“I felt very claustrophobic with the lockdown going on. I wanted to create an energy to burst through that feeling.”
Last week, we stumbled upon an electronic music project known as BlakLight just as they released their first single “Isolation.” We’re happy to feature it now as the first track on the brand new Darkness Calling: Volume III playlist.
Sadly, packed dance clubs are a little hard to come by these days, but this stellar track certainly belongs in one. Of course, with a title like “Isolation,” you know it’s bound to address our current state-of-affairs. “Come on, take my hand — and let’s dance in isolation,” sings Brian Belknap over Adam Collier’s hypnotizing flurry of synths. It’s such a fun, anthemic song that you almost forget we’re in the middle of a pandemic.
We just had to know more about BlakLight and what’s in store for the Los Angeles-based project. Read on to find out.
DARKNESS CALLING: Just want to say we very much enjoy your new single "Isolation." What can you tell us about its writing and production?
ADAM: “Isolation” came roughly in the middle of all of the songs. This song has the fastest tempo. I felt very claustrophobic with the lockdown going on. I wanted to create an energy to burst through that feeling. Brian laid down the perfect vocal, and then from there I added more elements to the music to compliment what he had done. It quickly became the obvious debut single in our minds.
BRIAN: I had used all the working titles for the songs that Adam had sent as a jumping-off point for the lyrics. When he sent me “Isolation,” I thought to myself, “I can’t write another song called ‘Isolation.’ Joy Division has got that one covered.” But I decided to keep it, and the words fell into place pretty quickly. The lyrics could certainly be about our current state of affairs, but they wouldn’t seem out of place had the song been released at any other time.
DARKNESS CALLING: How did BlakLight come to be? I know that you are both affiliated with other projects (Brian with Mind Machine and Adam with Crush333, MDA, and Full Frontal Disco). Did you two meet in the scene and just hit it off?
ADAM: I was starting a project where I feature different vocalists. I sent Brian a song to be part of this, and when I heard what he did with it, ideas just started flowing. One song soon became ten and BlakLight was formed. This whole journey has really flowed, and I hope that the music demonstrates that.
BRIAN: I was a fan of Adam’s work with MDA and asked him to remix the Mind Machine song “Hundred Thousand Million.” We socialized online and met in person on a few occasions, and then he asked me if I’d be interested to sing on a project he was working on. He sent me one song, and then another and so on, and in six months we had an album.
DARKNESS CALLING: Your cover of Fad Gadget's "Lady Shave" is very faithful to the original, but I feel like it's also modernized for the goth clubs of today. What led you to choose this song to be your first released cover?
ADAM: I have been a massive fan of Fad Gadget since I was a teenager. “Lady Shave” happens to be my favorite song. Originally, I recorded my own interpretation of the music and did the vocals myself. But Brian was the perfect fit for this, so I asked him if he wanted to sing and make this a b-side. My personal opinion on covering other artists' work is to stay as true to the original as possible while making it your own.
BRIAN: “Lady Shave” is my favorite Fad Gadget song, as well. Adam had sent me a version with him on vocals, which sounded perfect to me. Then he had the idea for me to re-record the vocals to include it as the b-side of “Isolation,” and now it looks like we may be including a cover as the b-side for our future singles.
DARKNESS CALLING: The artwork for your "Isolation" single features a child with a face-mask, an all-too-familiar image for today's times. How has the pandemic affected your creative process, positively or negatively?
ADAM: The pandemic actually laid the foundation for the music. At first what was going on felt very apocalyptic. That really jump started the musical ideas. I felt a sense of urgency to share music to take people's minds off of what is going on. Everything developed very naturally and was easy. Brian’s interpretation with the lyrics and melodies was spot on with every song.
BRIAN: We started working on this project about a month before lockdown, and even those first few songs were very much influenced by the world around us. Adam’s songs quickly informed the direction I wanted to go with for the lyrics and melodies. After a few weeks of settling in at home, I found a way to balance work, family, and music, and was surprised at how quickly it all came together.
DARKNESS CALLING: What's next for BlakLight? Is there a full LP on the way? How about any video releases?
ADAM: A 10 song LP called Music in a Time of Uncertainty is on the way very soon. All songs are in the mixing and mastering stage. We will be releasing a lyric video for “Isolation” shortly. We have also discussed starting a new album after this one is released.
BRIAN: We can’t wait to share the album with everyone. We’re extremely happy with how it’s turned out and are looking forward to continuing our partnership for another album and beyond.
DARKNESS CALLING: Thanks again for doing this! Is there anything else you’d like to say for our readers?
ADAM: I'd like to thank Brian for lending his wonderful voice. The songs wouldn't be what they are or even in existence without him. I want to thank all of the people that are supporting us. You all are truly beautiful. A lot more is to come.
BRIAN: I’d like to thank Adam for asking me to work with him. I haven’t written lyrics since I was in high school, and I had never written a vocal melody in my life, yet he trusted me and gave me a chance.
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