Black To Comm

German experimental artist Marc Richter produces the majority of his recordings under the name Black to Comm, exploring the darkest edges of drone and abstract audio design. His haunting, surreal productions combine acoustic instrumentation, samples, and electronic manipulation, with sound sources ranging from crackly old records to droning organs. On occasion, he'll incorporate breakbeats or detached techno rhythms into his audio constructions. Unpredictable and often disturbing, Black to Comm's music is always magical and engrossing. Initially appearing with several releases on Richter's own Dekorder label, including 2006's Rückwärts Backwards, Black to Comm released acclaimed albums on well-known experimental labels such as Type and De Stijl, eventually appearing on Thrill Jockey with releases such as 2020's Oocyte Oil & Stolen Androgens. At Zeenath Parallel Heavens, a sort of reaction to the growth and complications of artificial intelligence, appeared in 2023. Black to Comm's first release was a self-titled 2003 EP on Dekorder. Three years later, the sample-heavy drone album Rückwärts Backwards was issued. The double-LP Wir Können Leider Nicht Etwas Mehr Zu Tun... and a split LP with Aosuke both appeared in 2007, taking Black to Comm's sound into richer, noisier territory. The more hallucinatory, occasionally beat-driven Fractal Hair Geometry followed in 2008. Black to Comm's profile was raised with two non-Dekorder full-lengths in 2009. Alphabet 1968 appeared on Type, while the single-track CD Charlemagne & Pippin was issued by Digitalis. Additionally, a 7" single titled Incidents appeared on Trensmat, and double-7", Wave UFO, was released by Dekorder. A limited LP titled Coldplay, Elvis & John Cage was issued by art imprint En/Of in 2011. Earth, a full-length featuring eerie, Scott Walker-esque vocals by David Aird, appeared on De Stijl in 2012. Black to Comm returned to Type with a self-titled double-LP in 2014. The one-sided single Providence appeared on Dekorder the same year. After taking a break to release somewhat lighter experimental electronic music as Jemh Circs, Richter resumed work as Black to Comm with 2019's Seven Horses for Seven Kings, his first release for Thrill Jockey. Before After, his second, appeared in July. In 2020, Richter debuted another side project, Mouchoir Étanche, with a one-sided 12" (Kommuniqué Zéro) and an LP (Une Fille Pétrifiée). Black to Comm returned in October with the cassette A C of M and the Thrill Jockey-issued full-length Oocyte Oil & Stolen Androgens. In 2021, Black to Comm released Alkisah Versi Hitam, a remixed version of Alkisah by Indonesian post-industrial group Senyawa. Dekorder was one of dozens of labels which released unique editions of the album. A limited album titled Drag Acid #10 appeared in 2022. Black to Comm returned to Thrill Jockey with 2023's At Zeenath Parallel Heavens, created as Richter recognized the similarities between AI software and his own composing methods.
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