A sublime selection of dancefloor beats and downtempo dubs from around the globe, Mixes + Mavericks features seven remixes by Pitch Black, two live tracks that couldn’t be more different in nature or tempo, one seriously unorthodox situation (an unauthorised remix of a remix) and a track in between states, all highlighting the breadth of the duo’s sonic palette.

Whereas their previous Rarities + Remixes collection was predominantly rooted in New Zealand, Mixes + Mavericks is undoubtedly a more international affair, with all the remixed artists hailing from the northern hemisphere. Many of the connections are the result of the duo’s touring and festival appearances around the globe: they first met Gaudi at a gig in Japan, Animat and Nick Woolfson (Sounds from the Ground) at The Big Chill festival in the UK, while downtemple duo Desert Dwellers were encountered in the Californian underground. 

Other connections were more straightforward: Brighton-based Ink Project (run by Kiwi Jez Lloyd) approached them to remix “The End” and Mexico’s Sudden Reverb was introduced by label-mates Deep Fried Dub. Meanwhile Mike bumped into Radioactive Man’s Keith Tenniswood (of Two Lone Swordsmen fame) while he was getting a 7” record cut. 

Uber-producer/Killing Joke bass player Youth features in two very different ways. First up is Pitch Black’s pulsating dub mix of his collaboration with Italian producer Gaudi, from their Astronaut Alchemists album. Then there is his unsolicited remix of epsilon-blue’s 1999 remix of Speech, over which he added bass, beats and blessings.  This mash-up lurked for years in the archive under the title of Helmsdub, but only as a corrupted mp3 file. Thankfully a little detective work discovered that, much to everyone’s surprise, it had been released as Speechless (Big Circle Flat Pain Remix) on a 2004 CD compilation. A copy was tracked down, the tune was carefully re-mastered and then correctly named.

Mixes + Mavericks also features two very different live offerings: Notting Pill is a dose of atmospheric moodiness from a rare ambient set at Notting Hill Arts Club in London, held to publicise the upcoming showcase of New Zealand music at Fabric in 2003. The banging G202, meanwhile, was captured by Andre Upston at Rippon Festival in Wanaka, NZ at the turn of the millennium, and later broadcast on Radio New Zealand. It was a track that, despite being a staple of the live show for many years, was never finished, and following software updates and data dumps, the only version that exists is this live recording.

It's a Future Dub is a similarly embryonic track – eventually it became It’s the Future Knocking, from the Filtered Senses album, but here it’s a fascinating hybrid caught midway between creation and completion. Many of the elements of its future self are present, but there is a whole lot more going on, making this a fascinating signpost on a possible road-not-taken. 

Beautifully accompanied by Tim Prebble's Cyanotype images, Mixes + Mavericks is a showcase of Pitch Black’s sonic diversity as remixers and maintains the trademark production aesthetic that has won them thousands of fans and filled dancefloors around the globe.

Mixes + Mavericks

Pitch Black - It's A Future Dub (preview)

Connect ➜ https://linktr.ee/lehto_music

Lovers

I had the pleasure and honour of opening for several of my favourite artists at Wonderment 2022 for the night time edition at Capital Ballroom, Victoria. Warming up the stage for Michael Red, Azu Tiwaline, Handsome Tiger & Phaeleh.

These are the dubs I played. Warm, rootsy, vibey.

'The main thing that I want you to do today is to concentrate on the feel that we should put into this music, because, it's the most important thing.'

Artists represented (in no particular order):
J. Sparrow
Scuba
Commodo
Sir Hiss
Mystic State
6Blocc
Ebb & Texture
Gemmy
dark sky
JSM
Oddkut feat. Griz-O
EchoBoy ft. Danny Red & The Herb
Calibre
Synkro
Lapo & Ago (Numa Crew)
WZ X Magugu
Bengal Sound
RSD
Biome
XL Mad
Slim Poppins

Happy to provide track ID's in the comments.

CAÇADORA - WONDERMENT SET 2022

Abundance. Summer is abundant in light, just as space is abundant in movement. <3 Loved curating this journey. Enjoy!

Live @ Fernhill Ecstatic Dance '22

Back in the early nineties, Mike mixed a live show by Christchurch reggae band Ras Bonte. Their last song of the night was a cover of Exodus, and Mike had one of those ephemeral moments where the band and the live desk 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 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.

Making Exodus made us think of the climate migrations that we are going to see more of in the coming years. We commissioned visual artist Delainy Kennedy to make a video that reflected this global issue, with the cover image being a still taken from the final cut.

To support the release, we’re heading out on tour this November:

04 Hide, Christchurch                                              
05 Waitati Music Festival, Dunedin                      
11 The Mothership, Auckland                               
12 Totara Street, Tauranga                                    
13 Yot Club, Raglan                                               
17 Porridge Watson, Whanganui
18 San Fran, Wellington                    
19 The Cabana, Napier

Tickets from https://www.pitchblacknz.com/songkick.html

Pitch Black - Exodus (Misled Convoy ReRub)(preview)

Pitch Black - Exodus (Version)(preview)

A while back we rolled up a 15 year label anniversary set for our good friends at Dubmission records in the UK. With access to their entire catalog, we uncovered some very tasty gems and wanted to share them with you. Mixed by Craig Mullin.

'15 Years of Dubmission Records' Mix

Green Submarine - 15 Years of Dubmission Records

Whipped up this crazy club banger, all production, writing and vocals by me. Let me know what you think of this one in the comments! 🪩💥

One Last Chance - King Wizard

Seasons done

B.JNR - FEAL THE SOUND

Budapest Eskimos

Soul Reservation Morning

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". 

It is their live show that really makes Pitch Black stand out from the rest of the crowd, both sonically and visually. Their tracks take on an added dynamism and their performances reveal the dialectic behind the band - Paddy wants to do it for the crowd, Michael wants to do it to the crowd. Visually they are in another dimension thanks to Michael's cutting edge visuals.

They have toured the world relentlessly, playing everywhere from Amsterdam to Zagreb and the streets of Las Vegas to the Australian outback, supporting acts such as Coldcut, Skream, Easy Dub All Stars and System 7 along the way.

NZ Bookings: h (at) strikeagency.co.nz
RoW Bookings: info (at) dubmissionrecords.com

Pitch Black - Exodus (Version)(preview)

Pitch Black (NZ)

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