Black Dice announced their first album since 2012’s Mr. Impossible, named Mod Prog Sic. It’s set to be released on October 1 via FourFour Records, featuring songs like “White Sugar,” which was released today as their lead single.
The new song is an experimental noise-pop jam with synth-punk ethos. Distorted electronics and a janky guitar line take turns angling through the track while spliced vocals sputter over them and a drum machine adds a feverish groove. It’s unclear if the lyrics are about anything in particular due to the dirty production. The recording has an improvisational feel to it, especially in the textures and in the way the elements complement each other more towards the end of the track.
They also recently released a remix of The Avalanches’ “Summer Crane” for Since I Left You’s 20th anniversary deluxe edition reissue. The remix is a noisy distortion of the original tune that starts out indistinguishable as the original until halfway through, when the original composition peeks through the noise.
The group’s last non-remix release was a two-track EP in 2016 called Big Deal / Last Laugh, which was their first project since 2012. Black Dice remain better known for their early 2000s output, especially their first two albums Beaches and Canyons and Creature Comforts. The only way that their lineup has changed since those albums is the departure of drummer Hisham Bharoocha from the group, which has consisted of Eric Copeland on vocals/electronics, his brother Björn Copeland on guitar and Aaron Warren providing additional vocals/electronics/bass since 2005.
Mod Prig Sic Tracklist:
1. Bad Bet
2. Tuned Out
3. Swinging
4. Scramblehead
5. White Sugar
6. Plasma
7. Big Chip
8. All The Way
9. Scramblehead II
10. Jocko
11. Downward Arrow
12. Scramblehead III