Blackbird Blackbird, Chad Valley

Blackbird Blackbird is the moniker of San Francisco-based wünderkind Mikey Maramag. His unique style of dreamy folktronica recalls influences from all ends of the musical spectrum; deeply textured, hypnotic songs pay homage to psychedelic pop the likes of Caribou and Washed Out, while the warmth of analogue instrumentation spliced with digital artifacts hints at contemporaries James Blake, Four Tet and Mount Kimbie.

Anthemic, dream-driven themes inspire Blackbird Blackbird's work, where layers of electronic texture drape over organic sounds and ghostly vocals. Within elongated song structures, Blackbird Blackbird harnesses thematic elements of dynamism and composition to create depth and complexity, while never losing sight of his pop sensibilities.

Blackbird Blackbird's debut album Summer Heart was lauded by modern tastemakers, receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Fader, XLR8R, Rcrdlbl, and more. Recently returning from a whirl-wind European tour, Blackbird Blackbird has been signed to the Lavish Habits imprint out of San Francisco. His upcoming Boracay Planet EP features remixes from the likes of American bass music virtuoso Grenier (aka DJ G) and Atlanta's foremost proprietor of rave music, Distal. This highly-anticipated EP is slated for release October 16 2012.


A product of Oxford's prolific creative community, Chad Valley has a catalogue that spans three studio releases – 2010's self-titled debut EP which was a bedroom exploration in swirling synths and sunburnt melodies. 2011's Equatorial Ultravox expanded that recipe, giving his downtempo productions a decidedly more pop leaning twist. It was with Equatorial Ultravox that Chad Valley's profile grew substantially, thanks in part to single
'Shell Suite' being used by Alex Patsavas in the major movie, Warm Bodies, and a string of key touring slots supporting the likes of Active Child, Chvrches, Erasure, Friendly Fires and Passion Pit. In 2013, Chad Valley released Young Hunger, his first proper album and one that saw him further embrace his pop ambitions. The material was a modern collage of 80's freestyle jams and 90's radio singles, featuring an impressive list of collaborators including El Perro Del Mar, Glasser, TEED and Twin Shadow. In support of the record, Chad Valley toured the world, winning over fans with his stellar voice and impassioned performances.

Now, two years later, Chad Valley's Hugo Manuel is back with his sophomore album, Entirely New Blue. The record is an exploration in identify and a return to the places that comfort us, especially when we return to them a different person. The album was written between London, where he lived for years with his long-term girlfriend, and Oxford, the town that he came home to when their relationship ended. That painstaking transition is evident across the record's nine tracks, perhaps mostly on slow-burners "Labasa" and "Seventeen". The former of which is the namesake village in Fiji where his grandmother was born. Unlike previous material, and embodying the spirit of the music, Hugo's voice appears higher in the mix and rinsed clean of effects on most tracks. Similarly, the production is more stark, providing Hugo the space to do more with less. Working with producer Joel Ford, the ethos of stripping away everything that's not immediately useful is apparent.

Entirely New Blue will be released on October 2 via Chad Valley's longtime label home, Cascine. North American and European tours have been routed for fall.