Black Market Brass recently celebrated their tenth year as a band. Rather than round out the decade with more of the same, they’re headed into new territory. Hox, the third LP from BMB, is due out on Colemine Records on September 8th. It’s a new take on afro-beat fused with heavy, hypnotic, sci-fi sounds that reflect the band’s myriad of influences as record collectors. “The writing process was different this time,” shared saxophonist Cole Pulice. “We didn’t leave the traditional afro-beat sound behind, but we did allow ourselves to pull from different places with less hesitation.”
While the band continues to be centralized in Minneapolis, several members have relocated around the country in recent years. Hox is the result of an ambitious goal to continue pushing boundaries as a 9-piece band despite the distance between members. Each musician challenged themselves to create demos of original material, and from those scattered ideas a small selection was voted on to continue workshopping. A throughline started to emerge once they were able to gather together in person.“That’s when it goes from a group of songs to a Black Market Brass record. It gets chewed up, digested, and becomes part of the DNA of the band.” The nine-member group returned to Future Condo, a Minneapolis-based studio where they recorded their previous LP Undying Thirst (2020) and several other 45s. John Peters, a co-owner of the studio, recorded and mixed the record. The band credits John for helping them achieve their sound in the studio over the last few years.
Like their other recordings, this album was recorded live to tape. “The sound and aesthetic of the analog recording process is important for this kind of music,” Pulice explained. “We’re looking to capture lightning in a bottle.” With that, the album features several sections of heavily processed synthesizers and fuzzed-out guitars. This classic analog sound mixed with glitchy, harsh synths – that’s new. This is more than just an afro-beat record. The digital additions add some stunning cyber punk elements to the mix – think Dhalgren, Akira, Neuromancer. The performances are dynamic and confident. The grooves are infectious and hypnotic. BMB has pushed further into musical experimentalism, but at the end of the day, they’re still making dance music.
Check out the hypnotic new single “The Pit”….
