featured on The New Cross compilation

In November 2003, Bloc Party had their track “The Marshals Are Dead” featured on a compilation CD called The New Cross released by Angular Recording Corporation . They then released their debut single ” She’s Hearing Voices ” on the then fledgling record label Trash Aesthetics . Also in 2003 Bloc Party personally mailed Steve Aoki a 7-inch of the track “She’s Hearing Voices” and signed to Dim Mak shortly thereafter. Dim Mak teamed up with VICE, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records , and entered a major label deal for the first time. Dim Mak and Atlantic later released Bloc Party’s critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut album, Silent Alarm , in 2005. The band got their break after Okereke went to a Franz Ferdinand concert in 2003, and gave a copy of “She’s Hearing Voices” to both lead singer Alex Kapranos and BBC Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq . Lamacq subsequently played the song on his radio show, labelling the track “genius”, and invited them to record a live session for the show. The buzz generated off the back of the single led to another release, ” Banquet/Staying Fat “, this time through Moshi Moshi Records , and to the eventual signing with independent label Wichita Recordings in April 2004.