Dimming The Strobe

For those who are interested, remember where you read it first: Ivan Smagghe has left Black Strobe. That’s right, the partnership that yielded ‘Innerstrings’, ‘Madonna And Me’ and remixes for The Hacker and Tiefschwarz is no more (their version of ‘Ghost Track’ is how I imagine 4/4 based electro should really sound: belligerent and menacing with the kind of totalitarian goosestep beats that you just don’t get on the common or garden bass grind variety).
I found out because I just did an interview with the wonderfully-named Arnaud Rebotini the other day  – and yes, it is his real name: I assumed he had made it up to sound more, erm, robotic, but he really does come from a long line of Rebotinis (wonder what the family on his mother’s side is called? O’Droidnessy?)  - in advance of Black Strobe’s long-awaited debut album, ‘Burn Your Own Church’ (great title, adventurous musical concept that doesn’t always work) and he confirmed that he and Smagghe had left due to that age-old explanation, ‘musical differences’. Unless someone dies, bands and partnerships always split for this reason, or this is always the ‘official’ reason given. What Rebotini said actually said was:
“He has moved away and is focused on his DJ career. Black Strobe’s changeover to a live sound was difficult for him because he’s a great DJ, but he’s not a musician and he didn’t feel comfortable being on stage. Black Strobe was always about finding an equilibrium and while he brought the dance floor sensibility, maybe my influence was too strong.”
So there you have it: the Strobe is now officially a one-man act as Smagghe disappears into the distance as a new dawn fades. Mad succession of deadlines this week, will return with a more thought-provoking post as soon as I’m free again…

Comments

[Z]

the audion remix for blackstrobe's new album is quite nice.

[skkatter]

I wonder what 3/4 based electro sounds like....

[Brophy]

I wonder what 3/4 based electro sounds like....who cares what you think you digital traitor!