Posted by Black Marble will release his new album, ‘Life In Small Spaces’, on August 21st. The American artist, known for his distinctive wall-of-synths aesthetic, follows up his 2021 debut ‘Fast Idol’ with a project that further refines his mechanical, atmospheric sound.
Working under the moniker Black Marble, artist Chris Stewart has spent the years since his last full-length release focusing on the evolution of his craft. The upcoming record, arriving via Sacred Bones, introduces Wire-adjacent drum machine pulses to his signature style, aiming for a sense of mechanical transcendence.
In an introductory statement regarding the record, Stewart reflected on the realities of the music industry and the personal philosophy behind his work:
I always knew a lot of people in music struggled to make ends meet, but it surprised me to learn that the people you thought would be doing well often weren’t. For me, seeing the business from the inside like that changed how I looked at things. When I looked up to see a new artist on a billboard, I started to wonder, will I one day have to pretend to be something I’m not, in order to succeed? The life of an artist goes on after your moment ends, you know? So who do you want to be in the end and how do you want to be seen by the people that know you? I made ‘Life In Small Spaces’ while thinking about that, and for me, it serves as my own ideal for living an artistic life. I’m doing it as a vocation, not some last ditch effort to escape to some other world.
Stewart further elaborated on the emotional core of the album, noting, “I made this record not only as a way of saying that, but as a way of saying it’s ok to feel that way. It’s ok for people to sacrifice some degree of creature comfort in order to live a life you believe in. And it doesn’t have to be an endless search for something just out of reach, it can be a permanent way of being and something that sustains you.”
The lead single, ‘Jim Carol New Year’, serves as an intriguing introduction to the project. The track, which references author Jim Carroll, blends a festive thematic undertone with a soundscape reminiscent of Tubeway Army re-imagined for an intimate DIY venue setting.
Photo Credit: Ashley Leahy