Pitch Black

I’ve had Futureproof and Electronomicon vinyl editions on my radar since their recent release was announced, although not actually buying them, put off probably by the hassle of parking in the city. I’ve owned the cd versions since they were put out 20 plus years ago. A 20% off sale at JB Hi-Fi solved that, after being prompted by a friend yet again.

Nearly 30 years on, Paddy Free and Mike Hodgson’s early work still stands up as foundational NZ electronica. Futureproof (1998) established Pitch Black as a recording force as much as a powerful live act, reportedly shifting around 4,000 copies and winning Best Electronica Album at the b.net Awards. It placed them in the front rank of thoughtful, spacious, dub-informed electronic music at a time when much of the genre was heading toward louder, more overtly “widescreen” territory. It doesn’t seem that long ago actually…

The duo have done an impressive job keeping the catalogue alive despite Hodgson being UK-based and Free in Auckland, new material, remixes, archival releases, and now these early albums reissued on vinyl. As with Electronomicon, the Futureproof reissue comes as a double LP in a gatefold sleeve. To suit vinyl length constraints, the running order is adjusted and most of the original CD remixes are omitted, aside from the dub-influenced “Melt” from the Dub Obscura EP.

The vinyl mastering on Futureproof is controlled and sympathetic to the material, extended but tidy low end, clean high frequencies, and preserved dynamic space. Pressing quality is strong, with low surface noise that suits music built around atmosphere and low-level detail. This is understated production, and vinyl flatters that restraint.

Musically, the album shows their awareness of the difference between home listening and live impact. Tracks like “Soliton” evolve subtly, growing more exotic toward their closing passages, while “The Gatherer” and the slow, shadowy “Speech” create a darker, more intimate first side. Even the live version of “The Gatherer” (later in the set) relies more on nuance and texture than blunt-force rhythm. The most forceful moment comes with “They Are Among Us,” written by Salmonella Dub, before the closing push of “Altered State” and “Alternate State.”

Electronomicon (2000) marked a clear step into greater density and complexity while keeping deep grooves central. The stylistic references widen, down-tempo, drum’n’bass, and dub-influenced sonics (though Hodgson was clear at the time they didn’t see themselves as a dub act in the reggae sense). It excels at dissolving the boundary between private immersion and the spectacle of live spaces, music designed for clubs and festival light shows that still carries weight at home.

The remastered double LP suits it well. Mastering maintains separation through complex passages, and the pressing remains quiet enough for background textures to register. Across the four sides there’s real breadth: the tense, slightly oppressive “Reptile Room,” the propulsion of “Electric Earth,” the side-long “Data Diviner” with its gradual development and small melodic signatures, and the expansive closer “Unadrumma.” The record also reflects their musical community, Nick Gaffaney (Cairo Knife Fight) on drums across much of the album, Andrew Penman (Salmonella Dub) adding guitar textures, and Caitlin Smith contributing vocals. This is apparently the third and final repress of it, so lucky I actually got one in time!

Taken together, these reissues reinforce why the first two Pitch Black albums remain the strongest part of their catalogue for me. They balance dub sensibility, electronic structure, and emotional movement without leaning too heavily into genre tropes. Much of the later material is well produced but, to my ears, verves a little too close to a lighter “BBQ reggae” feel, which is not my cup of tea. These early records carry more tension, space, and sonic focus. Having said that I will probably pick up ‘Rude Mechanicals’ as well at some point.

Well mastered, well pressed, historically significant and genuinely suited to vinyl rather than simply archived onto it.