Gigs

Live At The ICA (London 2024) – Out Now

Posted on 19th December 2024 in Gigs, Releases

Recorded live at the ICA (London) on the 14th December 2024.

A sold-out gig in London, in the most perfect setting: a large black box with no lights and an excellent sound system. It could not have been more ideal for us.

The night was a great mix of music and vibes, setting the stage perfectly. Our plan was to start slow and build over one hour, playing our new music and including tracks we’d never played live before. We have so much we have never tested on a live audience.

The team at Goodness organised a fantastic event with brilliant DJs and artists spanning the whole spectrum. It was a night we truly enjoyed and something that’s not easy to pull off. We loved it.

This recording serves as a document of the event.

Order Now
DustStore.com
Bandcamp

Patreon Supporters
Our generous supporters over on Patreon can download the full release for free, right now. If you’d like to join and support our work, check the link:
https://www.patreon.com/theblackdogma

tBd Live @ Goodness, ICA, London, 14/12/2024

Posted on 31st October 2024 in Gigs

We’ll be playing live at the ICA in London on the 14th of December 2024. Very limited space left, so get your tickets now from ra.co:
https://buff.ly/3YnX0C8

Live at Festival of the Mind 2024

Posted on 4th October 2024 in Gigs, Releases

A live recording captured in the Spiegeltent at Festival Of The Mind 2024 in Sheffield. Available to download for free.

The music was produced entirely in custom software developed by Sheffield University, and designed to introduce the concepts of coding, while allowing you to program music. The web-based software is free to use and includes tutorials and our demos.

Read more about the project here:
https://bleep.sheffield.ac.uk/artist/seclusion

Download the live recording at:
Bandcamp
DustStore.com

Many thanks to Guy, Sam, Nikki, Chris and Nick.

tBd @ No Bounds Festival 2024

Posted on 30th September 2024 in Gigs

We’ll be at the No Bounds Festival again in 2024, this time playing two special live shows on the 11th of October at the Hallamshire Hotel. It’s not a big place, so make sure you’ve got your tickets. You’ll need the “Opening Concert Only [Friday]” ticket or a weekend pass for entry.

Tickets: https://ra.co/events/1607259

Live Coding Software For Music

Posted on 24th September 2024 in Gigs, News, Studio & Production

In September 2024 we took part in a Live Coding Workshop and Showcase at the Festival of the Mind 2024 in Sheffield. Together with the School of Computer Science at the University of Sheffield, we spent the afternoon making bleeps with code, before heading out for a live demo at the Spiegeltent in the city centre.

And now, the software is publicly accessible and free to use, along with the tutorials and a set of music demos from us:
https://bleep.sheffield.ac.uk/artist/seclusion

It’s a web-based live coding environment, designed for generating noise and music, and it’s intended to introduce the basics of coding, while making some interesting noises. It’s not as scary as it sounds, the simplified code lets you jump straight in and make some noise with just a single line of code. The tutorials will guide you through the basics, so it shouldn’t matter whether or not you have any coding experience.

This system and the code used is based on Sam Aaron’s Sonic Pi project, only now, it’s entirely web-based. It’s very much a work-in-progress, so may be a little rough in places, but that shouldn’t stop you getting stuck in.

And as you might have noticed, we’ve avoided referring to the software by name, mainly because it hasn’t actually got one. All suggestions welcome!

The demos we produced for the festival are at:
https://bleep.sheffield.ac.uk/artist/seclusion

The tutorials created for the workshop can be accessed via:
https://bleep.sheffield.ac.uk/artist/tbd

Download the tutorial PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1glIlPp00SJi_gMVX8bZ5fwLNumnrlVyy/view?usp=drive_link

Want to dig deeper? More information is available in the Wiki, although this too is a work-in-progress:
https://github.com/guyjbrown/bleepmanual/wiki

Want to start from a blank project?
https://bleep.sheffield.ac.uk/user

Let us know what you get up to!

Techno Music Programming – Festival of the Mind 2024

Posted on 3rd September 2024 in Gigs, News, Studio & Production

On the 21st of September 2024, we’ll be joining with the School of Computer Science at Sheffield University for a couple of special music programming events, all as part of Festival of the Mind 2024.

Techno Music Programming Masterclass – The Diamond
This free 2-hour workshop will explore the basics of computer programming through the lens of techno music creation. Led by renowned musician and live coding expert Dr Sam Aaron, participants will use software specifically developed for this workshop, teaching the basics of coding and exploring music composition. We’ll be there to share our knowledge of techno music production, sharing our own code and examples to illustrate. Places are very limited and can be reserved at:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk

Techno Music Programming Showcase – Spiegeltent
At 5pm we’ll head down to the Spiegeltent in Barkers Pool where we’ll introduce the concepts of live music coding, demonstrate the unique software and perform some of the music that we’ve created, including pieces from our new Seclusion EP. The event is free but the Spiegeltent has limited space, so get down early to get yourself a place.

Full details for all of the events at this year’s Festival of the Mind can be found at:
https://festivalofthemind.sheffield.ac.uk/2024/

My Brutal Life – Exhibition, Live Show and New Album

Posted on 6th September 2023 in Gigs, Releases

My Brutal Life by The Black Dog

In October 2023, we’ll be launching a special exhibition in Sheffield featuring a carefully curated selection of artists from a wide range of artistic disciplines. The event, called “My Brutal Life”, will be held over two weeks in the striking Moore Street substation.

As part of this exhibition, we’ll also be launching a new album and performing a one-off live show on the 7th October at Sheffield drama studio.

“My Brutal Life delves into the profound aspects of our artistic endeavours encompassing brutalism, the environment, and humanity. Throughout our ongoing creative journey, we consistently gravitate towards these themes, documenting and exploring the human experience within these environments.

Our unwavering fixation on Symmetry, Synchronisation, and Repetition are the driving force in our artistic expression. Moreover, we strive to peel away superficial layers to expose the underlying emotional strata of the human aspect, unearthing the often overlooked beauty within the ordinary.

Although frequently disregarded, the human aspect resonates with echoes from the past, enlightening and guiding our artistic process. Even the failures encountered serve as poignant reminders of the delicate structures we construct.

My Brutal Life constitutes a pivotal component within an enduring exhibition, meticulously crafted to delve into the aesthetic and human facets of brutalism.”

Exhibition Bookings:
https://www.sensoria.org.uk/events/my-brutal-life-exhibition/
https://my_brutal_life.eventbrite.co.uk

Live Show Tickets:
https://www.sensoria.org.uk/events/the-black-dog/
https://THEBLACKDOG.eventbrite.co.uk

Album Pre-Orders:
https://www.duststore.com/pages/my-brutal-life
https://www.duststoredigital.com/album/my-brutal-life

Exhibition Catalogue:
https://www.duststore.com/products/my-brutal-life-exhibition-catalogue

tBd @ Paral·lel Festival 2023, Spain

Posted on 18th August 2023 in Gigs

Paral·lel Festival 2023
1-3 SEPTEMBER 2023,
Telecadira del Sucre,
Port del Comte,
25284 Lleida,
Catalonia,
Spain

We’re heading back to Spain in September for a live set at Paral·lel Festival 2023. Full details and tickets are available from:
https://www.parallelfestival.com/