Black Midi
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2017 in London, England |
| Founder | Geordie Greep, Cameron Picton, Morgan Simpson, Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin |
| Defunct | 2024 (indefinite hiatus) |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Black Midi (written as black midi) was a London-based English rock group formed in 2017. The final roster included lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Geordie Greep and Cameron Picton, alongside drummer Morgan Simpson. Guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin remained with the band until 2021. After his exit, multi-instrumentalist Seth Evans and saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi frequently appeared as session and touring musicians. Their name is inspired by the Japanese electronic style black MIDI, while their sound fuses elements of math rock, progressive rock, post-punk, and avant-jazz.
Originating from the Windmill scene, Black Midi released their first single "bmbmbm" in 2018 through Dan Carey's Speedy Wunderground label. Their debut album, Schlagenheim, produced by Carey and issued by Rough Trade Records in June 2019, received widespread critical praise, entered the UK Albums Chart top 50, and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. In June 2020, they independently launched The Black Midi Anthology Vol. 1: Tales of Suspense and Revenge, a collection of jams and spoken-word pieces, exclusively on Bandcamp.
After Kwasniewski-Kelvin took a break in January 2021 due to mental health concerns, the band released their second studio album, Cavalcade, in May 2021, followed by their third album, Hellfire, in July 2022.
In August 2024, Black Midi announced an indefinite hiatus as members explored individual ventures; Greep began a solo career with the well-received album The New Sound, Picton started My New Band Believe, and Simpson collaborated with jazz musician Nala Sinephro and rapper Little Simz.
Formation and early releases (2015–2019)
Prior to establishing the band, Geordie Greep engaged in jam sessions with Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin and Morgan Simpson while all attended the BRIT School. Simpson, a skilled drummer from a Jamaican musical background, earned the "Young Drummer of the Year" award in 2014. In 2016, Greep and Kwasniewski-Kelvin brought Simpson on board to create a band lineup featuring Greep and Kwasniewski-Kelvin on guitars and vocals, Simpson on drums, later joined by Cameron Picton on bass guitar. Their inaugural performance took place at Brixton's The Windmill on 12 June 2017, opening for Leg Puppy. They rose to prominence through a residency at The Windmill, becoming central figures in the Windmill scene. In April 2018, NTS broadcasted a video from an off session at Flesh and Bone studios that was subsequently officially released as "Talking Heads".
Their debut single "bmbmbm" was unveiled on Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground label on 8 June 2018. On 26 September 2018, a cassette containing parts of a May 2018 performance with Damo Suzuki at The Windmill was issued. On 9 November 2018, Black Midi performed five tracks from their then-untitled album live at Reykjavik's Kex Hostel during the Iceland Airwaves festival. This unconventional set was recorded for Seattle’s KEXP radio station and attracted online acclaim, broadening their global audience. They contributed "Ice Cream" featuring Jerskin Fendrix to a Brixton Hillbilly compilation album released on 7 December 2018. On 23 January 2019, they released their second single "Speedway," paired with a 12" vinyl that included remixes by Proc Fiskal, Kwake Bass, and Blanck Mass.
Schlagenheim and Related Endeavors (2019–2020)
In January 2019, Black Midi secured a deal with Rough Trade Records and subsequently released two singles, "Crows Perch" and "Talking Heads," in March and April respectively. Their inaugural album, Schlagenheim, was unveiled on 14 May and officially launched on 21 June 2019. The production, led by Dan Carey, who had been an early supporter of the band, broadened their sonic palette beyond their live setup by incorporating instruments such as piano, accordion, synthesizers, banjo, and drum machines. Frontman Greep highlighted their goal to introduce components that would be "impossible to perform live." The recording process was largely completed within a span of five days.
Critics widely praised Schlagenheim, earning it a Metacritic score of 82 from 20 reviews and securing a nomination for the 2019 Mercury Prize.
On 7 March 2020, Black Midi appeared at the BBC Radio 6 Music festival held in Camden. In June, they issued The Black Midi Anthology Vol. 1: Tales of Suspense and Revenge through Bandcamp, a project blending jam sessions with spoken word pieces where band members narrated short stories over instrumental backdrops. Beginning on 16 June 2020, Black Midi initiated a monthly broadcast titled The Black Midi Variety Hour on NTS Radio, producing six episodes so far.
On 10 December 2020, the group teamed up with Black Country, New Road for a charity livestream event at The Windmill, Brixton, performing under the combined name Black Midi, New Road. This concert aimed to support live music venues and required a £5 entry fee via The Windmill’s Bandcamp platform. The ensemble had previously played under this joint alias at the same venue.
Departure of Kwasniewski-Kelvin, Cavalcade and Hellfire (2021–2023)
On 15 January 2021, Black Midi revealed that guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin would be stepping back from band activities due to mental health concerns and would not participate in forthcoming recordings. Their sophomore album, Cavalcade, was announced on 23 March 2021 and released on 26 May of the same year. Accompanying the announcement was the lead single "John L", paired with the non-album track "Despair". Although Kwasniewski-Kelvin contributed as a composer on several songs, he did not take part in recording sessions; instead, touring musicians Akinnibi and Evans were involved in these sessions. A follow-up single, "Slow", was issued on 28 April alongside a performance for KEXP featuring Evans, Akinnibi, and a brass ensemble.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, the band toured extensively across Europe and North America while also performing as Orange Tree Boys, their funk blues alter ego.
On 22 March 2022, they released the digital EP Cavalcovers, which included cover versions of tracks by King Crimson, Taylor Swift, and Captain Beefheart. These covers had initially been offered as flexi-discs with pre-ordered vinyl copies of Cavalcade.
The lead single "Welcome to Hell" from their third studio album Hellfire debuted on 9 May 2022. This was followed by singles "Eat Men Eat" and "Sugar/Tzu" before the album’s release on 15 July 2022. Hellfire achieved the band’s highest UK chart position at No. 22 and marked their first appearance on US charts at No. 139.
In the autumn of 2022, Black Midi announced their "Back in Black Tour" across the United States with support from Black Country, New Road. During this tour, they introduced unreleased tracks including "The Magician" and "Askance".
Indefinite hiatus and individual endeavors (2024)
On 10 August 2024, while promoting his solo shows during an Instagram Live session, Geordie Greep typed "no more black midi" and "It's iver" in the chat, announcing that "Black Midi was an interesting band that's now indefinitely over," which ignited rumors about the band's future. Bassist Cameron Picton later confirmed the breakup on Twitter, stating that the group "agreed not to say anything about 'breaking up'" and that he was caught off guard by Greep's remarks.
Pitchfork verified through management that the band "are currently on hiatus while focusing on solo projects." The Quietus further explained that the members "decided to take a break and pursue individual work, with the understanding that the Black Midi door remains open." Greep admitted afterward that the band "hadn't really been communicating as a unit for some time prior." Internally divided before going public, they initially opted for silence, but Greep chose to confirm the split openly to prevent speculation. In a subsequent interview, he expressed doubts about management’s assertion that the door was still open.
Shortly after, Greep announced his solo debut album, The New Sound, which was released on 4 October 2024 and produced by Black Midi collaborator Seth Evans. Meanwhile, Simpson took on drumming duties for experimental jazz artist Nala Sinephro, featuring on her sophomore album, Endlessness (6 September 2024), and also contributed to both The New Sound and rapper Little Simz's sixth studio album, Lotus (2025). Picton began releasing music under the name Camera Picture, independently issuing two mixtapes on Bandcamp, titled 44m50s and 36m33s, before forming a new project called "My New Band Believe," which includes Evans on keyboards.
Musical style
Black Midi's sound has been characterized as a blend of experimental rock, art rock, progressive rock, math rock, post-punk, and avant-prog.
Personnel
Core members
- Geordie Greep – vocals, guitar, keyboards, accordion, bass (2017–2024)
- Cameron Picton – bass, vocals, flute, keyboards, guitar (2017–2024)
- Morgan Simpson – drums, percussion (2017–2024)
Former members
- Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin – guitar, vocals (2017–2020)
Touring and session contributors
- Seth "Shank" Evans – keyboards, bass, synthesizers (2020–2024)
- Kaidi Akinnibi – tenor saxophones (2020–2022)
Studio albums
| Album title | Release information | Highest chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) |
JPN | SCO | US | US Indie | ||
| Schlagenheim |
|
43 | — | 113 | 211 | 40 | — | 41 |
| Cavalcade |
|
60 | 81 | 66 | 62 | 18 | — | 48 |
| Hellfire |
|
22 | 45 | 90 | 58 | 7 | 139 | 15 |
Compilations
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| The Black Midi Anthology Vol. 1: Tales of Suspense and Revenge |
|
| Covercade |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| BM Xmas Covers |
|
| Cavalcovers |
|
Live albums/EPs
| Title | Release details |
|---|---|
| Damo Suzuki Live at the Windmill Brixton with 'Sound Carriers' black midi (featuring Damo Suzuki) |
|
| Live at KEXP |
|
| Live on Canal St, NYC ('The Pizza EP') |
|
| Black Midi Live in the USA |
|
| Live-Cade |
|
| Live Fire |
|
Singles
| Title | Release year | Associated album |
|---|---|---|
| "bmbmbm" | 2018 | Schlagenheim |
| "Speedway" | 2019 | |
| "Crow's Perch" | rowspan="2" Template:N/A | |
| "Talking Heads" | ||
| "Ducter" | Schlagenheim | |
| "7-Eleven" | rowspan="2" Template:N/A | |
| "Sweater" | 2020 | |
| "John L / Despair" | 2021 | Cavalcade |
| "Slow (Loud)" | ||
| "Chondromalacia Patella" | ||
| "Cruising" | rowspan="1" Template:N/A | |
| "Welcome to Hell" | 2022 | Hellfire |
| "Eat Men Eat" | ||
| "Sugar/Tzu" |
Other appearances
| Year | Track | Compilation or album |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Ice Cream" (collaboration with Jerskin Fendrix) | It's Briiiiiixmaaaaaas! |
| "Of Rivia (Live)" | Independent Venue Week (Live 2018) | |
| 2020 | "bmbmbm (Live)" "Extended Jam (Live)" (as "black midi, new road" alongside Black Country, New Road) |
Live at The Windmill, Brixton |
| "953 (Live)" | Live at Windmill Brixton - In Between the Lockdowns |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Album | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Speedway" | 2019 | Schlagenheim | Cameron Picton |
| "Crow's Perch" | Template:N/A | Vilhjálmur Yngvi Hjálmarsson | |
| "Ducter" | Schlagenheim | Anthony Macbain and Roxie Vizcarra | |
| "John L" | 2021 | Cavalcade | Nina McNeely |
| "Slow" | Gustaf Holtenäs | ||
| "Chondromalacia Patella" | Vilhjálmur Yngvi Hjálmarsson | ||
| "Welcome To Hell" | 2022 | Hellfire | Gustaf Holtenäs |
| "Eat Men Eat" | Maxim Kelly | ||
| "Sugar/Tzu" | Noel Paul |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Entry | Outcome | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AIM Independent Music Awards | UK Independent Breakthrough Artist | Black Midi | ||
| 2020 | Libera Awards | Libera Award for Marketing Genius | Schlagenheim | ||
| 2021 | Mercury Prize | Album of the Year | |||
| 2022 | 2022 UK Music Video Awards | Best Alternative Video - UK | "Sugar/Tzu" | ||
| "Eat Men Eat" | |||||
| Best Editing in a Video | |||||
| "Sugar/Tzu" | |||||
| Best Cinematography in a Video | |||||
| Best Animation in a Video | "Welcome to Hell" | ||||
| 2023 | 2023 Libera Awards | Best Heavy Record | Hellfire | ||
| Best Short-Form Video | Hellfire TikTok Promotion | ||||
| 2023 | Berlin Music Video Awards | Best Editor | Sugar/Tzu | Win |
} External links
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- Articles with short description
- Math rock groups
- English noise rock groups
- English math rock groups
- Musical groups established in 2017
- Musical groups disestablished in 2024
- 2017 establishments in England
- 2024 disestablishments in England
- English experimental rock groups
- Rough Trade Records artists
- People educated at the BRIT School