Audio Noir
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Audio Noir
| type = studio
| artist = Bossk
| cover = Bossk - Audio Noir (2016).jpg
| alt =
| released = 1 April 2016
| recorded = In Lieu of a Studio in Battle, East Sussex, England, UK
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Post-metal, sludge metal, stoner rock{{Cite web
| title = Bossk - Audio Noir
| author =
| work = MUSIC&RIOTS Magazine
| date = 26 March 2016
| access-date = 2 December 2021
| url = http://musicandriots.com/bossk-audio-noir/
| quote =
}}
| length = 45:11
| label = Deathwish Inc.
| producer = Martin Ruffin
| prev_title = .2
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Audio Noir
| type = studio
| single1 = Kobe
| single1date = 8 February 2016
}}
}}
Audio Noir is the debut studio album by the English heavy metal band Bossk. It was recorded by Martin Ruffin at In Lieu of a Studio in Battle, East Sussex, and released via Deathwish Inc. on 1 April 2016.
Background
Audio Noir was recorded, engineered, mixed and produced at In Lieu Of A Studio in Battle, East Sussex by Martin Ruffin in the summer of 2015 and completed in September 2015.{{cite web |url= http://www.hbdirect.com/album/3107884-bossk-audio-noir-slipcase.html |title= Bossk: Audio Noir [Slipcase] |website= hbdirect.com |accessdate= April 14, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160414164807/http://www.hbdirect.com/album/3107884-bossk-audio-noir-slipcase.html |archive-date= April 14, 2016 |url-status= dead }}{{cite web|last=Ruffin |first=Martin |url=http://www.martinruffin.co.uk/ |title=News Entry - 16/09/2015 |website= martinruffin.co.uk |date=September 16, 2015 |accessdate=April 14, 2016}}{{cite web|url= http://www.martinruffin.co.uk/#!inlieuofastudio/rexld |title= IN LIEU OF A STUDIO |website= martinruffin.co.uk |accessdate=April 14, 2016}}{{cite web|url= https://bosskband.bandcamp.com/album/audio-noir |title=Audio Noir by Bossk |website= bandcamp.com |accessdate=April 14, 2016}} Premier single "Kobe" debuted on BBC's Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter and was made available for streaming on 8 February 2016. The same day the track listing and title, Audio Noir was announced and set to be released on 1 April 2016 via Deathwish Records.{{cite web|last=Bushell |first=Glen |url= http://www.punktastic.com/news/bossk-announce-new-album-audio-noir/ |title= Bossk announce new album 'Audio Noir' |website= punktastic.com |date= February 8, 2016 |accessdate=April 14, 2016}} Four days later the video for "Kobe" premiered via Nerdist along with the album art work.{{cite web |last=Bailey |first=Benjamin |url=http://nerdist.com/bossk-is-epically-heavy-in-new-video-for-kobe-premiere/ |title=Bossk is Epically Heavy in New Video for "Kobe" (Premiere) |website=nerdist.com |date=February 12, 2016 |accessdate=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217033307/http://nerdist.com/bossk-is-epically-heavy-in-new-video-for-kobe-premiere/ |archive-date=February 17, 2016 |url-status=dead }} On the day of release, the full album was streamed via BandCamp. In a press release with Terrorizer, remarking on the writing process, the band stated:{{quotation| We'd like to think a lot of what we write is unusual. We want people to go on a journey with it. It's written as one continuous piece of music, with every song flowing into the next. The end of the album also flows directly into the start of the first song. As if an endless loop. We recorded it in chunks, one instient [sic] at a time till each layer was finished in a barn with our friend [Martin Ruffin], who was a huge influence and help on the making the sound of the album. The mixing process took a lot longer than we expected with the length of the songs and how different every song was. It's hard to make 8 songs sound the same and completely different all at the same time. We've always collectively show a big interest in space, and science fiction, our previous records artwork had either a very nature based theme, or a very human theme to them. With this album Seldon Hunt helped us create the space side to our imaginations, and once again nailed the main design elements first time. As he has done on every project with us. Having him involved in this has been a huge part in the final product.{{cite web|last=Yardley |first= Miranda |url= http://www.terrorizer.com/news/bossk-stream-new-album-audio-noir/ |title=Bossk stream new album 'Audio Noir' |website= terrorizer.com |date=April 1, 2016 |accessdate=April 14, 2016}}}}
Reception
{{Album ratings
| title =
| subtitle =
| MC =
| rev1 =Dead Rhetoric
| rev2 =The Monolith
| rev3 =Music&Riots
| rev4 = New Noise Magazine
| rev4Score ={{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last= Gonzalez |first= Sean |url= http://newnoisemagazine.com/album-review-bossk-audio-noir/ |title= Album Review: Bossk – 'Audio Noir' |website= newnoisemagazine.com |date=March 31, 2016 |accessdate=April 14, 2016}}
| rev5 =NO CLEAN SINGING
}}
Upon release, Audio Noir was mostly well received and garnered largely positive reviews by fans and critics alike. Wil Cifer of No Clean Singing described that album as a "[refusal] to compose in a formulaic manner" with an "urgent sense of motion". Cifer describes the vocals as "buried in the wall of guitars they slam you into" clarifying "the anger here becomes very tangible" at times. In summation he states, "If the run-of-the-mill post-metal bands leave you wanting more than their minimalism allows, and sludge feels like cavemen screaming at you, then these guys have found you the perfect middle ground."{{cite web|last=Cifer |first=Wil |url=http://www.nocleansinging.com/2016/04/06/bossk-audio-noir/ |title=BOSSK: "AUDIO NOIR" |website=nocleansinging.com |date=April 6, 2016 |accessdate=April 14, 2016}} Simon of The Monolith gave the album a positive review stating that the album's "songs lurch from delicate, spacious and dreamy post-rock to portentous, doom-drenched, heavy riffing – often in a heartbeat.", commenting that Bossk "mean business. Serious, gorgeous business."{{cite web |author=Simon |url=http://www.themonolith.com/music/review-bossk-audio-noir/ |title=Review: Bossk – Audio Noir |website=themonolith.com |date=April 5, 2016 |accessdate=April 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416072315/http://www.themonolith.com/music/review-bossk-audio-noir/ |archive-date=April 16, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = The Reverie
| length1 = 5:20
| title2 = Heliopause
| length2 = 3:44
| title3 = Relancer
| length3 = 7:44
| title4 = Kobe
| length4 = 7:00
| title5 = Atom Smasher
| length5 = 8:33
| title6 = Nadir
| length6 = 2:31
| title7 = The Reverie II
| length7 = 10:19
|total_length = 45:11
}}
Personnel
;Bossk
- Sam Marsh – vocals
- Rob Vaughan – guitar
- Alex Hamilton – guitars
- Tom Begley – bass guitar
- Nick Corney – drums, samples
;Production
- Seldon Hunt – artwork
- Martin Ruffin – producer, mixer, engineer