INTERVIEW: Pitch Black in London   27 Jun 2016

Charlotte Everett

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Pitch Black at The Gathering in 1996. All photos copyright and courtesy of Pitch Black,

INTERVIEW:  NZ electronica pioneers Pitch Black in London

Pioneers of New Zealand's electronica scene, Pitch Black are celebrating the impending anniversary of their inaugural performance at The Gathering in Takaka back in 1996. Charlotte Everett had a chat with Mike Hodgson and Paddy Free ahead of their London show, coming up on July 7^th – looking back on 20 years, and to the future.

Kia Ora Mike and Paddy, thanks for taking the time to speak to us! Pitch Black are really considered as pioneers of New Zealand’s electronica scene. What were things like back then, when the genre was just starting up in Aotearoa?

It was very alive and vibrant; we were among many artists exploring electronica and putting on rave events. Kog were helping artists release their music, it felt like we were part of a huge wave of creativity. There were MORE electronic acts playing live in the late ‘90s.  Artists would pull their whole studios apart (we're talking mountains of hardware here), and take it out into fields and forests for raves... Then CD burners became affordable and many, many producers said: "bugger this - why should I risk my expensive and temperamental gear, when I can just DJ my own stuff on CDJ’s?"  Back in the day, it wasn't uncommon to be on a lineup with 10 fully live acts back to back. It’s nice to see that coming back now, as to just DJ some tracks isn't good enough anymore for a live act. 

This year, 2016, marks twenty years since you first burst onto the scene at The Gathering in 1996. Can you tell us a little bit about that gig, how you guys were feeling at the time, and what it’s like to reflect back on it now?

Mike: Paddy and I met in mid-1996 – I had been playing live as Projector Mix and dub-mixing Salmonella Dub; Paddy was in a band called Mesh. We were introduced by a friend who said we should chat, we both realised we had been developing a way to play electronic music live, and with the additional live triggered video system I had developed, we decided to get together in the studio.  We developed a track I had already started and then made a new track together: The Gatherer. When we were asked to play live at The Gathering we only had two tracks but managed to live jam our AV show for 30 minutes in the D&B tent. It all sort of grew from there. 

How would you describe your sound? And how has it evolved?

Welllll... that's always the hardest question. We're really multi-genre as a band, we take influences from everything – from ambient and cinema, to dub and roots, breaks, house, drum ‘n bass – you name it. But we say that dub is the glue that holds it all together. Dub is not just a genre, but a set of studio techniques, playing the whole studio as an instrument. With the development of recording equipment it has become very easy to not play live to make music, we still try to be as live as possible and develop the tracks to keep a real human vibe in the tracks. 

How have you guys yourselves evolved as an act, over the past 20 years?

Paddy: Things have definitely gotten faster in our live shows... As you get on in your career, you end up playing more "headline" slots, where it’s kind of expected that you'll deliver the peak experience of the night... So naturally, one way to do this is to go faster... and more intense (shout out to the George Lucas School of Film Direction)!

Tell us a little bit about your following... have the fans changed much over the years, and do the crowds differ much here from back home? 

There's always been a good mix of fans at our gigs. We're actually getting into a second generation of fans now, whose parents we may have caught in a.... err.... susceptible moment back in the day! But there's always a really lovely vibe at our gigs!

Mike, you’re now living in London. How long have you been here, what prompted the move, and what’s the thing you love most about this city?

Mike: Yes, moved here as a family in 2012 to support my partner’s career, so I look after the kids and work in the studio while they are at school... perfect work/life balance! I live in East London; I love the parks, the canals, the vibe around here. Most of the music I listened to as a kid came from the UK; it’s been amazing being able to see many artists I listened to back then – some are making new tunes, some are riding on their past music, but it all makes being here totally worthwhile. 

What do you miss most about home and how often do you manage to get back?

I miss the light, and the rise and fall of the ocean. I manage to get back once every two years for a month or so, it’s nice to reconnect and fill up the Pacific tank again. 

You’ve got a gig coming up in London on 7 July. What can fans expect?

It’s at Oslo in Hackney, We are going to be playing a few tracks off the new album for the first time and others from each of the four other albums. We will have our triggered video show and have Radioactive Man dropping his Dub tunes as a build up. We are on early, so don’t come too late!!! 

What advice would you give your 20-years-ago self – and what advice would you give young Kiwis wanting to break into the scene now?

Paddy: Advice to young guns: play live. Like, really live. As often as possible. With apps like Ableton, the doors are now blown completely off the hinges of what it's possible to achieve on stage. So much more than just selecting and mixing tracks. When the punters can really sense the danger and the live-ness of what you do, they realise that they are so much more a part of the gig. I have this saying: "if you can't f**k up, you can't soar" – meaning that keeping it live and volatile is where you find the truly sublime moments that you could never pre-create in the studio. Hope this helps!!!

What’s next for Pitch Black?

First single from the album comes out on July 8^th, accompanied by two remixes. The album is released in September, and we are currently sorting out a New Zealand tour for next summer. 

** The boys at Pitch Black have generously given us a double pass for their London gig on July 7^th. Visit our Competitions page to enter: here **

OSLO :: PITCH BLACK :: 07/07/16

Advance tickets are £8 +b/f from alt-tickets

From: 7.30pm

At: 1a Amhurst Road, E8 1LL

Nearest Tube: Hackney Central

Venue website: oslohackney.com/

Facebook event: facebook.com/events/1585744825083438/

About the interviewer:

Charlotte Everett has been contributing to NZNewsUK as a columnist and journalist since 2011, and currently serves as London Editor – a post she has held since mid-2013. She has been based in London since mid-2007 and is an active member of London’s Kiwi community, also serving as one of the current Vice Presidents of the NZ Society UK. She has a broad writing portfolio, including music/entertainment, theatre reviews, travel, rugby, Kiwi success, vegan food, and WW100/ANZAC. She is also an experienced freelance tour guide, and leads city walks across London several times a week.

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