Black Square

Black Square

Black Square is a Honolulu-based group active since 2002. The band comes from Hawaii’s punk and reggae scene and plays a blend of punk, reggae and ska with the urgency of hardcore punk and ska-punk.

Style and influences

The group begins as a hardcore punk trio and draws on bands such as Operation Ivy, Minor Threat, Bad Brains and The Clash. Its sound develops from reggae as part of its musical and geographical background, and its material combines punk energy with ska and reggae rhythms.

Name and themes

The name Black Square comes from Kasimir Malevich’s 1915 painting Black Square. The band’s approach reflects the idea behind the work, aiming to create music that carries feeling and meaning rather than pointing the listener toward a fixed object or interpretation.

Lyrics and subject matter

Black Square’s lyrics focus on political, environmental, cultural and economic issues, including topics specific to Hawaii. Early material also responds to the Afghanistan invasion and Iraq war, and the group’s songs address teenage homelessness, globalization, militarization and the Japanese American internment camps of World War II.

Releases

The band releases its first CD, End the Cycle, in 2004. After that, it adds a horn section and moves toward a more complex sound. Its second album, One Glass of Water, appears in 2007 and brings in brass contributions from T.R., G-bone and Babyface, alongside influences from The Specials and The Aggrolites. The third CD, Onward, follows in 2008 and leans further into traditional ska while keeping the band’s punk-fused reggae style.

Additional note

The name Black Square is also used by a feminist hardcore punk band from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.