Finnish musician Juho Hietala began recording music under the
Blamstrain moniker in 2001, after previously recording under the name Otwo.
Blamstrain's take on IDM was a natural fit on Gabe Koch's Merck label, which released
Blamstrain's debut album, Ensi, in 2003. The release garnered positive comparisons to
Autechre and
Aphex Twin, and was followed by
Blamstrain Remixed (featuring reworkings of the album's material by artists including Gridlock,
Funckarma,
Proem, and
Lackluster) in 2005.
Blamstrain collaborated with fellow Finnish IDM artist
Brothomstates on a 2006 EP, Brothomstrain vs Blamstates, which was considerably more dancefloor-oriented than either artist's previous work. The second
Blamstrain full-length, Disfold, arrived in 2006 on the Sending Orbs label, and found Hietala pushing his sound into an ambient dub-techno direction. Hietala started his Erotus label in 2008, and began a prolific run of albums and singles, starting with
Lowblow and
Exosphere in 2008. Hietala also explored a number of aliases, including Varia (in collaboration with Jari Pitkänen), Invisible Hands, and
OSC. Following a move to Amsterdam,
Blamstrain's first vinyl release since 2006, the Sunday Dub EP, arrived on Erotus in 2013, followed by the 2014 full-length
For All the Dreamers In. ~ Paul Simpson