Pitchblack Playback
Pitchblack Playback is a deep listening event founded in 2006{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2017/09/12/this-is-what-its-like-to-listen-to-music-in-the-dark-with-your-other-senses-taken-away-6910186/|title=This is what it's like to listen to your favourite album blindfolded in a cinema|date=September 12, 2017}} held primarily in London and occasionally in other cities across the world where audiences listen to new, upcoming and classic album releases in the dark.
{{Cite web|url=https://www.whathifi.com/features/pitchblack-playback-the-world-premiere-of-daniel-averys-illusion-of-time-at-l-isa|title=Pitchblack Playback: Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini's 'Illusion of Time' premieres at L-ISA|first=Becky Scarrott 04|last=March 2020|website=whathifi|date=4 March 2020 }} The events are generally held in seated cinema spaces and the audience wear blindfolds{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/14/pitch-black-playback-music-in-the-dark|title=Dancing in the dark: the growing trend of gigs with the lights off|first=Arwa|last=Haider|work=The Guardian |date=October 14, 2016|via=www.theguardian.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.decademag.com/decade/2018/10/21/tame-impala-currents-pitchblack-playback-review|title=Tame Impala | Currents | Pitchblack Playback Review|website=Decade.}} in addition to the lights in the room being switched off.
The event was created by London DJ, producer and entrepreneur, Ben Gomori and has been held in cities including New York, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo and Los Angeles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatre/2019/08/dancing-dark-why-people-are-paying-listen-albums-full-blindfolded|title=Dancing in the dark: why people are paying to listen to albums in full, blindfolded|website=www.newstatesman.com|date=9 August 2019 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundandvision.com/content/qobuz-and-pitchblack-playback-bring-all-dark-listening-sessions-nyc|title=Qobuz and Pitchblack Playback Bring 'All-in-the-Dark' Listening Sessions to NYC|date=January 17, 2020|website=Sound & Vision}}
Album premieres
Pitchblack Playback has held world and regional premieres for albums including Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini's 'Illusion Of Time', Andrew Bayer's 'In My Life',{{Cite web|url=https://www.aol.com/article/entertainment/2018/08/24/pitchblack-playback-features-andrew-bayers-new-album-in-us-debut-for-immersive-music-experience/23508528/|title=Program lets music fans hear albums debuted in movie theaters -- while blindfolded|first=A. O. L.|last=Staff|website=AOL.com}} the Record Store Day vinyl edition of Ian Brown's 'Solarized'{{Cite web|url=http://www.tntmagazine.com/london/music/record-store-day-fever|title=Record Store Day fever|website=TNT Magazine|date=15 April 2016 }} and 'LoveLaws' by Warpaint member Theresa Wayman under the moniker TT.{{Cite web|url=http://islingtontribune.com/article/festival-puts-music-films-in-the-spotlight|title=Festival puts music films in the spotlight|website=Islington Tribune}}
Partnerships
Pitchblack Playback partnered with the inaugural Record Store Day offshoot National Album Day in October 2018 for an afternoon of free-to-attend playbacks in London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalalbumday.co.uk/news/pitchblack-playbacks-the-ultimate-album-listening-experience/|title=AIM Pitchblack Playback National Album Day | National Album Day|date=28 September 2018 }} They partnered with the British Film Institute as part of the 2019 London Film Festival to host free-to-attend playbacks for classic albums by Fela Kuti and Miles Davis.{{Cite web|url=https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/musiclffforfree|title=LFF For Free: Music|website=BFI London Film Festival 2019}}{{dead link|date=October 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}