Pitch Black (band)

Pitch Black is a New Zealand electronica duo from Auckland.

Pitch Black
OriginAuckland, New Zealand
GenresElectronica
Years active1996–present
MembersMichael Hodgson
Paddy Free

History

Mike and Paddy met in 1996. Since then they have released five albums, four remix albums and been on six world tours.[1]

Their debut album, Futureproof, released in August 1998,[2] rose to the top of the New Zealand electronic charts, despite no marketing or advertising. Their second album, Electronomicon, followed in September 2000,[3] and led to a 30-date tour of New Zealand and Australia. Both albums spawned remix projects, featuring mixes by local bands International Observer, Epsilon-Blue and Downtown Brown.

Their third album, Ape to Angel, released in New Zealand on 4 October 2004,[4] gained critical acclaim. The "Ape to Angel" tour was the biggest to date, with 42 shows across the world, including their debut performances in United States. The remixes of this came out in New Zealand and Australia under the name "Halfway: between Ape and Angel"[5] and in Europe and America as "Frequencies Fall".[6]

Their fourth studio album was "Rude Mechanicals", released in 2007: it came out on the band's own label, Remote Recordings, in Australia and New Zealand; on the Wakyo label in Japan; and on Dubmission Records elsewhere in the world.[7] The remixes of this album came out as "Rhythm, Sound and Movement" in May 2009.[8]

On June 13, 2011, they released "Rarities + Remixes", a collection of their remixes of other artists plus three original tracks.[9][10]

The fifth Pitch Black record "Filtered Senses" came out on 2 September 2016,[11] and was followed by a remix collection, "Invisible Circuits", on 7 July 2017.[12]

Their sixth studio album "Third Light" was released on 13 September 2019[13] and followed with a tour of New Zealand in October[14] and Europe in November.[15] A remix collection, "The Light Within", dropped on 10 July 2020.

On March 18, 2022, they released "Mixes + Mavericks", a collection of their remixes of other artists plus two live tracks and two studio anomalies.[16]

Pitch Black songs have been used on a variety of international film and media, such as Whale Rider and CSI: Miami.[17] Also they have worked with Metia Interactive's Cube game for the PlayStation Portable, designing sound, and contributing music.[18]

Discography
Date of Release Title Label Chart Certification Catalog Number
Albums
1998 Futureproof – –
1999 Dub Obscura – –
2000 Electronomicon – –
2001 Electric Earth & Other Elements: Remixes – –
2004 Ape to Angel – –
2005 Halfway: Between Ape and Angel – –
2006 Frequencies Fall – –
2007 Rude Mechanicals – –
2009 Rhythm, Sound and Movement – –
2016 Filtered Senses
2017 Invisible Circuits
2019 Third Light
2020 The Light Within
EPs
2002 Electric Earth – –
2003 Flex – –

The group have appeared on several compilations and soundtracks since their inception onto the New Zealand music scene. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by Pitch Black:

  • 1999 – The Gathering (record label unknown) – "Alternate State"
  • 2000 – The Gathering 2000 (record label unknown) – "Melt"
  • 2001 – Loop 13 CD.08 (Loop Recordings) – "Soliton"
  • 2001 – Loop Select 002 (Loop Recordings) – "Unadrummer" (Sunshine Sound System Remix) (remixed by Downtown Brown)
  • 2001 – Snakeskin OST (Mana Music) – "Data Diviner"
  • 2001 – The Gathering 3 (Virgin Records) – "Reptile Room"
  • 2002 – Loop 003 (Loop Recordings) – "Electric Earth" (DC Mix)
  • 2002 – The Gathering 2002 (Loop Recordings) – "Unadrummer" (Sunshine Sound System Remix) (remixed by Downtown Brown)
  • 2002 – The Green Room 001 (Loop Recordings) – "Speech" (White Amplitude Mix) (remixed by International Observer)
  • 2004 – The Green Room 003 (Loop Recordings) – "Lost in Translation"
  • 2005 – Kaikoura Roots Festival 22005 (Dub Conspiracy) – "Elements Turn"
  • 2006 – TFM 2006 (Living Works Trust) – "Lost in Translation"

References
  1. "New Pitch Black album – Music News at Undertheradar".
  2. "Pitch Black – Futureproof". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  3. "Pitch Black – Electronomicon". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  4. "Pitch Black – Ape To Angel". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  5. "Pitch Black – Halfway: Between Ape & Angel". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  6. "Pitch Black – Frequencies Fall". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  7. "Pitch Black – Rude Mechanicals". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  8. "Pitch Black – Rhythm, Sound And Movement – Rude Mechanicals Remixes". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  9. Steel, Gary (9 October 2014). "Pitch Black – Rarities & Remixes (Remote/Rhythmethod) CD REVIEW".
  10. Kara, Scott (11 June 2011). "Album Review: Pitch Black, Rarities and Remixes". NZ Herald.
  11. "Pitch Black – Filtered Senses". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  12. "Pitch Black – Invisible Circuits". Discogs. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  13. "NZ Music".
  14. "13th Floor". 13th Floor.
  15. "Songkick". Songkick.
  16. Reid, Graham (14 March 2022). "Pitch Black: Mixes + Mavericks (Dubmission/bandcamp)". Elsewhere.
  17. "Pitch Black". IMDb. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  18. "Pitch Black Turn 10. Free MP3 Download | Amplifier NZ Music". Archived from the original on 1 April 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
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