Blaqk Audio

Blaqk Audio

Blaqk Audio performing live in 2007. From left to right: Davey Havok and Jade Puget.
Background information
Origin Oakland, California, United States
Genres Synthpop,[1] EBM, Dark Wave
Years active 2001–2002, 2006–present
Labels Interscope, Superball Music
Associated acts AFI, Loose Change, Redemption 87, Influence 13, Son of Sam, XTRMST
Website www.blaqkaudio.com
Members Davey Havok
Jade Puget

Blaqk Audio is an American electronic music duo formed by current AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget under Interscope Records. Their debut album CexCells was released on August 14, 2007 and reached number eighteen on the Billboard 200.

The band's second album Bright Black Heaven was released on September 11, 2012 under Superball Music's imprint Big Death.[2] The first single from Bright Black Heaven, "Faith Healer", was released August 14, 2012.

Their third album Material was released on April 15, 2016.

History

Origins

Havok and Puget started writing music for Blaqk Audio around the year 2001, but they were too busy with AFI to devote enough time to the electronic side project.[3] They returned to the project only in year 2006,[3] and the debut album CexCells was put out in August 2007.

AFI have increasingly included synthesized elements into their recent albums; 2003 release Sing the Sorrow and 2006 release Decemberunderground credit Puget with 'programming and keyboards'.[4][5] These synthesized elements are particularly apparent on songs such as "Death of Seasons" and "37mm". In the August 2006 edition of Guitar World, Puget states that AFI songs "37mm" and "Love Like Winter" were both originally intended as part of the Blaqk Audio side project.[6] Elements of programming, however, can be found as early as 2000s The Art of Drowning, which featured a drum machine on "The Despair Factor".[7]

CexCells

Blaqk Audio entered the studio to record several songs for their first album in January 2007.[8] Puget kept fans apprised with updates through his blog, before the Blaqk Audio Myspace was created in February 2007. By July 27, they had filmed footage for the music video for their debut single "Stiff Kittens", but the video was never finished.

On January 12, 2008, Puget uploaded a new song to the Blaqk Audio Myspace titled "The Ligature".

Instrumental versions of the songs, "Between Breaths" and "The Love Letter" were used in trailers and on the official website for the 2008 film The Eye. In response to the buzz it created, Puget suggested at a possible public release of all the CexCells songs in instrumental form.

Bright Black Heaven

In 2007, Puget collaborated with the German band Tokio Hotel, contributing a remix of "Ready, Set, Go!" called "Ready, Set, Go! (AFI/Blaqk Audio Remix)" to the American version of Scream. Blaqk Audio contributed a cover of "No New Tale to Tell" to the tribute album for Love and Rockets, New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets.

While promoting AFI's new single "Medicate" on KROQ, Havok said that Blaqk Audio's second album was already completed, but they are focused on AFI as they feel "if all of a sudden we're doing two Blaqk Audio records in a row people will think AFI is not happening or something."[9] Puget has revealed that the name of the upcoming album is Bright Black Heaven.[9] They have continued writing new songs, so the new album may go through considerable changes before the release.[9][10]

They have recorded over thirty new songs.[11] Since February 2010 the California-based radio station Live 105 has been playing a new Blaqk Audio song entitled "Ill Lit Ships". From July 22, 2010, BPM on Sirius XM Radio have been playing a new song entitled "Bon Voyeurs." On October 24, 2010, Live105 premiered a song titled "Mouth to Mouth".

Blaqk Audio performed at Subsonic Spookfest 2010 with eight songs, three of them being completely new songs: "This Is...", "Fade to White" and "Let's Be Honest".[12][13] On November 25, Blaqk Audio posted a song titled "Down Here" on their SoundCloud page.[14] On December 1, Live105 posted a song titled "Cold War".[15]

On January 6, 2011, they performed a show at club Popscene in San Francisco, playing two new songs among others: "Say Red" and "Everybody's Friends".[16] On July 23, a previously unheard song called "Bliss" was uploaded to their Soundcloud page,[17] along with "Ill-Lit Ships" and "Mouth to Mouth".[18] The song "Bliss" was also premiered on Live 105.

A new Blaqk Audio song called "The Witness" is on the official soundtrack album of the 2011 movie Abduction, released on September 20.[19] Another song called "Afterdark" is on the official soundtrack album of the video game Batman: Arkham City, released on October 4.[20]

In March 2012, Blaqk Audio toured Australia and New Zealand as a supporting act for Evanescence.[21]

In June 2012, Blaqk Audio announced having been signed to Superball Music, and released Bright Black Heaven in September 2012.[2]

Material

Starting December 18th, 2015, Blaqk Audio starting updating and teasing activity across social media. On February 10th, 2016, they unveiled the single Anointed. The single is available to purchase February 19th, 2016. It has been confirmed that Anointed will feature on the album due April 2016. [22]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[23]		 US
Alt.
[23]		 US
Dance
[23]
CexCells 18 5 1
Bright Black Heaven
  • Released: September 11, 2012
  • Label: Superball, Big Death
  • Formats: CD, Vinyl, digital download
 43 12 1
Material
  • Released: April 15, 2016
  • Label: Blaqknoise/Kobalt Records
  • Formats: CD, vinyl, digital download
 - 21 1

Singles

Title Year Peak chart
positions		 Album
US
Alt.
[23]		 US
Dance
[23]
"Stiff Kittens" 2007 20 38 CexCells
"Faith Healer" 2012 — — Bright Black Heaven
"Anointed" 2016 — — Material

Other appearances

Title Year Album
"Stiff Kittens" (Jnrsnchz Blaqkout Remix) 2009 Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
"No New Tale to Tell" New Tales to Tell: A Tribute to Love and Rockets
"The Witness" 2011 Abduction: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
"Afterdark" Batman: Arkham City – The Album

Music videos

Title Year Director(s)
"If Only" 2007 Josh Stern and Blaqk Audio[24]
"Faith Healer" 2012 Daniel Raschko[25]
"Ill Lit Ships" 2014 Travis Kopach[26]
"Anointed" 2016 Unknown

Band members

References

  1. ↑ Blaqk Audio at The Grand Ballroom
  2. 1 2 Blaqk Audio sign with Superball Music; release free download of new song. Alternative Press. June 12, 2012
  3. 1 2 Davey Havok (February 27, 2007). "Like a Quadruped Comin' Atcha!". Myspace. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ Sing the Sorrow CD Booklet
  5. ↑ Decemberunderground CD Booklet
  6. ↑ Guitar World, "The Shape of Punk to Come" August 2006
  7. ↑ Lash, Jolie. "AFI Go Electronic". Rolling Stone. September 4, 2003.
  8. ↑ "So I Must Apologize For My Tardiness". January 9, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 Gary Graff (November 2009). "AFI Duo Ready To Go With New Blaqk Audio". Billboard.
  10. ↑ Justin Crites (March 2010). "An Exclusive Interview with Davey Havok of AFI". ReaxMusic.com.
  11. ↑ "Davey Havok Really Loves UNDERWORLD: Calls Station @ 2:30am to announce SPOOKFEST 2010 headliner". Live105. August 30, 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  12. ↑ 10/30/10 San Diego Setlist | BrightBlackHeaven.com
  13. ↑ Bay Area natives Blaqk Audio @ Spookfest 2010
  14. ↑ "Down Here" by Blaqk Audio
  15. ↑ Blaqk Audio returns to SF!
  16. ↑ Blaqk Audio at Popscene
  17. ↑ Bliss by Blaqk Audio
  18. ↑
  19. ↑ ArtistDirect
  20. ↑ New Blaqk Audio song: Afterdark
  21. ↑ "Blaqk Audio set to tour Australia". Bombshellzine. Jan 29, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  22. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtVYXwrcFM
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Peak chart positions in the United States:
  24. ↑ "Blaqk Audio – If Only". Google. YouTube. June 12, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Blaqk Audio – "Faith Healer"". MTV. Viacom Media Networks. October 29, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Blaqk Audio Ill Lit Ships". Travis Kopach. Retrieved June 6, 2015.

External links


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