Biography
On 23 December, 2016 BLAK announced that they had finished recording. After several months of mixing and mastering with Randy Cordner, the band finally announced the completion of their debut titled “Between Darkness and Light” on 21 May, 2017 with a short film directed by Mile Nagaoka for the track “Black Drips In the sky – Overwhelming”. Beautifully shot, the mysterious short film featured the talented dancer Frauke. A second short film directed by Xevi Polo for “In The Absence Of Light – Eigengrau” followed on 11 July 2017 with the album receiving critical acclaim from both Arctic Drones and Echoes & Dust. “Between Darkness and Light” was finally digitally released on 28 July 2017 with a vinyl release soon to follow.
Reviews
Il est à découvrir de toute urgence. Sans aucun doute mon coup de coeur de l’été. Il y a une magnifique beauté dans ces passages de l’obscurité à la lumière. De la tristesse à l’espoir, au-delà du voile sombre de la mélancolie. Il est un premier opus sublime, qui a déjà tout d’un grand. A savourer absolument.
Song after song, note after note, Between darkness and light reveals itself to be a formidable album, certainly one of the best ever released in the history of the genre. This record really has it all: from the ethereal desolate soundscapes of the melancholic vicinities of the universe to the greatest waves of a synchronic rapture, the creativity of this band has whimsically and beautifully delineated the sound of an amazing state of the art work, so refined and poetically diffuse, but at the same time expressively down to earth, that their genuine craft is yet to be challenged by any contemporary band.
Wagner
O cénico segundo single de BLAK, ‘In the Absence of Light – Eigengrau’, é a alusão e a manifestação perfeita da erupção de luzes e cores que se dá na escuridão.
Between Darkness and Light es música real y de contemplaciones muy serias fluyendo en el espacio, eso es lo que lo hace un magnífico trabajo. Es un sorprendentemente completo, bello y bien diseñado álbum debutante. Mientras qué BLAK, bien puede ser un nuevo acto de culto en su género.
RTMB
Alfonso Salgado
“Between darkness and light” es una obra de Post Rock preciosista y emotivo que nos trae enseguida a la mente a los mejores sonidos del instrumental nipón.
Keep An Open Mind
Biken
BLAK’s is an open-hearted music searching for that deep listener ready to go on cosmic journeys. “Black drips in the sky – Overwhelming” begins with a delicate, crisscrossing melody as mist-like atmospherics grow around a droning tremolo of guitar, but the track’s quiet introspection is soon left in the dust when it explodes skyward with the help of the full band. Majestic in its’ climb upward and complete now with deep low-end and rapid-fire percussion, BLAK finally reaches cruising altitude only to cut the engines. However, instead of entering a perilous free-fall the band hovers in this rarified air before quietly regrouping for further heights. The results are thrilling as the band blends the dark with the light while finding that place perfectly in-between.
Live Eye TV
Iggy Pot
Between Darkness and Light is such a dramatic and captivating album. There are so many images and emotions contained in so these five songs, such intensity tightly packed into them. Mature songwriting, carefully pieced together with so much love. Their passion and dedication are invaluable. I still find it hard to believe this is a debut album. This is music with a purpose and the purpose is to offer a very rewarding listen. Undoubtedly it will figure among the best newcomers of the year and at the top of the best album lists.
Mark Martins
“Black Drips in the Sky – Overwhelming” exists between the black and white, in the seams that pull together beauty and fury. It is astoundingly dramatic and thoroughly captivating. The ability to carefully and patiently craft soundscapes that are sonically intoxicating while inspiring the imagination to envision scenes unfolding behind closed eyelids belies their relative neophyte status in the genre. It is in possession of both ethereal passion and heart-stopping wrath, both of which finally intertwine during the richly dynamic, dramatic final crescendo. I have no doubt that “Between Darkness and Light” will be one of 2017’s most rewarding discoveries for post-rock fans, and will ultimately be tantamount to the year’s best releases.
David Zeidler
Fulminanter Postrock aus dem katalonischen Roda de Ter: „Between Darkness And Light“ ist das beeindruckende Debüt einer faszinierenden Band.
Carsten Agthe
Between Darkness And Light sounds more like a piece of work coming from a band with vast experience rather than a debut album, and its heaviness combined with its distinct classical and cinematic sway carries dreamlike notions, brings about all kinds of thrills and inspires.
ha nacido en este 2017 una formación que sin ninguna duda dará mucho que hablar en los próximos años. Los catalanes BLAK se estrenaban este verano con “Between Darkness and Light” y nos dejaban con la boca abierta. Probablemente sea uno de los discos de presentación más maduros que hemos visto en mucho tiempo, atreviéndose incluso con la experimentación. Esperamos ver a estos chicos moverse por más escenarios de la Península, ya que por el momento sólamente han pasado por las tablas del AMFest.
Keep An Open Mind
Los imprescindibles de 2017
Number 20
BLAK “Black Drips In The Sky – Overwhelming”
Top 30 Post-Rock/Metal/Experimental Songs of 2017
Number 15
BLAK “Between Darkness And Light”
The 50 Best Releases of 2017
BLAK is yet another addition to Elusive Sound’s stellar lineup of artists, masterfully blending post-rock with black metal and neoclassical, among other genres. To create something equal parts loud and beautiful isn’t terribly common, but Elusive Sound manages to find the best of them.
The 50 Favourite Albums of 2017
Aaron Edwards
Post-Rock
Number 1
BLAK “Between Darkness And Light”
El primer lugar se lo lleva el debut de un trio catalán que dejó al mundo boquiabierto.
Essential Releases 2017
Latest news
Elusive Night In Toulouse
Post:Scriptum and Elusive Sound present Elusive Night, an evening to experience the music of Silent Whale Becomes A° Dream, BLAK and BRUIT ≤ live at the Connexion in Toulouse on November 9.
BLAK Live at Openair am Bielersee
BLAK performed their very first show outside Spain at the soldout Openair am Bielersee in Switzerland on August 9.
BLAK “Between Darkness And Light” Mimesi Vinyl Pre-Order
Berne, Switzerland, May 10, 2018: Elusive Sound is very proud to announce the repressing of BLAK’s sold out debut album "Between Darkness And Light" on vinyl. The new edition is named Mimesi. Pre-Orders start Friday, May 11 at 8 PM / 20:00 CEST (Zurich). The release will be on June 1, 2018. Mixed and mastered [...]
BLAK – Ideas Between Darkness And Light
The release of BLAK's debut album "Between Darkness And Light" was one of Elusive Sound's highlights of 2017. BLAK's drummer Carles P.D. wrote a track-by-track published by KAOM that the band later posted in five parts on Facebook, detailing the band's approach to the concept behind each song, all now compiled here as one. Our [...]
BLAK Interview for Betreutes Proggen
BLAK were interviewed by German publication Betreutes Proggen late last year. Carsten Agthe spoke to Eloi Roca, Eloi Casellas and Carles P.D. in the lead-up to the vinyl release of "Between Darkness And Light" and now here is a full English transcript of the interview. The original German interview can be found here. Our thanks [...]
BLAK “Between Darkness And Light” Vinyl Pre-Order
Elusive Sound is very proud to announce the release of BLAK’s astoundingly dramatic and captivating debut album “Between Darkness and Light” on vinyl.
Pre-orders start Friday, December 29 at 8PM Zurich time (CET). Official release is set for Friday, January 19th 2018.
BLAK at AMFest 2017 Concert Review
28/10/2017 AMFest 2017 VI Edition, Barcelona's premier instrumental rock event was not only the first opportunity to see "Between Darkness and Light" being performed live but also BLAK's very first live performance. The band had been rehearsing for the first time as a 5-piece leading up to the event with Roger Roca (bass) and Adrià Cabrerizo [...]
BLAK Live at AMFest 2017
BLAK will be performing at this year’s edtion of AMFest. AMFest will not only be the first opportunity fans will have to see BLAK live but also their very first live performance.
BLAK Release Debut “Between Darkness and Light”
Catalan heavy instrumental rock/post-rock band BLAK have finally digitally released their debut full-length album "Between Darkness and Light" on Bandcamp. All those who message the band directly on Facebook will get a 20% discount. Mixed and mastered by Randy Cordner at Beast Mansion, “Between Darkness And Light” reveals BLAK as a band blessed with an [...]
BLAK Video Premiere For Eigengrau
eigengrau (n.) lit. "intrinsic grey"; the colour seen by the eye in perfect darkness BLAK have released a second video short, this time for "In The Absence Of Light - Eigengrau". "There is an explosion of colour and light behind your closed eyes... you just need to pay attention. You explain that to a good [...]
Latest Release
BLAK
BETWEEN DARKNESS AND LIGHT
Gallery
PRESSBOOK
Blak’s pressbook is still in the works. You can download the cover of “Vostok” for the time being.
Download “Between Darkness and Light” cover in HD
Contact
Official Website
thisisblak.bandcamp.com/releases
facebook.com/thisisblak