Pitchblack Playback is a deep listening event founded in 2006[1] held primarily in London and occasionally in other cities across the world where audiences listen to new, upcoming and classic album releases in the dark.
[2] The events are generally held in seated cinema spaces and the audience wear blindfolds[3][4] in addition to the lights in the room being switched off.
The event was created by London DJ, producer and entrepreneur, Ben Gomori and has been held in cities including New York, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo and Los Angeles.[5][6]
Album premieres
editPitchblack Playback has held world and regional premieres for albums including Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini's 'Illusion Of Time',[2] Andrew Bayer's 'In My Life',[7] the Record Store Day vinyl edition of Ian Brown's 'Solarized'[8] and 'LoveLaws' by Warpaint member Theresa Wayman under the moniker TT.[9]
Partnerships
editPitchblack Playback partnered with the inaugural Record Store Day offshoot National Album Day in October 2018 for an afternoon of free-to-attend playbacks in London.[10] They partnered with the British Film Institute as part of the 2019 London Film Festival to host free-to-attend playbacks for classic albums by Fela Kuti and Miles Davis.[11]
References
edit- ^ "This is what it's like to listen to your favourite album blindfolded in a cinema". September 12, 2017.
- ^ a b March 2020, Becky Scarrott 04. "Pitchblack Playback: Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini's 'Illusion of Time' premieres at L-ISA". whathifi.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Haider, Arwa (October 14, 2016). "Dancing in the dark: the growing trend of gigs with the lights off" – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Tame Impala | Currents | Pitchblack Playback Review". Decade.
- ^ "Dancing in the dark: why people are paying to listen to albums in full, blindfolded". www.newstatesman.com.
- ^ "Qobuz and Pitchblack Playback Bring 'All-in-the-Dark' Listening Sessions to NYC". Sound & Vision. January 17, 2020.
- ^ Staff, A. O. L. "Program lets music fans hear albums debuted in movie theaters -- while blindfolded". AOL.com.
- ^ "Record Store Day fever". TNT Magazine.
- ^ "Festival puts music films in the spotlight". Islington Tribune.
- ^ "AIM Pitchblack Playback National Album Day | National Album Day".
- ^ "LFF For Free: Music". BFI London Film Festival 2019.[dead link]