Single: Black Milk – “True Lies”

The Detroit-Born Artist-Producer Releases the Latest Single From FEVER, A Socially Aware and Genre-Bending Album, Arriving February 23rd via Mass Appeal Records

02.16.2017

Critical Praise for Black Milk:

“As the performance soared into a free-form jam, it was apparent that Mr. Cross and the band had succeeded in pushing the music far from the boundaries of any single genre.” – Wall Street Journal

“Black Milk’s solo career represents a constant cycle of adopting and mastering new production styles and then abandoning them before they become crutches.” – Pitchfork

“His samples are elegant, his rhythms challenging and his drum kits tight.” – NPR

“Cross has no need for these extras; in his world of soul-tugging productions and machinegun-as-velvet delivery they are merely distractions. On this realization, and in the moment, it was hard not be floored by the obvious: this is what talent with genuine poise really looks and sounds like.” – Dallas Observer

“Striking an impressive balance between being rehearsed and spontaneous, he proved his chops as a multitalented artist once again.” – Okayplayer

The Single:

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 andComputer Ugly on February 23rd.

Explains Black Milk, “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 “Laugh Now Cry Later,” an XXL-premiered track that Stereogum praised, saying “The beat here is incredible.” 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.

Listen to “True Lies”: https://soundcloud.com/massappealrecs/truelies

Pre-order FEVER: https://BlackMilk.lnk.to/Fever

FEVER TRACKLIST

01. unVEil ft. Sudie

02. But I Can Be ft. Ab

03. Could It Be

04. 2 Would Try ft. Dwele

05. Laugh Now Cry Later

06. True Lies

07. eVE

08. Drown

09. 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 Canberra at Transit Bar
2.18 Perth at Mojo’s
2.21 Adelaide at Sugar
2.23 Auckland at Splore Festival
2.24 Christchurch at Electric Avenue Festival

Tickets available at blackmilk.biz/shows.