Pitch Black
Pitch Black are Michael Hodgson and Paddy Free. Having pumped their way through New Zealand’s electronic music scene since their inaugural performance at the annual Gathering New Year's eve festival in 1996, they have spent the subsequent years rousing dance floor punters, generating rave reviews, winning awards and gaining thousands of fans across the world.
Hard to box into a single audio 'genre', Pitch Black is a combination of musical journeys. Their sound is distinctive; ranging from organic ambient beginnings and layered soundscapes to skanking keyboards, cutting acid riffs and thumping rhythmic grooves, with dub being the glue that holds their sound together. One critic has described them as like "Orbital meets King Tubby, or Rhythm and Sound in Technicolor".
Pitch Black
As anyone who has seen us play live knows, our tracks are constantly evolving and mutating with each rehearsal and show uncovering new sonic avenues to explore. With time, some tunes have merged with others to create almost entirely new tracks, like Lost in (Bird) Soul, which we released on Bandcamp back in 2017.
We thought it’s high time we recorded some more of our live set, some new noodles, and these frankentracks (as we like to call them). So on Wednesday 24th September we're taking over Big Fan Studios in Morningside, Auckland, and we'd love you to come along and be involved.
Tickets from UTR: www.undertheradar.co.nz/tour/29692/Pitch-Black.utr
It won't be a standard live show in that we might stop mid-track and start again - heck, we might even play the same track twice! We’ll be doing some extended jamming of new works-in-progress, and will also be filming from as many angles as possible.
It's only $10 entry (or more if you're feeling generous) and the bar will be open all evening. So come and hang out with us in the studio and we’ll make some vibes together!
Big Fan is run by a charitable trust that works to build a community that connects people through music and fosters talent, empowering musicians, songwriters, and those working behind the scenes at every level. We like this mission, so have decided that all money raised from ticket sales should go to furthering Big Fan's cause.
You can pick up tickets from Under the Radar: www.undertheradar.co.nz/tour/29692/Pitch-Black.utr
2 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Pitch Black
Delighted to announce that our fourth album has finally got the vinyl pressing it so richly deserves.
Buy from Bandcamp: pitchblack.bandcamp.com/album/rude-mechanicals-lp
Buy from other stores: lnk.to/rudelp
Originally released in 2007, Rude Mechanicals found us firing on all cylinders. The nine years since our debut had been spent touring round the world, playing everywhere from Tokyo to Tauranga, Portland to Paris, Leeds to Las Vegas, finding fans and absorbing new sounds along the way.
We successfully combined and refined the stand-out elements of our previous releases to create an album that is alternately danceable and meditative: a genre busting excursion in sound, heaving with warm basslines and complex rhythms, topped up by haunting melodies and immersive soundscapes.
From the evocative opening South of the Line to the stepping 1000 Mile Drift, the dub is strong, as one would expect, and so is the influence of drum’n’bass on the bottom-heavy Bird Soul and the atmospheric Please Leave Quietly; trance on the pulsating Sonic Colonic (Live at Minikami) and slinky Transient Transmission (fig.2); ambient on the burbling Harmonia and softly snarling Fragile Ladders. The title track, meanwhile, finds us addressing climate change and greed, with lyrics by Auckland MC KP.
To create the double-vinyl release, Angus McNaughton re-mastered the original audio files, while Hamish Macaulay polished the source artwork by Tom Quarelle and created a brand new collage for the centrefold using pictures taken at the time.
4 months ago | [YT] | 4
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Pitch Black
Introducing Freqs in Flux, a captivating collection of remixes curated to celebrate the inaugural vinyl release of Rude Mechanicals. The anthology seamlessly bridges the past and present, featuring mixes from the album's original era, contemporary reinterpretations, and a selection of previously unreleased versions.
On remix duty are the legendary @adrian_sherwood (of OnU Sound renown), former popstar @InternationalObserver (The Thompson Twins), Kiwi dubmeister SUBSET, tech visionary @TomCosmNZ, multi-instrumentalist and game soundtrack designer Module, long-form audio-visual explorer @misledconvoy, breakbeat scientist @FunknSloCuts, Australian reggae band The Versionaries, ambient producer Deep Seed and the Mexican space pirate @TormainDub
Freqs in Flux serves as a perfect companion to the previously released Rhythm, Sound and Movement collection, and not only celebrates the legacy of Rude Mechanicals but also showcases our broad sonic world.
Full album: www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Stream: open.spotify.com/album/3O9Iwc2JGoeByCZKNkLtUV
Download: dubmission.bandcamp.com/album/freqs-in-flux
5 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Pitch Black
To celebrate the release on April 11th of Rude Mechanicals on vinyl, and of Freqs in Flux, a new collection of remixes, on CD, we're heading out on a short tour next month
12 April - Neck of the Woods, AUCKLAND w/ SUBSET & DJ Dubhead
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/94987/Pitch-Black-Pres…
23 April - 18A, NELSON w/ DJ Tunesifter
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/95385/Pitch-Black---Fr…
24 April - 18A, NELSON w/ @FunknSloCuts
sold out
25 April - Meow, WELLINGTON w/ @jeramiahrossnz & @EdZuccollo
meow.flicket.co.nz/events/340c543a-3126-4e1e-84dc-…
26 April - Porridge Watson, WHANGANUI w/ Ludus
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/94938/Pitch-Black---Fr…
02 May - Loons, CHRISTCHURCH w/ Pylonz & @TomCosmNZ
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/94936/Pitch-Black---Fr…
16 May - Last Place, HAMILTON
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/95423/Pitch-Black---Fr…
5 months ago | [YT] | 3
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Pitch Black
Echoes of the Night, which features four remixes of our tunes by @adrian_sherwood, is out now, available to stream, download or buy on off-green 10" vinyl
Bandcamp: pitchblack.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-the-night
Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/081Yp6jTc6IDD5KL8Qhm2x
Others: fanlink.tv/sherwoodremixes
Full playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
1 year ago | [YT] | 2
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Pitch Black
We're heading out on tour of Aoteraoa in two weeks time - a collaborative night with Antix, MarkJ and @TomCosmNZ
NOVEMBER 23 - HIDE, CHCH
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/86036/Pitch-Black--Ant…
NOVEMBER 24 - MEOW, WLG
moshtix.co.nz/v2/event/pitch-black-tom-cosm-antix-…
NOVEMBER 25 - THE MOTHERSHIP, AKL
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/86037/Pitch-Black--Ant…
NOVEMBER 26 - THE YOT CLUB, RAGLAN
www.undertheradar.co.nz/gig/86128/Pitch-Black--Ant…
Hope to see you on the dancefloor soon
1 year ago | [YT] | 3
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Pitch Black
Our European tour starts next week:
07/07 Ostroda Reggae Festival, Poland
08/07 Give! Festival, UK
09/07 Noisily Festival, UK
13/07 Colours, London
14/07 The Jam Jar, Bristol
15/07 Morgans, Manchester
16/07 Beatherder Festival, UK
21/07 Mephisto, Koblenz
23/07 Seasplash Festival, Croatia
27/07 Urban Spree, Berlin
29/07 Loop, Wien
31/07 Ozora Festival, Hungary
04/08 Ozora Festival, Hungary
You can find info and tickets at www.songkick.com/artists/358829-pitch-black
See you soon
Mike & Paddy
2 years ago | [YT] | 2
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Pitch Black
We're happy to announce the release of Ape to Angel on double vinyl in a beautiful gatefold sleeve.
Our third album, Ape to Angel was first released by Kog Transmissions back in 2004, but only on CD. Critically acclaimed, with DJ Mag (UK) awarding it five stars, the release led to a 42 date tour round the world. Tracks from the album were also picked up for use in CSI: Miami and True Blood, the latter featuring Freefall in a vampire orgy scene!
You can order directly from us via pitchblack.bandcamp.com/album/ape-to-angel-lp
Alternatively you can check www.facebook.com/events/1133521021376804 or lnk.to/ape2angel for local stores
2 years ago | [YT] | 8
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Pitch Black
Kia ora
Happy New Year all
We're messaging today as we are making a long overdue trip to Australia in 10 days time for our first shows in years.
We're playing in Sydney at Vitalise at the Good Space Project on Friday 20th and in Melbourne at Whitvoir at Abbotsford Convent on Sunday 22nd.
We can't wait to see all of you across the ditch and ... Europe, we'll be announcing shows soon, so please keep an eye on our Facebook page or follow us on Songkick.
Cheers
Mike & Paddy
SYDNEY
20/01/2023
The Good Space Project, 80 Bay St, Ultimo
Tickets events.humanitix.com/vitalise-presents-pitch-black
MELBOURNE
22/01/2023
Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
Tickets ra.co/events/1623328
2 years ago | [YT] | 6
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Pitch Black
In the spirit of the AI video movement and in conjunction with data entry specialist Delainy Kennedy, we are pleased to reveal the video for Exodus.
The genesis of our dub version was back in the early 90’s when Mike mixed a live show by Christchurch reggae band Ras Bonte. Their last song of the night was Exodus and Mike had one of those ephemeral moments where the band and the live dub mix locked in sync, and the sound just took off.
For years we have talked about trying to re-create that moment, and have finally risen to the challenge. Featuring Sandy Mill Music on vocals and David Fullwood from Ital Horns on brass, we are delighted to present a 21st century version of a classic tune, complete with a fruity Misled Convoy re-rub.
Find the audio at pitchblack.bandcamp.com/album/exodus or fanlink.to/exodusdub
2 years ago | [YT] | 1
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