Introduction, selection and commentaries by Wagner Hertzog
Robert Card, better known as Blackmill, is a melodic dubstep artist from Carrbridge, Scotland, that for almost a decade now is considered one of the most iconic and relevant artists — if not the greatest of them all — of the electronic music subgenre known as melodic dubstep, a style of music whose development, at least initially, was entirely dependent on his talent. Having consolidated a reputation in the underground scene as one of the foremost references in this subgenre, Blackmill remains among the most vital artists ever to exist in the subterranean corners of independent music.
When his tracks started to acquire notoriety and momentum — in the very beginning of the decade —, the artist started to take more seriously his talent for creating and producing his own rendering of dubstep: precisely, a more melodic, dynamic, colorful and, at least to a certain degree, profusely vibrant, dilated and upbeat style. With some melancholic tendencies, some would describe.
Soon after his reputation as a promising talent on the rise was established, Blackmill rapidly captivated the attention of a large audience, after he remixed Your Song, the cover version that English singer Ellie Goulding released of an Elton John song. After this, he became immediatelly recognized by the underground as a primordial reference of dubstep, and a majestic icon of electronic music.
When his tracks started to acquire notoriety and momentum — in the very beginning of the decade —, the artist started to take more seriously his talent for creating and producing his own rendering of dubstep: precisely, a more melodic, dynamic, colorful and, at least to a certain degree, profusely vibrant, dilated and upbeat style. With some melancholic tendencies, some would describe.
Soon after his reputation as a promising talent on the rise was established, Blackmill rapidly captivated the attention of a large audience, after he remixed Your Song, the cover version that English singer Ellie Goulding released of an Elton John song. After this, he became immediatelly recognized by the underground as a primordial reference of dubstep, and a majestic icon of electronic music.
One of the few rare pictures taken of Robert Card "Blackmill"
Since Robert has married some years ago, and now he is a father, he became a family man, especially devoted to his wife and son. Learning how to properly deal with the graceful joy of paternity, he hasn't had much time for music in recent years. Despite the fact that he is an amazingly talented musician, creating music never was anything more than a hobby to him. Nevertheless, his music is still out there, captivating people everyday, for our delight and amusement. If you by any chance doesn't know Blackmill, I would be happy to introduce you to his music. Below, I selected nine songs and one album, which will surely leave you in the clouds if you enjoy this genre of music. I'm sure Robert Card's graceful, serene, sensible and diluted style of dubstep will leave you floating over the universe's dense and pristine sonorous contingencies.
Miracle
Miracle is one of my favorite Blackmill songs. With a diluted, dense, beautifully melodic and proverbially melancholic style, this graceful song will introduce you directly to the glorious joy of serenity, where the soul can rest with a modest, even restrained hidden exhilaration, that will satisfy your emotional uneasiness, under the splendid universe of its own dissipated harmonies. A very gracious song, it's impossible to hear only once.
Rain
Rain is another splendid, fantastic, gracefully conceived song. With delightful harmonies — whose soft vitality has the ability to evaporate the sky in the illusory drowsiness of a sonorous paradise —, the beautiful melodies of this formidable, poetic and sensitive tune immediately captivates the listener.
Its smoothly melancholic tonalities invites the horizon to sleep for a thousand years, just to wake up in a colorful dream of everlasting universes, where the splendorous perception of infinite sensibilities anticipates the somnolence of a dying soul, that seeks the introspective tendencies of its own fugacious strength. Definitely, a marvelous song — with a singular injunction of melodic despondency —, that the genre rarely produces, nowadays.
Its smoothly melancholic tonalities invites the horizon to sleep for a thousand years, just to wake up in a colorful dream of everlasting universes, where the splendorous perception of infinite sensibilities anticipates the somnolence of a dying soul, that seeks the introspective tendencies of its own fugacious strength. Definitely, a marvelous song — with a singular injunction of melodic despondency —, that the genre rarely produces, nowadays.
Lucid Truth
Lucid Truth probably is the most beautiful and sentimental song ever written by Blackmill. With gloriously designed poetic harmonies — that levitates above the tenacity of its proverbially affable, dynamic and perfectly synchronized melancholic tonalities —, this wonderfully sensational and magnificent song paradoxically carries on the simplicity of its nature all the grandiosity of its majestic artistry.
With a lucid vitality that comprehends the sensible substance of its sonorous splendor, the harmonies subdue the sobriety of the rhythm's mathematical fervor, with the aim to capture the sensitivity hidden within the melodie's structure. Definitely, a wonderfully fantastic song, Lucid Truth is an anthem of hope and optimism, that rescues all the beauty that resides in the apparent uneasiness of the human nature.
With a lucid vitality that comprehends the sensible substance of its sonorous splendor, the harmonies subdue the sobriety of the rhythm's mathematical fervor, with the aim to capture the sensitivity hidden within the melodie's structure. Definitely, a wonderfully fantastic song, Lucid Truth is an anthem of hope and optimism, that rescues all the beauty that resides in the apparent uneasiness of the human nature.
Relentless
Despite being a very short song, Relentless is also another one of my favorite Blackmill songs. With a very strong melody — and an exceptional musical layout —, this majestic masterpiece is a fabulous example of how magnificent, but at the same time exceedingly simple, a song can be.
Displaying a consistent, but graceful style, this wonderful tune it's an undisputed example of the artist's talent, that showcases how Blackmill manages to be pervasive, belligerent and pungent, while concomitantly being graceful, poetic and sensible. Unquestionably, an attestation of creative grandiosity, that confirms his splendorous uniqueness and objective sagacity.
Displaying a consistent, but graceful style, this wonderful tune it's an undisputed example of the artist's talent, that showcases how Blackmill manages to be pervasive, belligerent and pungent, while concomitantly being graceful, poetic and sensible. Unquestionably, an attestation of creative grandiosity, that confirms his splendorous uniqueness and objective sagacity.
Friend
Friend was never a favorite; nevertheless, its a beautiful, homely and very sentimental song, whose marvelous harmonies certainly captivate with sincere depth the listener's sensitivity, by virtue of the unequivocally expansive and honest sonorous apex of the melody's atmosphere.
Skippin' 'n' Trippin'
A song with a more unorthodox approach in what concerns style and rhythm, Skippin' 'n' Trippin's audacious experimental nature is typical of Blackmill's random creative experiences. With an almost trip hop musical beat, this song features some elements unusual for the artist, that occasionally felt the desire to explore more extravagant, eccentric and bizarre musical horizons.
Nevertheless, the end result on this tune turned out to be quite exceptional, to say the least. The effusive, distinct and quite uplifting musical melodies work out well, and the overall rhythmic dissonances conceive a beat that definitely adds a very unusual but organic joy to the sound.
Nevertheless, the end result on this tune turned out to be quite exceptional, to say the least. The effusive, distinct and quite uplifting musical melodies work out well, and the overall rhythmic dissonances conceive a beat that definitely adds a very unusual but organic joy to the sound.
A Reach For Glory
A Reach For Glory is a masterpiece — possibly, the most whimsical, complex, glorious and splendid song Blackmill has ever conceived, in his entire musical career. With a poetic, but sentimental sonorous alignment whose diffusive melodies undertakes a sensible journey throughout the sincere ambivalence of its paradoxically honest and objective harmonies, this sensational song communicates the extent of the artist's imperative creative ambitions.
His philosophical, but at the same time impulsive artistic tendencies frequently reflects his instinctive introspective search for serenity, which does not hesitate to create poetic universes of unbreakable contemplative calmness, whose expansive atmosphere ostensibly delegates to his peculiar nature the desire to explore a more tangential perspective of creative diligence. So — given the circumstances —, a sound with this superb level of proficient virtues invariably would be a plausible result.
His philosophical, but at the same time impulsive artistic tendencies frequently reflects his instinctive introspective search for serenity, which does not hesitate to create poetic universes of unbreakable contemplative calmness, whose expansive atmosphere ostensibly delegates to his peculiar nature the desire to explore a more tangential perspective of creative diligence. So — given the circumstances —, a sound with this superb level of proficient virtues invariably would be a plausible result.
Journey's End
A decisively melancholic and sentimental song, Journey's End is a very beautiful anthem of sensibility and splendor, that perfectly summarizes the gracious, voluble and majestic musical style of Blackmill.
Though it is not as expansive, dense or artistically ambitious as the others, Journey's End still manages to be a beautiful tune, that gracefully embraces the splendid vitality of an emotional rapture, with a restrained and permissive sincerity, that expresses in the horizon of its vivid harmonies a refined sense of serene melancholy, that slowly manages to revolve around the elegant dilemma of a poignant mortality, and progressively circumnavigates the diluted and sensible paralysis of a fragile reality, that dies between the graceful melodies of the song.
Though it is not as expansive, dense or artistically ambitious as the others, Journey's End still manages to be a beautiful tune, that gracefully embraces the splendid vitality of an emotional rapture, with a restrained and permissive sincerity, that expresses in the horizon of its vivid harmonies a refined sense of serene melancholy, that slowly manages to revolve around the elegant dilemma of a poignant mortality, and progressively circumnavigates the diluted and sensible paralysis of a fragile reality, that dies between the graceful melodies of the song.
Home
Despite the fact that Home is a more technical song, its vibrant, soft and sober musical tonalities makes its formidably gracious and diluted sonorous atmosphere to be exceptionally lucid, sensible and pronouncedly pungent. The natural perceptive calmness displayed by the sound invariably recognizes in the inherently peaceful atmosphere of the song the graceful serenity of its own profoundly tenacious vitality.
Miracle (Full Album)
Last, but not least, a full album, Miracle, an incredible, elegant and gloriously splendid masterpiece, with amazingly sensational features, like no other work in the history of the genre.
With eleven tracks — Miracle, Spirit Of Life, Let It Be, Embrace, Don't Let Me Down, My Love, The Drift, Lucid Truth, Love At Heart, Sarajevo and Fortune Soul —, the sound of this album summarizes with grandiosity the marvelous and spectacular style of Blackmill. Decisive to conceive melodic dubstep as we know it, Miracle is a tremendously fantastic state of the art work, with no faults, defects, inhibitions or limitations whatsoever. Certainly, a work of the highest competence, that deserves to have its place of honor in history.
With eleven tracks — Miracle, Spirit Of Life, Let It Be, Embrace, Don't Let Me Down, My Love, The Drift, Lucid Truth, Love At Heart, Sarajevo and Fortune Soul —, the sound of this album summarizes with grandiosity the marvelous and spectacular style of Blackmill. Decisive to conceive melodic dubstep as we know it, Miracle is a tremendously fantastic state of the art work, with no faults, defects, inhibitions or limitations whatsoever. Certainly, a work of the highest competence, that deserves to have its place of honor in history.
I sincerely hope you have enjoyed Blackmill, as much as I do. If you by any chance didn't knew melodic dubstep, be sure I did my best for you to enjoy the experience. Robert Card "Blackmill" is one of the most superb, excellent and formidable artists ever to rise on this genre, a genre that exists today, mostly, by the grace of his artistic and creative virtues.
Regardless the fact that today Blackmill is mostly inactive, because — being a father, a husband, a family man — he doesn't have the time anymore to dedicate himself to music, at least not as much as he used to, this doesn't compromise his exceptional legacy, nor erase the graceful songs he has made, which we can listen for free online. I certainly wish all the best to the artist, hoping that someday, if circumstances allow, he may return to music, to create more of the formidable compositions with which he has gifted us so much. However, if this does not happen, I still wish him all the happiness in the world. He undoubtedly deserves it.
With that being said, let me write as final words: Thank you so much for those marvelous melodies of yours, Robert Card "Blackmill"! I — together with an expressive legion of enthusiasts —, will continue to be delighted in the glorious anthems you have created for our joy and amusement.
Wagner
Regardless the fact that today Blackmill is mostly inactive, because — being a father, a husband, a family man — he doesn't have the time anymore to dedicate himself to music, at least not as much as he used to, this doesn't compromise his exceptional legacy, nor erase the graceful songs he has made, which we can listen for free online. I certainly wish all the best to the artist, hoping that someday, if circumstances allow, he may return to music, to create more of the formidable compositions with which he has gifted us so much. However, if this does not happen, I still wish him all the happiness in the world. He undoubtedly deserves it.
With that being said, let me write as final words: Thank you so much for those marvelous melodies of yours, Robert Card "Blackmill"! I — together with an expressive legion of enthusiasts —, will continue to be delighted in the glorious anthems you have created for our joy and amusement.
Wagner
