Pitch Black set to unveil Rarities and Remixes on June 14

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Pitch Black set to unveil Rarities and Remixes on June 14

Rarities and Remixes ¬ the latest album from Auckland¹s Pitch Black ¬ is a package of rare tracks and lovingly crafted remixes of other artists¹ music, chosen by Paddy Free and Mike Hodgson to represent their fifteen year reign as Aotearoa¹s favourite electronica act.

Known globally for their stomping live sets, Rarities and Remixes showcases Pitch Black¹s mellower side. Beginning with a dancefloor friendly, but respectful reworking of the Richard Nunns and Hirini Melbourne original, ŒTe Po¹ and ending with an equally haunting version of Tiki¹s ŒPast Present Future¹, Rarities and Remixes is an album that represents the past, present and future of the Pitch Black partnership.

Included in the remixes are tracks by fellow Aotearoa/NZ dub trailblazers International Observer and Salmonella Dub, who appear alongside independent music producer Tom Cosm and reggae legends Katchafire. Also fed through the PB warping machine are tracks from further afield: ŒMirror Beach¹ by Mirror System (the ambient project of Britain¹s System 7); and ŒA New Day¹, a remix of a Sri Lankan track that Pitch Black remixed for the Laya Project, a collaboration of regional folk musicians affected by the 2004 tsunami.

For Mike, the remix process ³gives us a chance to play with different types of sounds and composing techniques. I love getting the parts of these songs and creating a folder of sounds in response to the track. This quite often gives us the sound field and sonic vibe for the remix.²

Whilst all of Pitch Black¹s four studio albums have been followed by a compilation of versions, this is the first to showcase their own remixing output. Mike says that having released many remixes of other artists¹ songs on a variety of albums this release ³gives us a chance to put them all in one place. It contains tracks from the very beginning of us working together right up to a track finished earlier this year.²

Included on the album are three Pitch Black rarities, one of which is a recording of 1996¹s ŒI¹m a Wanderer¹, the first track the pair worked on together. ³I had a long drums and effects jam that I wanted to turn into a song and Paddy was keen to work together so we took this long evolving track and chopped it up into a structure and then added Paddy¹s vibe to it,² remembers Mike. ³Pitch Black was born.²

ŒI¹m a Wanderer¹ showcases the industrial beginnings of what would become the Pitch Black sound ¬ a dynamic balancing act between heavily sculpted basslines and choppy melody. In contrast, ŒProtect the Grain¹, a windborne ambient track that was previously released on the limited edition EP Flex is evidence of Pitch Black at their gentlest. Also included is ŒKaikoura Dub¹ from Whalerider, which was used on the film after director Niki Caro asked Mike for some music and he gave her a 23 minute mix of a jam recorded in Kaikoura: ³She ended up choosing a sliver for the film. We subsequently used the bones of this track for the tune ŒElements Turn¹ on Ape to Angel but it¹s great to find the original two track recording,² says Mike.

Pitch Black has always been more than a dance act, but on Rarities and Remixes they demonstrate the full reach of the musical territory they love to explore.

Pitch Black Rarities and Remixes

1 Te Po (Pitch Black Remix) Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns 2 Kaikoura Dub Pitch Black 3 House Of The Rising Dub (Pitch Black Remix) International Observer 4 For The Love Of It (Pitch Black Version) Salmonella Dub 5 The Opaque (Pitch Black Remix) Tom Cosm 6 Sensimillia (Pitch Black's Sensi Dub) Katchafire 7 I'm a Wanderer Pitch Black 8 Mirror Beach (Pitch Black's Iron Sands Re-rub) Mirror System 9 A New Day (Pitch Black Remix) Laya Project 10 Protect the Grain Pitch Black 11 Past Present Future (Pitch Black's Sleep Whisperer Remix) Tiki Available on Remote Recordings from June 14 Distributed by Rhythmethod

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