Blog Posts (Page 3 of 73)

Loud Ambient EP 1

Posted on 19th February 2026 in Releases

This EP was made to sit alongside the album Loud Ambient. For this release we shifted into a more relaxed headspace across all four tracks. The drum machines are still front and centre, but the focus moves toward space, tone and pacing rather than pressure.

We spent time working with different colour fields and developing artwork that runs in parallel with the music. The visual side follows the same approach as the tracks themselves. Calm, considered and deliberate.

Each track brings its own character, but they lock together cleanly. The result is a focused four track EP that works as a complete piece rather than a set of loose ideas.

Order now, downloads available from 6/3/26:
DustStore.com
Bandcamp

My Brutal Life – The Ambient Mixes – Back In Stock

Posted on 19th February 2026 in Mixes, News, Releases

The “My Brutal Life – The Ambient Mixes” 3 CD boxset is now back in stock and available from our DustStore and Bandcamp pages:

DustStore.com
Bandcamp
Out In The World

Thank You

Posted on 16th January 2026 in News

First of all, thank you to everyone for your kind messages and comments during this difficult time. Your words have meant a lot to us and to Ken’s family. We sometimes forget the love that’s out there while working away on our own. Please know that we will always be grateful for your support.

Ken asked that we didn’t make big statements or announcements. He didn’t want the fuss. He simply asked us to carry on and be happy. We plan to honour his wishes.

We’ll miss Ken forever and in some ways he will always be with us in our work. We’ll never forget him, or the kindness he showed us over the last 25 years of working together.

Cari saluti, Kendo 353.

Martin & Rich

Ken Downie – Rest In Peace Brother

Posted on 22nd December 2025 in News

It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Ken Downie on 20/12/25. Rest In Peace brother, you will be deeply missed and never forgotten. Our condolences to Sheena and his family.

Sleep Deprivation: Greatest Hits Vol.3

Posted on 9th December 2025 in Mixes, Releases

A special down-tempo mix, continuing the Sleep Deprivation project and further exploring the tones of ambient electronics. It’s “Pay What You Want”, so go grab it and enjoy.

Download Now:
DustStore.com
Bandcamp

This year has been a strong one for us in the studio. We’ve spent more time making music than at any other point since we began. Between the main studio and our own set-ups, we’ve been working flat out, and the support from you, our listeners and followers, has meant a lot. It keeps us moving and keeps the art honest. Nothing stays still, and that keeps the energy up.

This project is a continuation of our Sleep Deprivation series, and a counterpoint to our recent Loud Ambient work. It’s also our way of saying thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. We want you to feel seen, especially if you are skint. We are still fans of music, and we know what it means when someone gives their time and attention. Your support this year has driven us to keep creating. It also allows us to stick to the DiY ethics, because we don’t want to deal with corporations that drain the life out of what we do.

As a thank you, we’ve made this album “pay what you want”, so if you are skint, you can pay nowt.

Thank you.

Loud Ambient – New album, dropping 21/11/2025

Posted on 8th October 2025 in Releases

Pre-Order Now:
DustStore.com
Bandcamp

“Making this album was an absolute joy. We used Rothko’s artwork as a major influence. His use of colour fields, blending, mood and scale really helped us build an album of tracks that could stand on their own and also work together as a coherent whole across all the tones we had been working with. It was also a chance to fall back in love with our 909, 808 and 707.

While working on music for several other projects, the “Rothko” project got renamed Loud Ambient because it did not really sit right with the My Brutal Life series. We often talked about what people make of The Black Dog and whether they think we only make ambient music. We do not. Over the last year or so, one of us would be working on something and someone else would say, “That is a Loud Ambient track.” The name stuck. We liked the funny side of it.

With Loud Ambient, everything just fell into place creatively. Surprisingly for us, the tracklisting never changed, just small tweaks here and there. That rarely happens. It marks a first for us as a band. All the stars aligned and the confidence in this album is the strongest we have ever had.

Loud Ambient was made to dance to, something we have not done in a while. We welcome the return to the dance floor with both hands. Will you join us?”

Releases on the 21st of November 2025.

Fragments (Remastered) – Shipping 7/11/2025

Posted on 8th October 2025 in Releases

Completely remastered and pressed to limited edition double vinyl, for the first time, and now with 6 extra bonus tracks.

Pre-Order Now:
DustStore.com
Bandcamp

“Fragments was a completely new way of working for us. We’ve always worked with an internal brief, creating documents, pictures and videos, simply because keeping an idea on track with three individuals can be difficult. It’s easy for someone to be edged out of the creative process when the focus is not clearly defined.

It’s a formula we’ve used since the early 2000s, but things have changed a lot since then, particularly when we decided to dip our collective toes into supporter memberships with Patreon. It made us think about what we could do directly for our supporters rather than just the next album or project. At first, the whole thing felt odd and uncomfortable, but we decided that we’d try a few things and ask for feedback.

“Fragments” was initially a way for us to see how we could include others in an ongoing creative process. There was no over-arching concept, no defined characteristics or purpose, just the promise that there would be at least one new track for members to download every month. Consequently, we never knew what was coming next, so the old, very focused working method was irrelevant. It was difficult for us to let individual tracks go without knowing what was coming next, but this also made the project more interesting.

And then C19 hit and we were forced to continue the project remotely from our home studios. As difficult as the disruption was, it was during this period that we realised we could re-organise and remaster the individual tracks into a coherent album, capturing a specific moment in time and drawing a line under the first phase of the project.

Like our “Allegory” EPs, we’ve tried to keep everything stripped back. We used to hide many subtle elements within the layers, but not so much this time.

Fragments is our journey through many changes, both self-imposed and those imposed upon us, and it ultimately led us to create things differently. We hope you like it.”

Ships on the 7th of November 2025.

My Brutal Life – The Ambient Mixes – September 2025

Posted on 1st August 2025 in Mixes, Releases

This is the inaugural release in a series inspired by the band’s work on the “My Brutal Life” project and the “Sleep Deprivation” 24/7 broadcast channel. The result is a 3-hour longform release, exploring ambient, drone and downtempo electronics.

Pre-Order Now:
DustStore.com
Bandcamp
Out In The World

“During our studio sessions, we occasionally get sidetracked, either by following creative impulses or simply having fun. While working on these mixes for our streaming channel, it was clear something else was happening. Something unexpected. It unfolded on its own.

Before we realised it, we had over three hours of completely new recordings, all centred around “My Brutal Life”. This box set features over 3 hours of brand-new music and exclusive remixes, presented on three CDs. It’s an exploration of long-form works, leading with emotion rather than structure, so come with us through the inner cityscapes, where grey over green wins every time.”

Available to order now and released on the 12th of September 2025.

My Brutal Life EP – Out Now

Posted on 20th July 2025 in Releases

“My Brutal Life EP is a reflection of the structures that surround us, the weight of concrete, and the beauty found in repetition. These tracks are built like the spaces we inhabit, imposing yet intimate, rigid yet alive with texture. Our work continues to document these buildings, not only with music but with photographs and text.

The music emerged from our continued fascination with Brutalism, shaped by long walks through these vast modern monuments. Each track captures a different facet of that world, from the symmetry, synchronisation and repetition we are drawn to, to the raw emotion embedded in these spaces. This is sound as architecture, rhythm as structure.

We call them home.”

Our Patreon supporters can download it right now, and if you’d like to support our work, you can sign-up right now for the price of a nice beer:
https://www.patreon.com/theblackdogma

Buy Direct From Us:
Bandcamp
DustStore.com

Out in the world:
Juno Download
Boomkat
Bleep
Spotify
Apple Music
Beatport
Deezer
traxsource

Further Details:
Full details and previews at Dust Science