User:Fyodoren/Small Black

Small Black is a four-piece lo-fi rock band from Brooklyn, New York.

Small Black's lo-fi, "fuzzed-around-the-edges pop" sound has associated it with sub-genre terms such as "chillwave." and "bedroom pop." While the band has generated considerable buzz through word-of-mouth and acclaim from music publications, co-founder Josk Kolenik considers Small Black to be part of a music scene that "exists on the Internet. It's not in a city, and it's not connected to any reality, which is weird. Everybody's pretty far apart. It's not like we're playing shows together and bouncing ideas off each other. It's happening through modems." Still, in March 2010, the band embarked on a tour of the U.S. and Canada with Washed Out and Pictureplane.

History
Ryan Heyner and Josh Kolenik formed Small Black as a duo during the winter of 2008-9, but have since added two members, Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin. To date, their only public release is a 2009 self-titled vinyl EP. A release party for the album was held on October 17, 2009 at Death By Audio in Brooklyn. The band has begun recording songs for its full-length debut album, tentatively scheduled for release in Fall 2010.

Small Black EP
Small Black EP has been released as a 12" vinyl album on Jagjaguwar Records. Its songs have also been made available online, on platforms such as Napster and iTunes.

Reception
Critical acclaim for Small Black's limited release history has been widespread. Flagpole Magazine wrote of Small Black EP, "Small Black wields a masterful chisel... Bass lines are reliable, direct and funky, leading the five tracks capably through surrealistic illusions. Drums are often synthesized but nonetheless sustaining and unpretentious. In fact, this EP gorgeous (sic)." Cokemachineglow.com assigned the EP a rating of 77% and wrote of the diminished impact of chillwave, while speaking highly of Small Black's effort, discussing "the most surprising thing about the Small Black EP: it seems to take itself and its material more seriously than other records of a similar style, and as a result is more deeply satisfying."