word-of-mouth, zines, and college radio.

Today, their records stand as rare documents of a band that showed flashes of promise before dispersing, with vocalist/guitarist Nicolas Bragg later gaining wider recognition as a longtime member of Destroyer.
-Robert Williston