Black Asteroid

Black Asteroid is the solo guise of Bryan Black, best known as one-half of industrial techno duo MOTOR. While MOTOR’s work is vocal-based and more overtly influenced by the aggressive EBM sound of Nitzer Ebb and D.A.F., Black Asteroid focuses on the dancefloor, with distorted, driving techno beats and few, if any, vocals. Originally from Minneapolis, Black worked at Paisley Park Studios as a sound designer for Prince and was a member of ’90s industrial groups H3llb3nt and Haloblack. He started MOTOR with former bandmate Olivier Grasset, and the duo released a string of successful albums on NovaMute, Shitkatapult, and Dim Mak, in addition to touring with Depeche Mode in 2009. Black Asteroid debuted in 2011 with The Engine EP, released by CLR (who subsequently released MOTOR’s Man Made Machine full-length). Further EPs and remix 12″s followed on CLR and Electric Deluxe, including Black Acid (2012), Grind (2013), and Metal (2014). Black Asteroid remixed songs by Depeche Mode, British Electric Foundation, Marco Bailey, and numerous lesser-known techno producers. The 2014 EP Black Moon featured two songs sung by Cold Cave’s Wesley Eisold. The EP’s title track anchored another EP, released in 2016 by Pitch Black, which included additional mixes and the previously unreleased cut “Frantic.” In 2017, Black Asteroid signed to Last Gang and released the single “Howl,” featuring vocals by Zola Jesus. The track appeared on full-length debut Thrust, which also included several tracks featuring Cold Cave. ~ Paul Simpson