New Noise Magazine - Blackout Transmission Album Premiere
Album Premiere: Blackout Transmission – ‘Sparse Illumination’
L.A.-based post-punk outfit Blackout Transmission are ready to unveil their debut LP, Sparse Illumination, out February 19 through Etxe Records.
Collectively, the eight tracks on Sparse Illumination combine for a tight 34-minute dose of post-punk, shoegaze, and neo-psychedelia that evokes low-shutter-speed nocturnal journeys through desert canyons and winding coastal highways.
New Noise Magazine is proud to premiere Blackout Transmission’s debut full-length album a day early through the Bandcamp link below:
Bright and gleaming at times, warm and meditative at others, Sparse Illumination effectively creates a seamless, lysergic journey filled with potent lyrics. The album ebbs and flows through a rush of multi-chromatic textures, anchored by magnetic bass grooves and feverish drumming.
Christopher Goett (Silo Halo), the main creative force of Blackout Transmission, had a growing body of work upon his return to Southern California after a decade spent in Washington, DC. He attributes reconnecting with long-time friend Adam D’Zurilla (Sleepmask, Dreamland) as a catalyst to further explore and refine those ideas.
Arrangements were rounded out with the addition of Kevin Cluppert on bass and Anthony Salazar (Teenage Wrist) on drums culminating with the band playing out in late 2019 and harnessing their live chemistry as they entered the studio in early 2020.
A good portion of the album was recorded at Dream Machine in Long Beach and produced by Scott Holmes (Highlands) alongside Goett. The COVID-19 pandemic forced Goett to finalize many of his overdubs at his home studio in Los Angeles (Twin Dragon West), as well as birthing two additional tracks included on the LP.
On working with Holmes to record and finalise Sparse Illumination, Goett states:
“Scott pushed me in the best way to reimagine elements of my approach. As such we captured the vibe and feel that I was seeking with these songs.”
Pre-order and stream Sparse Illumination through Bandcamp here.