Bloc Party not fussed by charts

By Georgie Rogers
6 Music news reporter

Intimacy is Bloc Party's third album

Bloc Party are indifferent to the singles chart and say scoring a hit is no longer important to them.

The band physically released their third album Intimacy on Monday following its rush release in download format on 21 August.

The band say they didn't think of the release as "a business decision", and weren't worried about chart positions.

In fact, bassist Gordon Moakes revealed they may stop putting out physical singles in the future.

Intimacy was not eligible for the Top 40 charts last month, due to its download-only release.

While this month might see it enter the top 10, Moakes told 6 Music that it's not really a priority.

I think none of us were sufficiently concerned about it as a business decision Bloc Party bassist Gordon Moakes

He said: "I don't think our digital release was eligible so this is our only shot at the charts - but the kind of band we are, isn't one you were going to see on Top Of The Pops really.

"We've never entirely played the game. Maybe we'll find out that it's a great success, but maybe we'll find out that people just aren't buying CDs anymore."

Last October, Radiohead put out their latest album, In Rainbows, with a "pay what you like" price plan. However, it still went to number one after its physical release in January.

Asked whether Bloc Party were hoping for a similar impact, Moakes said: "I don't know. We're waiting to find out really.

"I think none of us were sufficiently concerned about it as a business decision to not do it - to say, 'if you put it down as a download, x amount of people might not buy it'."

Lissack added that they might do away with physical singles altogether.

We're talking now about not doing anymore physical formats for singles meaning we won't have anymore eligible singles after Talons Gordon Moakes

"Our record company's been behind our ideas for this record and future singles," Moakes continued. "We're talking now about not doing anymore physical formats for singles meaning we won't have any more eligible singles after Talons.

"I think the days are gone where you can really make a splash in the charts, being a band like us, and have that sort of thing make a difference to your reputation and your sales.

"Music was never a competition, whoever made it a competition? One decision might be to not get involved in that and put out non-eligible things on purpose."

However, their view on the physical release of albums has not changed.

"We have a young fan base so I don't know how doing it the way we did will affect us, but it's still an event to put out a record.

"We're still vinyl fans. With the last record we put out a picture disc. All this extra stuff that's dying out, we're still into as a band."