Pitch Black: Mixes + Mavericks (Dubmission/bandcamp)

Although lockdown and distance (Paddy Free in this country, Mike Hodgson in London) would seem to impede the career of the electronica duo that is Pitch Black, they were always studio boffins so . . .

Hodgson has kept an interesting steady flow of remixes (alongside his own Misled Convoy persona) and this is another, following the Rarities and Remixes and the vinyl reissue of their superb debut Futureproof last year, and in 2020 the vinyl of Electronomicon.

So here is Pitch Black's deep dub electronica (It's a Future Dub, their live at Notting Hill Arts Club in 2003 on Notting Pill and live at the Rippon Festival on 6202 in 2000) alongside PB remixes of material by the likes Youth and Gaudi (the massive The Gods Must Be Crazy) and Youth's “re-rub” of Epsilon Blue's remix of Speech . . .

And much more.

We have said it before but it bears repeating: Pitch Black were in the vanguard of local dub-electronica and if few others in subsequent generations have followed them down this path it's maybe because PB set the bar so high that others didn't want to invite a comparison they couldn't win.

Pitch Black are still out there (in reissue and rfemixes, admittedly) but with Hodgson back in-country now let us hope there will be new Pitch Black material from this remarkable duo.

They are always worth hearing and revisiting.

Again and again.

.

You can hear and buy this album and others by Pitch Black at bandcamp here.