Black Math’s Phantom Power Shines Light On Dark Wave

By Jon Graef in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 29, 2010 9:05PM

To say that local trio Black Math’s second album, Phantom Power, was highly anticipated by certain segments of Chicago’s underground music scene is putting it mildly. According to the band’s label, Permanent Records, one fan of the band offered more than $100 dollars for an original pressing of Black Math’s self-titled debut. Whether or not the story is apocryphal is beside the point. To be able to earn such devotion, you have to be doing something right. It remains to be seen whether Phantom Power will inspire fans to scamper for it--the special white vinyl pressing is all sold-out, but black vinyl copies remain. One thing’s for certain, though: Phantom Power serves as a fantastic testament on using original instrumentation to bring life to a decades-old genre.

In Black Math’s case, the band's primary style, dark wave, recalls the early 80s work of groups like The Cure or Bauhaus. But Black Math’s unusual configuration of guitar, keyboards, electric cello and drum machine means the band can reference the work of past acts while introducing new, adventurous textures. Take Phantom Power’s opening track, “Reckless Thoughts.” The first bars leap off the speaker with a sparse, drum-and-keys driven melodies, but for the chorus, the band opens up with a huge mournful but cathartic cello line and driving guitars. Elsewhere, the bulldozing fuzz and twitchy, electronic drumbeats of “This Love’s Got To Change” and “Suck City” showcase the band’s more aggressive side, and spectacular instrumental “Nightshade” comes off as a creepy, Bernard Herrmann-with-feedback Halloween treat.

Throughout Phantom Power, there’s a sense Black Math waving goodbye to familiar touchstones in order to weave its own sonic identity. That they do so with such command over the course of ten tracks means that they’ll have more devoted fans knocking down their record label’s door—and soon.

Giant System Presents Rabble Rabble, White/Light, Black Math and Verma, Nov. 5th, Empty Bottle, 10 p.m., 21+. Show is free if you write to rsvp@emptybottle.com with the subject heading “giant system.”