New Black Box Recorder Album

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I've decided that this is the record I am most looking forward to in 2003.

Does anyone know anything about it, the tracklisting or even the whereabouts of any preview MP3s online?

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 11:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Latest BBR info

PASSIONOIA

Black Box Recorder comprise the uniquely beautiful singer Sarah Nixey
accompanied by the dashingly suave songwriters John Moore and Luke Haines.

The enigmatic three-piece have released two albums to date, England Made Me and The Facts Of Life, the latter spawning the Top Twenty smash title track as a single.

2003 sees the release of Black Box Recorder’s third album Passionoia, a masterpiece of electronic trickery and a significant step forward from the band’s previous works. Significant uptempo manoeuvres clash with classic balladering and sloganeering to create an album that beats up recent pretenders and classes Black Box Recorder as a genuine urbane pop phenomenon.

Examining such subjects as school, mating and dating, fast cars, pop
stardom, revolution and (gasp) Andrew Ridgley, Black Box Recorder are unique, sophisticated, classy and, as ever, totally on the button.

PASSIONOIA will be released early in 2003.

from my weblog:

[The single by Black Box Recorder, These are the Things - top grade material, electro-pop par excellence, Saint Etienne fans will love this. Whispy female vox from Sarah Nixey, icy synths - make a classic pop single.

The single is released February 3rd, the album PASSIONOIA is released on February 17th on One Little Indian.]

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 11:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Cheers!

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Wednesday, 8 January 2003 11:57 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

V promising live review from the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,886701,00.html

Yes, I'm with you Marcel, very excited about the return of Luke, Sarah & co...

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 03:13 (twenty-three years ago)

i heart black box recorder also. "the facts of life" was possible my favourite album of 2000, so i'll be gagging to hear the new one.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 12:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Tremendous David Stubbs review in current Uncut, and they're all in white and things. With each album they seem to edge even closer to The Music In My Head, they're bruuulliant.

― alexfack (alexfack), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

it's out march 3, i think.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 12 February 2003 23:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I LOVE St. Et., but I don't get the BBR attraction at all. What's the connection here? I've heard 'Facts of Life' and liked the 'friday night, saturday morning' song a lot, but was left somewhat cold by the rest.

Why should I, as a St. Et. fan, like BBR?

― derrick (derrick), Thursday, 13 February 2003 07:56 (twenty-three years ago)

"but was left somewhat cold by the rest"

Oh, you say that like it's a BAD THING. Leaves me cold every time, and I just adore it.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 13 February 2003 10:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Just got it in here - Favourite bit so far:

What becomes of the broken-hearted?
They get revenge and feel much better.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Thursday, 13 February 2003 13:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Story of my life. Is there a US release date?

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 February 2003 16:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Luke Haines = the most overrated guy in music (or one of them). He can't stay away more for my tastes.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 13 February 2003 16:41 (twenty-three years ago)

When I lived in London I met an american guy that was there specifically to write a book about Luke Haines. I said "Why would you do that". The guy didn't talk to me again.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 13 February 2003 16:45 (twenty-three years ago)

I bought Passionoia today and so far I would say it's better than The Facts Of Life but not as good (or as dark) as England Made Me. Once again it's the lyrics that make you return to listen again (let's face it, the music is pretty interchangeable over all three albums).

"What becomes of the broken hearts? They take revenge and feel much better. Send you death threats in a letter. Intimate photos on the internet." (GSOH Q.E.D.)

"Now I'm living in a chatroom with the Diana fan club. They sent a virus to my dream that wiped the hard drive." (British Racing Green)

"The skeletons dance out of the closet, laughing all the way to the bank. A dozen illegitimate children. I guess we've got Max Clifford to thank." (Being Number One)

"I want to be the new Diana (OK! Hello!) lying on a yacht reading photo magazines." (The New Diana)

"There are traps in the grass for the working class, so stick to the path. Go home. Have a bath. All the farms have alarms, all the hills have eyes, so for god's sake stay out of the countryside." (When Britain Refused To Sing)

New single These Are The Things is pleasant enough, but St Etienne did the song-of-loss-to-a-disco-beat much better with Like A Motorway.

One or two disposable tracks, but overall I'm happy with it (and I bought my ticket for their Cockpit gig on the 8th as well, so for the moment I'm smiling on the world).

Oh, and there must have been an altogether different class of tooth fairy round Ms Nixey's way. Ten pound note? Bloody hell!

― chris j (chris j), Saturday, 15 February 2003 23:12 (twenty-three years ago)

two weeks pass...

Yippee! My copy was shipped from Amazon today. Should get it tommorow or Tuesday. No decent 'alternative' shops near here. Christ, I couldn't even find The Libertines album.

― Calum Robert, Sunday, 2 March 2003 14:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh yes, indeed looking forward to it, as an unabashed Haines fan. 'England Made Me' is a finer album than the 'Facts of Life' (runs out of steam and focus), yet I can't imagine them doing something I won't like at least quite a lot. More solo Haines wouldn't go amiss though...

― Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 2 March 2003 17:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I think John Moore is the underrated genius of Black Box Recorder. I have no reasons for thinking this.

maybe I will buy this record tomorrow.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 2 March 2003 22:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I will certainly be into town to buy it... John Moore surely has some influence; the lyrics of BBR are rather different to Haines solo or Auteurs, if in the same orbit. Of course, they are writing for Nixey's 'pop persona' though ;-) Which is somewhat different from Haines' wilfully antagonistic maverick persona - c.f. 'The Oliver Twist Manifesto'. I guess Haines seems the predominant influence with BBR's lyrics, but who knows how much input Moore has...?

― Tom May (Tom May), Monday, 3 March 2003 00:09 (twenty-three years ago)

the first song is the best black box recorder song yet. funny as fuck. worth the wait...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 4 March 2003 13:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Any news on an American release, or am I going to have to shell out import prices only to see it come out domestically in a couple of months with a bunch of B-sides tacked on?

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Monday, 17 March 2003 15:33 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Solo Nixey! is only slightly more Dubstar than Timberlake, vaguely. probably. but not really.

http://s41.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0V3T2URXSGSA43BFZKC13ZZI5L

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

Wow. Thank you! The production certainly beats the last BBR. Haven't deciphered the lyrics yet, which I guess will provide the clue to how "serious" this is. So, have you heard anything about it? Is an album forthcoming? Does she write the songs herself? Etc

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:40 (twenty years ago)

This is one of two tracks from a download-able single, I don't know much beyond this. More at http://www.sarahnixey.com/. James Banbury has a bit of a hand in it. Yeah!

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Thursday, 15 December 2005 23:48 (twenty years ago)

It would be quite a joke on Mr. Haines if Sarah Nixey actually becomes an unironic pop star now!

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 16 December 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

"The Collector" is bloody glorious. It was on Popjustice's podcast, and the way Sarah Nixey announces herself, and the way she pronounces the word "podcast", ahh, that could be a single in and of itself.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 16 December 2005 01:22 (twenty years ago)

i don't like the thought of s nixey writing her own songs; i recall an interview in which she said she'd never try writing a bbr song as she preferred lighter subject matter.

nevertheless i would love to hear this, so if any kind soul feels like sending it to my ginbox for when i next get to download music, that'd be much appreciated.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 16 December 2005 10:42 (twenty years ago)

Lex, it's there now.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 16 December 2005 12:34 (twenty years ago)

I don't necessarily dislike the thought of Nixey writing her own songs but I'm embarrassingly startled by it (in a strange way, it feels as if, I don't know, my cat started talking). I apologize profusely for the sexism inherent in what I just said.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 16 December 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 16 December 2005 17:57 (twenty years ago)

Hahaha I just heard her self-announcing bit on Popjustice and it's a masterpiece. "Pödcahst." It's as good as the "This is Sarah Nixey talking" line from "Andrew Ridgeley."

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 16 December 2005 18:06 (twenty years ago)

received, cheers ed.

i can't download pödcahsts and especially not from racistjustice, but please tell me that at some point on it she says "this is sarah nixey talking"!

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 16 December 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

On a related note, Luke Haines's new album, Off My Rocker at the High School Bop, comes out in April. He's like, better than Sarah.

― enjoy bell woods, Friday, 16 December 2005 20:39 (twenty years ago)

racistjustice

please explain?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 16 December 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Step away, Charlie, it's best you not open the can...

Lex, she says: "Hello this is Sarah Nixey. And you're listening to my single 'The Collector' on the Popjustice podcast" and it is kind of sexy. You should get the podcast though, Lex, it features the West End Girls' cover of "West End Girls" which is surprisingly triumphant.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 16 December 2005 20:55 (twenty years ago)

x-post
Yeah, what's going on? At least drop us a thread link or something. I am similarly clueless.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 16 December 2005 21:09 (twenty years ago)

Or at least a link to the podcast!

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 16 December 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

http://popjustice.libsyn.com/

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 16 December 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

please explain?

the popjustice tendency to be very disturbingly dismissive about everything which could possibly be termed 'urban' music is suspicious to me, as is the refusal to justify it and the racial undertones to some of the criticisms.

(yes i realise this is more the lamers on the racistjustice message board than pj himself, but he encourages it with his snide remarks about fiddy etc)

― The Lex (The Lex), Saturday, 17 December 2005 09:26 (twenty years ago)

that's never occurred to me before, to be honest - dismissal of "urban" != racism though! maybe r'n'b just isn't peter's cup of tea (most of it isn't mine, either). he's more of a disco chap, really.

i dunno, i've never read the board - is he complicit in these posters' views?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Saturday, 17 December 2005 09:45 (twenty years ago)

true, but he does it in a very snide, unpleasant way, and it can't really be compared to his dismissal of indie because he IS indie at root.

also given how much pop and r&b borrow off each other, a kneejerk position against one but not the other is kind of odd.

― The Lex (The Lex), Saturday, 17 December 2005 11:29 (twenty years ago)

Haines album = "Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop", ennit?

― Michael A Neuman (Ferg), Saturday, 17 December 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE.

I've let this go in the past because I really thought it was not worth dignifying with a response but I find it difficult to sit here and read people calling me racist.

What am I supposed to do here?

Anyone?

― Peter Robinson, Monday, 19 December 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

You probably shouldn't have dignified it with a response, Peter, as it's baseless, innit?

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 19 December 2005 21:30 (twenty years ago)

Basically, Lex, find me someone who isn't dismissive about lots of music they don't like. It's a very white-guilt thing (and I'm not accusing you of it, for various reasons), but there seems to be a mindset that everyone should like urban music, and I don't understand why. I mean, yes, I love "Oh" and "Gold Digger" and "Up Your Speed" as much as the next guy, but vast swathes of the genre do nothing for me, viz. any time I have to talk about a The Game single. And conflating dismissive stuff on PJ's behalf with the yes, borderline racist stuff some of the board's posters comes out with is stupid.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 19 December 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

Wow, can anyone re-YSI the Nixey track(s)? And more info on Luke Haines's new work would be great too.

PS. racistjustice has to be the silliest thing I've read on here in a long long time.

― Affectian (Affectian), Friday, 23 December 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

Seeing as it's you...

The Collector: http://s61.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=18IAZN4K29V7V0ZPOI0R3T2KQJ

Love & Exile: http://s61.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0CGGT0OIIQOJW1GO4U2XZQ469Q

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Friday, 23 December 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

Thankyou, Alex. Why are you never on teh slsk when I am!

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 23 December 2005 21:59 (twenty years ago)

"The Collector" is smmmmart! Great to hear La Nixey's voice singing something other than Haines's hoary schtick.

And Peter, I wouldn't worry - it's not like you can control who shows up on your board, anymore than ILX can...

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 23 December 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

Great to hear La Nixey's voice singing something other than Haines's hoary schtick.

Grrrr.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 23 December 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and thanks much for the YSIs, kind stranger.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Friday, 23 December 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

revive.
BBR and Eddie Argos from Art Brut head for xmas number one !
under the alias of The Black Arts.
http://www.myspace.com/fantasticplasticrecords
great and tacky with typical Haines digs and swipes.
glorious.

― mark e, Tuesday, 27 November 2007 11:19 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

quality debate

― Related Groups VICE MAGAZINE (special guest stars mark bronson), Monday, 2 February 2009 13:58 (seventeen years ago)

fourteen years pass...

25th Anniversary of England Made Me coming up apparently, but looks like you're not advised to buy the reissued vinyl

Some of you may have noticed an announcement regarding Black Box Recorder by Chrysalis Records this week. To mark the 25th anniversary of our first album, ‘England Made Me’, there will be a reissue of the album on vinyl before the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/uMgy6NAfOx
— Sarah Nixey💙 (@sarahnixey) September 21, 2023

(a thread)

― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 21 September 2023 11:56 (two years ago)

oh nice, one of my favorite albums of the era (along with it's follow up).

― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 21 September 2023 14:40 (two years ago)

two years pass...

Their Spotify streams have gone through the roof because Billie Eilish bigged up one of their songs on her socials, so now they're reforming to play their first gig since 2009.

― bored by endless ecstasy (anagram), Saturday, 6 December 2025 06:34 (five months ago)

weirdly, when i saw the show announcement, i did think "Child Psychology would be perfect sad teens audio meme for tiktoks, if the lyrics wouldn't get it banned from every algorithm"...

― . (jamiesummerz), Saturday, 6 December 2025 13:12 (five months ago)

would kind of love to see Luke Haines reaction to a large gig crowd of mainly younger people; but not sure if i can stomach £45-75

― . (jamiesummerz), Saturday, 6 December 2025 13:14 (five months ago)

i seem to recall that when mtv used to play "Child Psychology," the "kill yourself" part was edited, like the words were run backwards or somehow obscured? been wondering about that for a while

― moral ziosk (geoffreyess), Sunday, 7 December 2025 03:34 (five months ago)

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