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Billed as New Zealand's "best live electronic act" by Pavement last month, Pitch Black are proud to announce the release of their much anticipated first CD 'FUTUREPROOF'.

'FUTUREPROOF' is the result of twelve months of musical and technological development honing and refining the process of modern dub technology" says Michael Hodgson, once described as a man 'lost in the valley of echo'. "There is not a moment in the album which isn't influenced by delay".

Having grooved through the New Zealand electronic music scene since their inaugural performance at The Gathering, 96/97, Pitch Black has roused dance floor punters, generated rave reviews and won many fans around the country. Hard to box into a single audio 'genre', Pitch Black is a fine combination of musical delights. Their sound is distinctive, ranging from organic ambient beginnings and layered soundscapes to skanking keyboards, cutting acid riffs and thumping rhythmic grooves, with dub being the glue that holds their sound together.

"When we play live there are two forces at work," says Paddy, " me wanting to do it for the crowd and Mike wanting to do it to the crowd. As a result our sound is a combination of nice stuff to seduce you and is easy to groove to and then more challenging darker sounds and noises that are quite unsettling." says Paddy. "That space somewhere in between comfort and challenge is a nice place to be. I like having my head messed with."

Michael and Paddy both agree, the challenge has been to get the spirit of a live performance into finished recordings. 'FUTUREPROOF' attempts to hold you in that live moment, keeping the tensions of a live performance throughout.

"Our creativity primarily happens in a live environment and we take that back into the studio and use it as the base to build our compositions. When we're performing we arrange in real time and have taken the same approach in the studio." said Michael.

Paddy Free has been making electronic music since 1985. A self described "Musical electron herder", he will be remembered by many Auckland dance aficionados as the hyperactive keyboard player with Mesh. He is currently producing an album by Tongan Singer/Drummer Sifa Cocker. His sound manipulation skills have been utilised by such artists as Emma Paki, Killing Joke and Neil Finn.

Michael Hodgson has a long history of generating his own contemporary dub music with his previous two groups - Tinnitus and Projector Mix. As a music producer he has re-mixed Salmonella Dub, DLT, Upper Hutt Posse and Sound Foundation. Hand in hand with his music development is an equally long history in interactive multimedia in the music industry, creating ground breaking live video shows for JPSE, Headless Chickens and Supergroove in the 80's and early 90's. He is now responsible for much of the visual stimulation at many of the dance events held around the country and for Pitch Black's triggered live video show during performances.

'FUTUREPROOF' will be distributed nation wide through Universal Music and will be kicked off with a tour around the country with Salmonella Dub in late August/early September.

Pitch Black - musical chameleons - see you on the dance floor.

For further information, contact Chris Chetland at Kog Transmissions: (64 + 9) 846 1966 E kog@kog.co.nz