Some Blaqk Audio Fun...

In my spare time, recently, I decided to come up with a word find filled with Blaqk Audio pertinent things. I, also, recently, happened upon a video of an interview of theirs that I hadn't seen.
I know that many of you who frequent the site want only NEW Blaqk Audio News...And, if that's the case, "nuts to you"...When I have some, I will share it...But, for the rest of you, who would rather have some Blaqk Audio fun to fill the time in between breaking stories...Enjoy!!! :-)

~*Kristin Star*

ADAM CARSON (backing vocals)
AFI
AGAIN, AGAIN AND AGAIN
AUDIO
AUGUST (month of album release)
BLAQK
BLAQK AUDIO
BRIGHT BLACK HEAVEN
BITTER
CEXCELLS
DAVEY
ELECTRIC
ELECTRONICA
EXCLUSIVES (Best Buy, Hot Topic, iTunes)
FEAR OF BEING FOUND
GIRLS AND BOYS
HAVOK
JADE PUGET
MUSIC
MUTE
NEW TALES TO TELL
ON A FRIDAY
SEMIOTIC LOVE
SIDE PROJECT
SILENCE
SNUFF ON DIGITAL
SWEET
SYNTHESIZERS AND SOFTWARE
TWO BOYS
VOID REMAINS
WHISPER FROM MILES AWAY

Discussion: What is CexCells about?

Davey has always hid stories, concepts, and layered messages through his lyrics; in both AFI and Blaqk Audio. The title of Blaqk Audio's first album, CexCells, confused a lot of people. Were they singing about sex? It can be read two different ways - "Sex Sells", and "Sex Cells". I, personally, have my own interpretation on the album. What do you think CexCells is about? Let us know in the comments.

I've come to the conclusion that Davey is singing about (brace yourself) gay sex. Look at the Stiff Kittens single cover, yes that is two girls. The character in the story basically is telling of how he/she is beginning to feel unattracted to the opposite sex, and longs for a gay partner (listen to "Again Again and Again" & "Where Would You Like Them Left?" and you'll get the picture). Depression comes in and the character jumps off of a building at the end (Snuff on Digital).
... That's my theory in a nutshell. Let's hear yours!

My Bright Black Heaven Artwork, Part 2

I have finished two more pieces of Bright Black Heaven inspired art, and am sharing it with you first!
To see my previous works, check out this post here.

First up: Some cover art I tried making. I honestly really didn't like how it turned out, but that's what just 30 minutes in Photoshop will get you :P. Look out for different cover art by me soon. Maybe a little too creepy than I hoped for?

This second one is my favorite art so far. It's a background, and it is very simple yet beautiful.

Enjoy :)

The Lost Interview

Thanks to John for the tip!

VF Magazine, a now cancelled publication, conducted an interview with Davey (about Blaqk Audio) in 2007 that never hit the press. The interview has resurfaced on this blog, here. 

The interview is very lengthy, and while isn't too revealing, a lot of previously unknown is said about the group's origins. Subjects discussed are such as the electronic/synth genre, what Davey takes influence from, and his personal interests. It's definitely an interesting read, if you have the time.

Guitar World Article

Jade posted this scan of a page from Guitar World today and this excerpt mentions Blaqk Audio briefly, although the majority of it is in discussion of Crash Love. Here is the portion that discusses Cex Cells just in case you have trouble reading it when the image is enlarged:

An important stepping-stone in that new direction arrived in the unlikely form of Cex Cells, the 2007 album of Eighties-influenced electronica by Havok and Puget's side project Blaqk Audio. "It's possible that there are fewer electronic layers on Crash Love because there are so many of them on the Blaqk Audio record," Puget says. "But I don't think that's really it. It's just that Blaqk Audio was so casual and easy to do. There was no pressure involved in writing and putting out that record. It was all fun. That's why Davey and I were relaxed and creative state when we started writing Crash Love."

In his post, Jade said this is from the new Guitar World so it should be out on the stands now!

The Stiff Kittens Music Video

As Laurel brought up before, Blaqk Audio did premier the Stiff Kittens video as a backdrop during a few of their concerts on their debut tour. As many of you were interested, and haven't known or seen these snippets of the video before, I dug up some old Youtube videos to show you guys. They seemed to of only played clips of the video, otherwise the screen went blank or just displayed a solid color at times.

Some background info on the video if you don't know:
The video was filmed by Marc Webb, AFI's longtime videographer who has directed all the videos through The Days of the Phoenix to Love Like Winter. Recently, Marc hit big success with his debut film "500 Days of Summer"; and has always said to be great friends with the band. Because Davey & Jade were on a tight budget, Marc was nice enough to film them a video for free in his basement. Jade said in a blog update on Myspace they made plaster replicas of their faces supposedly to use in the video. Jade later kept giving us false hope by announcing timeframes the video would be released several times, yet we haven't officially seen any segment of it yet. It is thought to of been a label issue with Interscope as to the reason why. On April 30th, 2009, Davey said in an interview with Loveline that the video wasn't released simply due to the fact "it didn't work".

Here are a few videos with the Stiff Kittens video playing in the backdrop:




What we can see: Davey in various night vision shots, rippling water, close up of Davey's face in front of various flashing colors, and that's about it.

We can only hope someday that this video will see the light of day.

If you find any more good Youtube videos showcasing it in the backdrop, please post them here!

Introductions!

Hey guys!

It's Courtney, here, one of your new writers. I just thought I would introduce myself. I'm a photography major at Virginia Commonwealth University and I adore AFI and of course Blaqk Audio! To keep good conversation flowing, I was wondering how you all felt about Blaqk Audio's logo (seen in the image above). To be frank... I thought it was pretty ugly. After hearing the music, I disliked it more because I think it was a little incongruous with the sound of the album which was very sultry which is not something I envision with hard lines. Of course I don't know that I could do better, but still.

Gimme your two cents!

xoCourtney

Welcome Our New Writer: Courtney!

A week ago, I decided it was only right if Blaqk News had 4 writers, as more writers will provide us with the necessary resources to grow.  So after Mike left, I reopened applications once again to see if I can find yet another great writer to add to our team. And, getting lucky for the third time, I found Courtney.

Courtney has been an AFI fan since the AoD era, and has been following Blaqk Audio since their conception. She loves writing, probably more than any of us, and has written articles for her college's magazine. Courtney is an art student, who has a creative aspect that would definitely come in need for our blog. Most importantly, Courtney comes off as a very likable person with plenty of great qualifications, and for that reason we welcome her to the team.

For those who didn't make the cut, I am sorry to say applications won't be open again for some time. Once news begins to come in heavy (probably around early 2010), more opportunities will come.

Thanks for all those who have showed continued support in us, I truly appreciate and I hope, with the help of my great writers, this blog can become everything it can be.

Blaqk Audio Mention in AFI's "In Transmission" Segment from Today...

In AFI's "In Transmission" segment about "Torch Song", Davey talks about how he feels that he improved his song writing, in regards to finding the best/most comfortable area of his vocal range for songs, while working on "CexCells".

That section of the interview can be seen here.
There will be a new 'episode' nearly each week, for the next couple of months...Tune in to see if anything else Blaqk Audio-related is mentioned.

~*Kristin*

New Poll: When will Bright Black Heaven be Released?

Now that Jade has confirmed the album's release for 2010, when exactly do you think it will be released? Vote now in the new poll to the left, and let us know what you think....

Bright Black Heaven is coming out 2010

Looks like he's excited about the new BA - Jade posted a short blog update confirming that Blaqk Audio's next album will indeed be released in 2010.

Also, if you have missed it before, check out their cover of No New Tale to Tell. I'm loving this track.
What does everything think of their 3rd official cover song?

~Laurel

Bright Black Heaven is "Danceable, Much Like CexCells"

In an interview on Rockline, a caller asked Davey & Jade about Bright Black Heaven. At first joking about it, Davey then told us the record sounds much like CexCells, and is very danceable. The group also "explored new territory", and as previously noted, Jade said he experimented with new elements on the record (IDM & Drum 'n' Bass).

UPDATE:
You can now listen to this segment of the interview, here.

Clarification

In spite of a couple of misguided individuals, I decided I better clarify what Blaqk News is about. As stated, we are a news blog. We post news about Blaqk Audio. But in the meantime, there won't be any news for a while, being Davey & Jade stated they won't start Blaqk Audio back up until the Crash Love tour is over.  So as you can see, my very intelligent passionate writers, Kristin and Laurel, are keeping us entertained and attentive with a few posts outlining things you may have never seen or knew about Blaqk Audio. In response, some of you are getting upset, claiming we are only allowed to post news. So if you rather have our blog dead and dried up for a couple of months, while losing a bunch of readers, so be it. We are just keeping things fresh until we have something new to post about, and as promised we pledge to bring you everything first. Once everything starts up, you will only see news from us.

Oh, and if it makes you happy, I'm going to start tagging posts with "News", "Old News" and "Discussion" to help sort things out. This new sorting feature will appear on the right of the blog.

- The Blaqk News team

Blaqk Audio "Much Music" Interview from During Their "CexCells" Tour...

I found this Blaqk Audio interview (from during their CexCells tour), on the Happy Cow website.
I'd never seen it, before, nor had I heard about it...So, I'd say that it's probably, somewhat obscure. (However, I don't know how obscure it is for those in Canada [where I believe "Much Music" is out of])...It's a pretty lengthy interview with Davey, and Jade, where they discuss the album (CexCells, that is), among other things...And then, the host of the show was cooking with them. It's weird, but pretty funny...Especially, when both guys kind of jump backwards, thinking that they're going to get sprayed.
Check it out, if you'd like....And, when we have new interviews/news to post about, we will.

~*Kristin Star*

Hold Me Now

Edit: The clip had to be taken down due to complications. Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Trivia: Since everyone else is doin' it (Alex Trebek, AFI HQ, I <3 the 80's on VH1, you name it)

Hey guys, just figured I'd post a little BA trivia to keep everyone in the loop as well as bring you back to the good ol' days of Cexcells and early BA things. Enjoy!

On a side note, we appreciate all the post feedback thus far but please refrain from the negativity and the "lack of news" sidechats going on in the commentaries. When we get news, it will be put up. There may not be news for some time considering the Crash Love tour is going on til March. If you don't want to read non-news, then go eat some fruit snacks and watch X Files. There are far better non-productive things to do. srsly.

RANDOM TRIVIA COMIN ATCHA!!!

• Blaqk Audio was actually first mentioned to be a side project before Sing The Sorrow was even released. The group didn't release any material until about 5 years later. 

• An instrumental version of “The Love Letter” was shown in the theatrical trailer for “The Eye", which starred Jessica Alba.

• Blaqk Audio have done 3 cover songs so far; "Hold me Now" by the Thompson Twins, "Girls and Boys" by Blur, and "No New Tales to Tell" (their most recent cover) by Love and Rockets set to hit a tribute album in March.

• Decemberunderground, Jade Puget said in an interview conducted by Guitar World that "37mm" as well as "Love Like Winter" were originally meant for Cexcells due to their more obvious electronic sounds.

• Their second album is said to have taken a direction that's more "drum and bass heavy" according to Billboard Magazine.

• "Between Breaths" is in fact about Breathplay/AES. Choke on that, sex fiends. Also, don't try this at home kids. 

• Stiff Kittens music video hasn’t yet been released but it was shown on a drop screen during their debut tour behind Jade’s keyboard and synth set-up. Much of it featured night vision and Davey in tight enclosed tunnel-like spaces.

• So far, "Mute", "The Ligature" and "Blaqk Electric" haven't been performed live yet.

• Cexcells is meant to be both literal and figurative. It was released on August 11th world-wide and came out in states August 14th the via UMG, Interscope's parent label.

• With this being their sophomore-side-project release, and knowing that Puget's said that the band has written 70 songs aside from the planned 12 tracks for BBH, there's a possibility this could result in a shift of the concept of it (whether there may be one), and the milieu of B-side groupings this could result in could drastically differ.

Knowing that Jade and Davey boast favorite bands such as Assemblage 23, VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk, Combichrist, Imperative Reaction, Covenant, Aphex Twin, Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, etc. Do you as fans feel that there's going to be a merging of Industrial and EBM moreso with the upcoming album? Considering that it's going to be heavier with drums and bass I feel like there are going to be more up-tempo'ed tracks. Then again, Jade also said there will be those Depeche Mode vibes sandwiched in between.

What are you as BA fans hoping for with sounds?

****Also, have any sweet JPGs of your Blaqk Audio tattoos? Send em to me and I'll showcase them in our blog in the upcoming weeks/months.

Email me @ laurelsalvo@hotmail.com with attachments.

scream through dreams that cut your voice,
~Laurel

Deadline Extended: 1 More Writer Needed

Mike, one of my writers who has been with Blaqk News since the beginning, has decided to drop out due to complications of him now working on a similar blog. Because of this, I have decided to allow 1 more person fill Mike's position in being a writer. Those who already submitted your application from the previous opening will not have to do so again (unless you want to rewrite it), your application will still be considered along with the new ones.

If you would like to become a writer, please fill out the form below and send it to drewdimassa@gmail.com. Deadline to submit your form is Wednesday, December 9th, as I will be picking our new writer that day.

Applicant form:

Your age:

What country/state you reside in (optional):

Why you wish to become a writer:

Any previous experience you have with blogging:

How you could help by becoming a writer:

Recommended requirements:

• You are at least 14 years of age
• You have some experience with blogging, or at least general journalism skills
• You have an aptitude to commit to this blog and a willingness to look for news
• Most importantly, this is something you would enjoy doing

__________________________

In other news...

I've been approached by an individual a couple weeks ago who wants to feature my Bright Black Heaven designs in their clothing line. Of course, I was very honored, and accepted the offer. I do not know any further details (as I haven't gotten a reply back in a while), but I am working on new designs that I will post when completed. Look forward to us possibly selling the first Bright Black Heaven merch in the future!

UPDATE:
Since the band name and logo are indeed copyrighted, I wouldn't be allowed to feature them on designs. Although I am still working with that person mentioned on clothing, it will just be unrelated to Blaqk Audio. Those designs I mentioned will still be posted when I finish them.

Introductions indeed!

Following suit with Kristin ;)

So I'm Laurel, also 24, and from Pennsylvania. I'm a senior in college right now and for the past year I've been dividing my time interning half the week in NYC at Blackheart Records (Joan Jett's record label) and the other half living on campus doing random senior and academic things (more the former...)

I'm incredibly excited to be part of this blog for more reasons than one. I've been looking to expand and further my literary horizons with writing about anything music-related I can get my hands on, and since the debut of Cexcells I've been a fan of the beats. I adore EBM, Dance, Industrial, Dark Wave, and Synth more than other genres and my Ipod is ridiculously impregnated with all of them. As it should be :P

As far as my experiences goes, I've been interviewing bands on my own through managing my campus radio station and writing a music column for my school newspaper. So far quite a few have had the synth and electro sounds within their genre (VNV Nation, Imperative Reaction, and Uh Huh Her). Outside of that, I've done some phoners with a few groups on Joan's label; before and after interning for her, as well as others I've done in my own time through PR contacts I've befriended.

More than anything, I'm just a kid at heart that's passionate about music and who looks forward to a few hours of unfilled time with my head inside a good pair of BOSE headphones, getting the new month's AP in the mail and thumbing through the pages finding what's new and good, and the nerdy type of chick who breaks into dance moves to 80's music in her dorm room while no one's watching (thank god).

I'm looking forward to being a part of the Blaqk News team and helping scour the interwebs with rest of the lot and hopefully when the Crash Love tour comes to an end and the Bright Black Heaven one begins, I'll be able to sit down with the Electroheads* (good Combichrist song, check it out) and get the scoop on all things BA.

neon nights, electric lives,

~Laurel

Hello, Blaqk News!!!

Hello, Blaqk News Readers!!! And, Thank You for the warm words of welcome!!!

I am Kristin Star, one of the new writers for this site.
I am 24 years old, and from New Jersey. I am a drug-free Vegan, and I am a singer, and a writer. I am, also, interested in acting, and hope to work in the television field, in addition to music, and writing, someday.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to write for this site, about Blaqk Audio!!! I have been a fan of Blaqk Audio, since before their album came out, and have been a fan of AFI, since I discovered them, in early 2007. I admire the guys (of both groups), as musicians, and as people...And rave about them quite frequently, to whoever will listen....And, now, I will get to do it, in an official capacity. :-)

I am looking forward to being on top of all of the latest Blaqk Audio news, whether by way of scouring the internet for information, or hopefully, even, getting it straight from the source, at some point!!! :-)

I hope that you will spread the word about this site, and help it to become the top place for people to come for Blaqk Audio related news, and information!!!

I, already, started doing a little bit of research, since being appointed, as a writer for this site, and have some fairly benign, but pertinent details to report....
The Blaqk Audio store seems to be closed/inaccessible (I think that they might be switching to a different merchant, like AFI, recently did)...However, if you were hoping to get, or buy something of a Blaqk Audio nature, for the Holidays, don't despair...There are some Blaqk Audio things, (including their music, as well as music that one, or both of the guys have collaborated with others on, and even a few t-shirts), available through Amazon, and some of their retailers.
I will continue to check to see if their store becomes available, again, but am not sure when that might happen, because, Blaqk Audio activity seems to be low, at the moment, while AFI is in the midst of their tour. But, when any of us has any new news, for you, about BA, we will be sure to tell you, right away!!!

Again, thanks for the nice welcome!!! I look forward to writing for this site...And, like most of you, eagerly await the release of Blaqk Audio's next album!!! :-)

~*Kristin Star*

Our New Writers: Kristin and Laurel!

It's been quite drama-filled and melancholy lately here at Blaqk News, but now is time to put that all aside and welcome two new writers to our family!

After receiving around 13 applications, I deliberated for quite some time before I finally made a decision. In the end, I chose two people who I found would help us towards my goal the most, in becoming the #1 Blaqk Audio news source; and that is Kristin and Laurel.

Kristin is a self-proclaimed expert on all things Blaqk Audio, and has been a fan since CexCells hit the stores. Kristin really enjoys writing and has written her own novel, along with songs and some short stories. She is a very passionate fan and would of loved to have this job - and for that reason we welcome Kristin to the blog.

Laurel has more experience than even myself. She is currently studying music journalism, and manages the radio station at her campus, as well as the campus newspaper. Laqurel also is an intern at Blackheart records and has done interviews with VNV Nation, Uh Huh Ter, among other groups. She says she might have the opportunity to even interview Davey & Jade later on; Laurel's background was something I just had to acknowledge.

So please give our two new writers a warm welcome! For those who didn't make the cut and still want to write for us, there will be opportunities in the future, so don't fret.

Applications Open: 2 New Writers Will Be Picked

As promised, I am going to pick 2 more writers to help run the blog. If you would like to become a writer, please fill out the form below and send it to drewdimassa@gmail.com. Deadline to submit your form is Monday, November 30th, as I will be picking our two new writers that day.

Applicant form:
Your age:
What country/state you reside in (optional):
Why you wish to become a writer:
Any previous experience you have with blogging:
How you could help by becoming a writer:

Recommended requirements:

• You are at least 14 years of age
• You have some experience with blogging, or at least general journalism skills
• You have an aptitude to commit to this blog and a willingness to look for news
• Most importantly, this is something you would enjoy doing

Good luck and I can't wait to welcome two more people to our staff :)

New Contest: "Bright Black Heaven" Inspired Artwork

Contest cancelled. If you would like to know why, email me. 

Some Changes

Jason and Mary of AFI News HQ have decided to pull out of Blaqk News, for reasons that make no sense to me. Regardless, this blog is still going strong and we continue to aim to be your #1 source for Blaqk Audio news. I will be looking for writers soon so keep a look out if you want the position.

Thanks.

Billboard Interview Reveals New Details

Thanks to 'AFI Latino' for the heads up. Billboard put out a recent article regarding Blaqk Audio, spilling some new tidbits of information.

• Jade commented that "if all of a sudden we're doing two Blaqk Audio records in a row people will think AFI is not happening or something", in regards to the new record actually being finished before Crash Love.
• Michael Patterson mixed the record.
• Jade has already written another 70 songs for the group, so the final album might undergo changes before release.
• Jade says there will be a boxset for Bright Black Heaven, inferring the set will also come with more songs. (It if unknown if he was being sarcastic or not.)

Article Link

Blaqk Audio's Remix of Assemblage 23's "Spark"

This remix is actually a month or so old, but it went largely unnoticed. Thanks to Sarah for pointing this out.

Blaqk Audio did a remix for Assemblage 23's song "Spark", which can be found on the EP the group put out. Click here to take you to the remix (opens in iTunes).

Alternative Press updates us on Blaqk Audio

From our sister website, AFI News HQ:

• Davey & Jade will wait until after the Crash Love touring to release the next Blaqk Audio album, Bright Black Heaven.
• 18 songs were recorded for the album, though only 12 made it onto the actual record.
• The group experiments with different electronic genres this time around that CexCells did not touch upon, for instance IDM and Drum 'n' Bass.

The new Blaqk Audio album is titled "Bright Black Heaven"

On October 29th, 2009, it was revealed through this interview done by MyYearbook with Jade that the next Blaqk Audio record will be called "Bright Black Heaven". We also know that the record has been completed for quite some time now.

What do you think of the title for their sophomore album? Let us know here or in the new poll...

My "Bright Black Heaven" Artwork

Out of boredom, I whipped up these in Photoshop which represent my visual interpretation of the album title. The blog layout uses the theme, if you haven't noticed. All images were created by me, I do not own the original doctored photos. None of these pictures represent official artwork, they just show my own take on it.

Wallpaper

Artwork

(click images for full resolution)

About This Blog

Blaqk News was created to provide an up to date, substantial news source for all things related to the band AFI's side project, Blaqk Audio. The blog is owned by Drew of afitalk.com.