{"title":"Black Marble","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Marble is a coldwave\/synthpop\/post-punk music project from the USA. Formed in March 2011 in Brooklyn, New York, Black Marble started as a duo consisting of Chris Stewart and Ty Kube. However, in early 2016, Chris Stewart decided to relocate to Los Angeles while Ty Kube remained in Brooklyn. Since then, Black Marble has become a solo project for Chris Stewart, with occasional session live musicians joining him on stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe current lineup of Black Marble includes Chris Stewart as the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. He has been part of the project since its inception in 2011.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrior to becoming a solo act, Ty Kube contributed to Black Marble as the synthesizer and keyboard player from 2011 until 2016.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"fast-idol","title":"Fast Idol","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn Fast Idol, LA-based Black Marble reaches back through time to connect with the forgotten bedroom kids of the analogue era, the halcyon days of icy hooks and warbly synths. Harmonies are piped in across the expanse of space, and lyrics capture conversations that seem to come from another room, repeat an accusation overheard, or speak as if in sleep of interpersonal struggles distilled down to one subconscious phrase. At the same time, percussive elements feel forward and cut through the mix with toms counting off the measures like a lost tribe broadcasting through the bass and tops of a basement club soundsystem.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMelodies roll with the fizz and charm of Jacno and phrases repeated are electric torchlight ballads sung after hours in William Gibson’s San Francisco. ‘Somewhere’ opens in sombre herald, before dropping into a fast freeway tempo; the glassy synths and crisp beats cut through the anxious moods on ‘Bodies’ and ‘Try’ sits in a lineage with cult bands like Asylum Party. ‘The Garden’ is a journey through a post-apocalyptic cityscape, earthed by the pulse of a drum machine whereas ‘Ship To Shore’ could be a lost Oppenheimer Analysis B-side, and the album’s closer ‘Brighter and Bigger’ catches a sentiment like The Dadacomputer has learned to feel emotions. He captures the loneliness of Ray Bradbury’s atomic-era sci-fi and the apocalyptic but revolutionary spirit of Godard’s Sympathy for the Devil, as in ‘Preoccupation’, the beating heart of the album, which conjures ambivalent scenes of an empty world and the comfort to be found in a\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eshared humanity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmerging from the early 2000s New York synth scene, Black Marble carried on the tradition of early synthwave pioneers like Martin Dupont and Modern Art who repurposed synths once reserved for expensive studios and stadium rock superstars. Seeking to channel this spirit, Black Marble recalls the gauzy tape wow and flutter of The Membranes and the warbling VCO of Futurisk, carrying on a sound that seeks to channel the future while imprinting residue of the past.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacred Bones Records","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50383333392715,"sku":"1128400","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Gold | LP","offer_id":50424922865995,"sku":"1128401","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Red | LP","offer_id":50383333654859,"sku":"1128403","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50383334277451,"sku":"1128399","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/06936c88-688a-43e7-84a3-33fa673aabc3_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726267333"},{"product_id":"it-s-immaterial","title":"It's Immaterial","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlack Marble release their second full-length, \u003ci\u003eIt's Immaterial.\u003c\/i\u003e A collection of songs pieced together from perfect seeming snippets heard while passing open doors. A framework in which your imagination creates its own specific version of what you've been dying to hear but didn't have a way to describe. That song that was put on a mixtape for you and played over and over, but wasn't labeled, so never fully had or found. With both early releases the band followed a familiar path stomped down in the late 70s and all throughout the 80s by bands whose sound and DIY ethics paved the way for other likeminded artists with little formal training or funding to make their own contributions to the genre. Pulling from the pre-'Simply Irresistible' days of early Robert Palmer and first wave pioneers such as Silicon Teens, Iron Curtain, Lives of Angels, and Solid Space, Black Marble dialed in on a clear understanding of its own specific sound, showcased most clearly on this new release with Stewart becoming more comfortable in being clear with what he's trying to say, both subjectively, in terms of the stories he's telling and the things he's willing to talk about, and objectively in terms of the lyrics and upfront vocals, while still experimenting with holding things back to produce a sound more claustrophobic and immediate. Written, recorded, mixed, and performed entirely by Stewart, the new songs are the unified vision of one person's attempt to patchwork together bits of vapor, the most subtle gleanings of preference, and make one whole new thing that's an atmospheric continuation of its parts. An endless drive in the passenger seat of a car while listening to everything you've ever loved, but lasting only 40 minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ghostly International","offers":[{"title":"LP.","offer_id":50450546590027,"sku":"405502","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50450545475915,"sku":"405503","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Marbled Black and White \/ 10th Anniversary Edition","offer_id":56359043334475,"sku":"R6752-3543","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/05fcfaad-bd07-4fd5-8932-24223f20cec3_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727112898"},{"product_id":"bigger-than-life","title":"Bigger Than Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Chris Stewart set out to write and record his third album as Black Marble, he was newly living in Los Angeles, fresh off a move from New York. The environment brought much excitement and possibility, but the distance had proved too much for the car he brought along. With it out of commission indefinitely, he purchased a bus pass and planned his daily commute from his Echo Park apartment to his downtown studio, where he began to shape Bigger Than Life. The route wound all through the city, from the small local shops of Echo Park to the rising glass of the business district, to the desperation of Skid Row. The hurried energy of the environment provided a backdrop for the daily trip. When Stewart finally arrived at his studio, he’d look through his window at the mountains and the sky, seeing the beauty that makes L.A. unique — the same beauty his fellow commuters, some pushed to the edge of human endurance, had seen. That was the headspace he was in when he began to map out the syncopated drums and staccato arpeggiation of Bigger Than Life, an ode to his new condition and a shimmering synth-pop response to its cacophony.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The album comes out of seeing and experiencing a lot of turmoil but wanting to create something positive out of it,” Stewart explains. “I wanted to take a less selfish approach on this record. Maybe I’m just getting older, but that approach starts to feel a little self-indulgent. So with this record, it’s less about how I see things and more about the way things just are. Seeing myself as a part of a lineage of people trying to do a little something instead of trying to create a platform for myself individually.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs with every Black Marble album, Stewart recorded, produced, and played everything you hear on Bigger Than Life using entirely analog gear, though the process was new. This time around, he wrote everything on his MPC and sequenced it live to his synths — only using the computer to record, not to create. “I try new approaches every time, which helps me stay engaged but also its kind of a trick I play on the creative side of my brain,” Stewart says. “Keeping one side of my mind busy on organizational creativity I think frees up the other side where the inspirational creativity comes from.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"No Label","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50486588539211,"sku":"1070243","price":20.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Red | LP","offer_id":50486588997963,"sku":"1071348","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ba75cb03-7f55-4a0d-9659-49441fc578d3_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727611952"},{"product_id":"i-must-be-living-twice","title":"I Must Be Living Twice","description":"\u003cp\u003eChris Stewart aka Black Marble returns with I Must Be Living Twice, a new EP of cover songs. Stewart takes on tracks from Wire, Grouper, Robert Palmer, the Field Mice, and Lives Of Angels.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacred Bones Records","offers":[{"title":"Red | 12\"","offer_id":50496409272651,"sku":"1096690","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7d203fa4-7451-4ac7-86ec-f7ca956175a0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727720548"},{"product_id":"bigger-than-life-15-year-edition-royal-blue-vinyl","title":"Bigger Than Life (15 Year Edition Royal Blue Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp\u003e15th anniversary of Sacred Bones label repress. When Chris Stewart set out to write and record his third album as Black Marble, he was newly living in Los Angeles, fresh off a move from New York. The environment brought much excitement and possibility, but the distance had proved too much for the car he brought along. With it out of commission indefinitely, he purchased a bus pass and planned his daily commute from his Echo Park apartment to his downtown studio, where he began to shape \u003ci\u003eBigger Than Life\u003c\/i\u003e. The route wound all through the city, from the small local shops of Echo Park to the rising glass of the business district, to the desperation of Skid Row. The hurried energy of the environment provided a backdrop for the daily trip. When Stewart finally arrived at his studio, he’d look through his window at the mountains and the sky, seeing the beauty that makes L.A. unique — the same beauty his fellow commuters, some pushed to the edge of human endurance, had seen. That was the headspace he was in when he began to map out the syncopated drums and staccato arpeggiation of \u003ci\u003eBigger Than Life\u003c\/i\u003e, an ode to his new condition and a shimmering synth-pop response to its cacophony.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The album comes out of seeing and experiencing a lot of turmoil but wanting to create something positive out of it,” Stewart explains. “I wanted to take a less selfish approach on this record. Maybe I’m just getting older, but that approach starts to feel a little self-indulgent. So with this record, it’s less about how I see things and more about the way things just are. Seeing myself as a part of a lineage of people trying to do a little something instead of trying to create a platform for myself individually.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs with every Black Marble album, Stewart recorded, produced, and played everything you hear on \u003ci\u003eBigger Than Life\u003c\/i\u003e using entirely analog gear, though the process was new. This time around, he wrote everything on his MPC and sequenced it live to his synths — only using the computer to record, not to create. “I try new approaches every time, which helps me stay engaged but also its kind of a trick I play on the creative side of my brain,” Stewart says. “Keeping one side of my mind busy on organizational creativity I think frees up the other side where the inspirational creativity comes from.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacred Bones Records","offers":[{"title":"Blue | LP","offer_id":50502087409995,"sku":"1150025","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ddbf8a7b-5b32-449b-9eb6-ab387cc0f9e8_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727788381"},{"product_id":"life-in-small-spaces","title":"Life in Small Spaces","description":"\u003cp\u003eThird Sacred Bones full-length album, delving into themes of creative exploitation of the music industry, breaking the industry standard of fitting into the mainstream mold to be deemed successful and relevant, and expressing the importance of self love, value, and authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlack Marble hummed to life in the fall of 2012, switched on by the early aughts New York City synthwave revival. Today, fourteen years on and seven releases later, Chris Stewart continues to make records hunched over machines that warm to the touch when turned on and need to be coaxed to stay in tune. His albums, written, recorded, and delivered solely by Stewart, remain singular visions, with songs that seek to convey a diffuse pastiche, now shaped by a desire to wrap the whole thing in a message that speaks to where he’s been and where he wants to go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis latest vision, \u003cem\u003eLife in Small Spaces\u003c\/em\u003e, sees Stewart comment on the music industry and his role within it, reflecting on how underground music has changed over time, and how a blueprint for keeping things simple and being true to oneself is the only ideal for living in this complicated landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStewart's desire to span time with his ideals intact shows up in the song- writing, which retains the project’s pop-sensibilities while adding new tricks to the bag. Life in Small Spaces trades walls of synths for more guitar, drawing on early American left of the dial college radio staccato guitar lines recalling Pylon, The Necessaries, and R Stevie Moore, and live drum samples, a nod to Wire’s simple metronomic style. Stewart ex- plains the reason for the change as a way to “create this chime-y hypnotic quality. Like a radio dial that is between two stations.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVisually, \u003cem\u003eLife in Small Spaces\u003c\/em\u003e features Stewart alone on the cover in a sparse room, surrounded with an eruption of confetti — an image that reflects a self-contained world that may appear small, bleak and cluttered, but is fully his own. A fitting frame for a record that embraces limitation as a form of clarity, and one that tells the story of choosing a simple life, giving up stability and comfort for an existence of bold and engaging connections. This further reflects Black Marble’s confidence in not only his artistry, but the community that has grown and evolved around the project over the years. “[Life in Small Spaces] is what I want to talk about as an artist. It's where I am at this exact moment and I know I'm not alone in how I feel.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis sentiment isn’t a disclaimer. It’s the point. \u003cem\u003eLife in Small Spaces,\u003c\/em\u003e with its introspective lyricism disguised neatly within Black Marble’s radiant musicality, is an earnest analysis of the pressures that shape artists. It is an invitation to accept and consciously agree to a more minimal lifestyle for the sake of creative expression and freedom, and to never need to compromise your values for the tempting illusion of success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor fans of \u003cspan style=\"caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none; display: inline !important; float: none;\"\u003eThe KVB, Choir Boy, Boy Harsher, Soft Kill, Wild Nothing, DIIV, Tempers, Castlebeat, M!R!M, TR\/ST\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacred Bones Records","offers":[{"title":"LP - Baby Blue and White \/ Signed Print","offer_id":57778731319627,"sku":"R0682-4136","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Baby Blue and White","offer_id":57487735161163,"sku":"R0682-7177","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Transparent Orange","offer_id":57487735193931,"sku":"R0682-4470","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":57487735226699,"sku":"R0682-7234","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":57487735259467,"sku":"R0682-0230","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Blackmarble-lifeinsmallspaces.jpg?v=1780318581"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_763aba30_thumbnail_4096_7df37da4-251a-4de2-b9f3-0b56f09dc1c6.jpg?v=1726267284","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/black-marble.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}