#MP3: @Black_Milk – True Lies

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Black Milk - FEVER [Album Artwork]

Blending rock, funk, soul, jazz, and hip-hop into a futuristic cocktail, Detroit’s Black Milk earned the respect of the music industry with his intense sonics and thoughtful lyrics. On his latest single, “True Lies,” Black Milk calls out various forms of institutionalization common in American society. Black specifically challenges organized religion and the education system for instilling false wisdom and false hope: “Teacher, teacher why you keep feeding me false / Information, taught is this a way to keep me lost / Said you’re here to make us brighter, but you keep me in the dark.” The track is comprised entirely of live instrumentation – scratching guitars, droning flutes, and an impossibly funky bassline. “True Lies” is the latest single from ‘FEVER’, Black Milk’s sixth solo album, releasing via Mass Appeal Records and Computer Ugly on February 23rd.

Black Milk explains:

“On ‘True Lies’, I talk about how traditions and institutions are used to keep people from questioning the world around them and from demanding more for themselves. When I made the track, I envisioned a world full of zombies being told what to believe. Only a few come to realize most of what they’ve been taught about and within the institutions, like church, school, and government, around them are lies to impede both personal and collective progress.”

His first solo album since 2014’s ‘If There’s a Hell Below’, ‘FEVER’ combines pointed and topical lyrics and brilliant musicianship, including percussion from all-star musicians Chris “Daddy” Dave (D’Angelo, Adele, Justin Bieber) and Daru Jones (Jack White), bass by long-time collaborator Malik Hunter, and keys and guitar/bass from newcomers Ian Fink and Sasha Kashperko, respectively. On the upcoming album, Black Milk takes a further step in his production style, fusing soul, rock and other soundscapes with electronic programming, sampling, and live instrumentation. A cohesive 12-track project, listening to ‘FEVER’ evokes the feeling of scrolling through an endless news feed, finding Black Milk reporting and commenting on the world’s problems with empathy, clarity, and wit. Last month, Black Milk shared his first single from the album “Laugh Now Cry Later”. On “Laugh Now Cry Later”, Black looks into the cognitive dissonance between horrifying current events in the midst of meme culture over a sonic backdrop of creepily ethereal vocal samples, a frantic bassline, and restless percussion from Chris Dave.

‘FEVER’ Tracklisting:

  1. unVEil featuring Sudie
  2. But I Can Be featuring Ab
  3. Could It Be
  4. 2 Would Try featuring Dwele
  5. Laugh Now Cry Later
  6. True Lies
  7. eVE
  8. Drown
  9. DiVE
  10. Foe Friend
  11. Will Remain
  12. You Like To Risk It All/Things Will Never Be

Check out Black Milk on his current tour in Australia and New Zealand:

  • 2.17.2018 – Canberra at Transit Bar
  • 2.18.2018 – Perth at Mojo’s
  • 2.21.2018 – Adelaide at Sugar
  • 2.23.2018 – Auckland at Splore Festival
  • 2.24.2018 – Christchurch at Electric Avenue Festival

Tickets available at blackmilk.biz/shows