black midi by Anthrox Studio
black midi are following up 2019’s Schlagenheim.
black midi have set their second album Cavalcade for release on May 28th.
Work began in the same year as their debut album, initially built from the improv habits of their live sets but later added to by each member’s own home sketches which were brought to the rehearsal table.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in the improvisation myth of divine intervention, that if a song doesn’t happen in the room naturally without it being guided by someone specifically, when we’re all just feeling the vibe, then it’s not proper and it’s not pure,” says Geordie Greep.
“That’s kind of a dangerous thing because you end up never trying something different, or you just abandon an idea if it doesn’t work at first because you’re always waiting for that thing to arrive perfect.”
Lead single and album opener John L is here today with a video directed by Nina McNeely. Starting with sessions in London with producer Marta Salogni, it led to Hellfire Studios in Dublin last summer under the watch of John ‘Spud’ Murphy.
“It worked really well with John,” Greep continues. “We wanted a natural, open sound combined with fourth wall breaks – for lack of a better expression.”
“Do you know on record when you can hear the tape screeching, the things that make you aware that you’re listening to a recording? [With a lot of records] it feels like either you’re listening to the ECM, high-fidelity, 25 mic amazing sound or you have the lo-fi album full of crazy effects.”
“And I thought, ‘Why not have an album where you combine the two?’ That was one of the main ideas going into it and John was very keen on that idea.”
As guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin takes a break from black midi to focus on his mental health, saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi and keyboard player Seth Evans have been brought in to add a fresh dimension to the album’s sound.
Another gift for fans today is a gig scheduled for November 11th at the Alexandra Palace Theatre.
Cavalcade tracklist:
John L
Marlene Dietrich
Chondromalacia Patella
Slow
Diamond Stuff
Dethroned
Hogwash and Balderdash
Ascending Forth
