UK band Black Midi have impressed this year with math-influenced punk singles like “Crow’s Perch” and “Talking Heads,” and all the while, they’ve been coy about what their plans are for a debut album. When asked if songs the group had worked on would be part of an upcoming record, the band’s Georgie Greep said, “Yeah… I’m not sure about that. We’ll see.” Now, we have a confirmation: Black Midi’s debut album is called Schlagenheim, and it’s set for release on June 21 via Rough Trade Records.
The band recorded the record with Speedy Wunderground producer Dan Carey. The band recorded eight of the album’s nine songs in just five days, and the song creation process was “one of refining and rebuilding tracks around the initial structures.”
The group spoke of working with Carey, with Greep saying, “He’s just really quick. Some producers will talk for ten minutes about whether to put maracas on a track, but you suggest maracas and Dan Carey will already have them out and you’re recording a take.” Morgan Simpson added, “He doesn’t have an ego, and a lot of producers do. If you want to do something, anything goes, and I think that really compliments the band ’cause we have the same attitude. We do things at the right time, there’s no point doing it before you’re ready. You might as well wait until you’ve got the opportunity to record it in a sick way and when we’ve got the songs exactly where we want them.”
Black Midi will only be sharing the tracklist on the album’s release date, but they have revealed that the record will feature nine tracks and will have a 43:10 runtime.
Check out the Schlagenheim album art below, as well as Black Midi’s upcoming tour dates.
05/05 — Manchester, UK @ Sounds From The Other City
05/09-11 — Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Festival
05/25 — Totnes, UK @ Sea Change
05/30 — Nimes, FR @ This Is Not A Love Song Festival
05/31 — Düdingen, CH @ Bad Bonn Kilbi
06/01 — Neustrelitz, DE @ Immergut Festival
06/05-06 — Gothenberg, SE @ Garden Festival
06/08-09 — Paris, FR @ Villette Sonique
06/10 — Moers, DE @ Moers Festival
06/15 — Bergen, NO @ Bergenfest
06/18 — London, UK @ EartH (Concert Hall)
06/20 — Bristol, UK @ Fiddlers
06/21 — Liverpool, UK @ Phase One
06/22 — Glasgow, UK @ Mono
06/23 — Nottingham, UK @ Contemporary Space
07/05 — Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/05-07 — Moscow, RU @ Bolь Festival
07/12 — Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
07/14 — Nijmegen, NL @ Valkhof Festival
07/18 — New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
07/21 — Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
07/22 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
07/23 — Madison, WI @ The Terrace at University of Wisconsin
07/26 — Hyéres, FR @ Midi Festival
08/02-04 — Katowice, PL @ Off Festival
08/04 — Waterford, IE @ All Together Now
08/08-10 — Rees Haldern, DE @ Haldern Pop
08/10 — Oslo, NO @ Øya Festival
08/16 — Viana do Castelo, PT @ Paredes de Coura
08/16-18 — Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
08/24 — Gueret, DR @ Check In Festival
08/29-09/01 — Dorset, UK @ End of the Road Festival
09/05 — Tokyo, JP @ Unit
09/06 — Osaka, JP @ Conpasss
09/07 — Kyoto, JP @ Metro
09/18 — Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
09/19 — Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire
09/21 — Bordeaux, FR @ Barbey Indie Club
09/25 — Lisbon, PT @ ZBD
10/02 — Zagreb, HR @ Mocvara
10/03 — Bratislava, SK @ Fuga
10/04 — Budapest, HU @ Durer’s (small room)
10/05 — Prague, CZ @ Underdogs’
10/07 — Berlin, DE @ Lido
10/08 — Hamburg, DE @ Kampnagel
10/09 — Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
10/10 — Brussels, BE @ Beursschouwburg
11/07 — Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx
11/08 — Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
11/09 — Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Électriques
11/12 — Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
11/13 — Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
11/15 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (Back Room)
11/16 — Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
11/17 — Nashville, TN @ High Watt
11/19 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
11/20 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
11/21 — San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
11/23 — Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/24 — Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Schlagenheim is out 06/21 via Rough Trade Records. Pre-order it here.
