Moody, joyful, pulsing music from Vermont; get lost in Black Fly’s “Kingdom”

February 24 2021

Black Fly, aka enigmatic Vermont-based musician and visual artist Joseph Rittling, today shares his second cerebral single and video for “Kingdom.” The new track also serves to announce his debut album Black Fly 01 coming out April 23rd, 2021 via Samedi Records (altopalo).  

Watch the striking “Kingdom” visualizer HERE – shot by Rittling in the stillness of the snow-capped Vermont mountains to accompany the vastness of the track – and pre-order Black Fly 01 HERE.

Rittling is creating an imagined space with his upcoming songs. In “Kingdom” he uses piano paired with heady, sometime ominous, grinding synths to paint a picture with sound. The music is transportive, emotional; bringing you through enthralling landscapes before dropping you gently, head spun, not knowing quite what to feel.

Of the stark but stunning new “Kingdom” visualizer, Rittling says, “This is the first in a series of visualizers that were partially inspired by the artwork of Simon Stålenhag and his depiction of a dystopian suburban Sweden. I too wanted to create scenes where rural landscapes, technology, and people were intertwined. A sort of sci-fi depiction of where I live. It also feels representative of the music, a clash of organic and technological textures.”

With Stålenhag’s dark imagery in mind, the simplicity in the “Kingdom” visual leaves it to your imagination’s own devices. The stark beauty of rural Vermont – one of Rittling’s main inspirations – allows for your own projections to come to life, much like it becomes slippery to pinpoint his music as just pulsing synths or moody beats or soaring vocals. It can and will contain multitudes. 

Black Fly has made early fans at Fader, Consequence, The Line Of Best Fit, and more for singles dropped over the years. Along the way he has gone about living and creating when it felt right. “Kingdom” is a perfect example of how saturated with possibility and intent the collection of songs on Black Fly 01 are.

Black Fly 01 will be out April 23rd, 2021 via Samedi Records, pre-order it here.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Dipped
2. Green
3. Sadsap
4. Kingdom
5. Sign 2
6. No Fool
7. Cabbage
8. Buckfast
9. Wait

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