Black Marble

Black Marble represents the creative outlet of vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Stewart, shaped by coldwave, early-1980s synth pop, and the commanding bass style of New Order’s Peter Hook. Stewart’s first release, the 2012 EP The Weight Against the Door, adhered closely to the icy melancholy of those sources, submerging his even-toned baritone beneath washes of echo, reverb, and analog synthesizers. Over time he gradually introduced greater brightness and openness, a shift most evident on the 2019 album Bigger Than Life and the 2021 album Fast Idol, both of which coincided with his relocation from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.

Stewart’s work originated in the early 2010s with music created on a laptop. Friends responded positively to his compositions yet urged improvements in the instrumental textures, prompting him to draw from Brooklyn’s local environment. That environment centered on Wierd, a dance event featuring synth-based performers from various countries that also gave rise to the influential Wierd Records imprint. Stewart was especially drawn to the sonic approach and vintage equipment of Sean McBride of Martial Canterel (and Xeno & Oaklander), leading him to assemble his own collection of classic synthesizers that included a Juno and a Korg DW-8000. Shortly afterward he partnered with former Team Robespierre member Ty Kube. The pair issued their initial recording in January 2012, the Hardly Art EP The Weight Against the Door, which faithfully recreated coldwave’s austere yet atmospheric blend of starkness and beauty. That September the Seattle label also put out their debut full-length, A Different Arrangement, which offered a modestly brighter and more tuneful take on the same aesthetic.

After A Different Arrangement, Stewart grew weary of New York and prepared to relocate to Los Angeles, though he first intended to complete Black Marble’s second album. During this period Kube exited the project and Stewart endured a severe bout of pneumonia that required hospitalization. Those upheavals found expression on It’s Immaterial, a more luminous and transparent collection issued by Ghostly International in October 2016. Once established in Los Angeles, Stewart commenced work on a third album, responding to the surrounding terrain and local camaraderie by crafting more direct material that placed his vocals in the foreground. Sacred Bones released Bigger Than Life in October 2019. The next August Black Marble issued the EP I Must Be Living Twice, containing live-favorite covers of songs originally performed by Wire, Robert Palmer, and Grouper. On Fast Idol, which appeared in October 2021, Stewart merged the atmospheric songwriting of his earliest recordings with the sunnier tone introduced on Bigger Than Life.