Black Marble
Influenced by coldwave, early-'80s synth pop, and the mighty bass playing of New Order's Peter Hook, Black Marble is the project of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Chris Stewart. When Stewart debuted in 2012 with The Weight Against the Door EP, he remained true to the frosty gloom of his influences, burying his monotone baritone with layers of echo, reverb, and analog synths. As time went on, however, he let more light and warmth into his music, particularly on 2019's Bigger Than Life and 2021's Fast Idol, both of which reflected his move from Brooklyn to the sunnier climes of Los Angeles.
Black Marble's roots go back to the early 2010s, when Stewart began making music on his laptop. When he played his songs for his friends, they liked his songwriting but thought the instrumentation could sound better, so he looked to the scene around him in Brooklyn for inspiration. He found it in Wierd, a dance party that brought in synth-driven acts from around the world (and also spawned the influential label Wierd Records). Stewart was particularly taken with the sound and analog gear of Martial Canterel's Sean McBride (also of Xeno & Oaklander), and started building his own arsenal of vintage synths, including a Juno and a Korg DW-8000. Not long after, he joined up with ex-Team Robespierre member Ty Kube. The duo made their debut in January 2012 with The Weight Against the Door, an EP released by the Seattle label Hardly Art that introduced Black Marble's faithful update of coldwave's stark-yet-murky, bleak-yet-beautiful sound. That September, their first full-length, A Different Arrangement, appeared on the label and presented a slightly warmer and more melodic version of their style.
Following the release of A Different Arrangement, Stewart began to tire of living in New York. He planned a move to Los Angeles, but wanted to finish Black Marble's second album before he left. During this time, Kube departed and Stewart was hospitalized with a serious case of pneumonia. These personal and physical changes were echoed on It's Immaterial, a lighter and clearer-sounding set of songs that Ghostly International released in October 2016. After settling in L.A., Stewart began work on his third album. Moved by the landscapes as well as the sense of community in his new home, he wrote more immediate songs that brought his voice front and center. In October 2019, Sacred Bones released Bigger Than Life. The following August, Black Marble issued I Must Be Living Twice, an EP of songs originally by Wire, Robert Palmer, and Grouper that were favorites at the band's shows. On October 2021's Fast Idol, Stewart incorporated the more impressionistic songwriting of his early albums with the brighter sound of Bigger Than Life.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
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Discography
16 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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It's Immaterial
Electronic - Released by Ghostly International on Sep 30, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Different Arrangement
Alternative & Indie - Released by Hardly Art on Nov 9, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fast Idol
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Oct 22, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Must Be Living Twice
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Aug 14, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Weight Against The Door
Alternative & Indie - Released by Hardly Art on Jan 17, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bigger Than Life
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Oct 25, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's Immaterial
Electronic - Released by Ghostly International on Sep 30, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Johnny and Mary
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Jul 30, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Devils Canning Party
Rock - Released by Absorb on Sep 9, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Feels
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Aug 29, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Preoccupation
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Sep 21, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Somewhere
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Jul 27, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One Eye Open
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Jul 25, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Private Show
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Oct 3, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ceiling
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Aug 24, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In Manchester
Electronic - Released by Sacred Bones Records on Jul 2, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo