Current band members are drummer Tomer Z, bassist Seffy Efrati, and keyboardist Eran Mitelman. Former band members include Chris Maitland (replaced by Tomer Z, 2004) and Daniel Salomon (replaced by Eran Mitelman, 2007).
Collaborative era:
Formed after a meeting in 2000, the partnership blossomed into a cross-cultural collaboration called Blackfield.
Aviv had discovered Porcupine Tree in the mid ‘90s and followed their career development. In 2000 he invited the band to perform some concerts in Israel and met with Steven in London to discuss working together. Before long they had collaborated on the first Blackfield song. In 2001 the two met in a studio in Tel Aviv with the intention of recording a one-off EP.
The results of the session were so impressive however, that the EP was cancelled and the decision was made to continue writing and recording a full length album. Over the next 18 months the pair fitted in Blackfield writing and recording sessions whenever they could between their other commitments and finally in October 2003 the debut album was complete.
The collaborative songs alongside songs written by each separately brought a unique meeting of cultures, which resulted in the self titled album, which was hailed at the time as 'hypnotically effective' (Classic Rock) and ‘another strike of genius from Steven Wilson’ (Eclipsed).
Blackfield II arrived in February 2007. The pair’s return was greeted by an equally enthusiastic media response with Clash describing it as ‘a lush but soulful mix of separate cultures, deep sounds and touching lyrics,’ and CMU proclaiming it as ‘simply another complete triumph from the duo.’
Geffen-led era:
In January 2009, to promote his first English-language European release, Geffen went on a small tour of Europe with the Blackfield live band, including Wilson being billed as a special guest. Half of the set consisted of songs from the then yet to be released first English language solo album by Geffen while the rest was a selection of Blackfield songs. Wilson would also appear on three tracks from the album.
In April 2010, Geffen and Wilson got into studio to begin writing the follow-up to Blackfield II. However, this time, all songs, with the exception of the track "Waving", were written by Geffen, as Wilson had been concentrating on his second solo album, Grace for Drowning, at the same time. Wilson only performed lead vocals on five of the eleven tracks, but provide backing or co-vocals on several other tracks. Their third album, Welcome to my DNA, was released on the 28th of March 2011 and supported by a European and North American tour following a kickoff concert in Israel. However, several concert dates were cancelled due to the death of Wilson's father in May 2011.
After touring for Welcome to my DNA was completed, Wilson confirmed that with Blackfield, like the majority of his other projects, he himself had no particular plans for the future, but the project wasn't necessarily over either. However, in January 2012, Geffen has announced his intentions to release a fourth Blackfield album by May 2012. This prompted Wilson to announce that his role would continue to lessen, with Wilson acting only as a contributor and mixer. Wilson said of the band's future:
"[…] just to clarify news elsewhere of a new Blackfield album coming this year – please note that this time my involvement will be as a contributor rather than a member. I will still be mixing the album, and maybe sing on a couple of Aviv’s songs (there will be other guest singers I understand), but with my complete blessing Blackfield is now under his sole curatorship, a process which really began with Welcome to My DNA."
Wilson later admitted that it was his own idea for Geffen to take over the project, because Wilson wanted to concentrate on his solo career and Porcupine Tree in 2012 and 2013, while Geffen wanted to do another Blackfield album right away in 2012, and Wilson felt guilty about holding him back.
On January 29 and January 30, both Geffen and Wilson were in the studio working on vocals and guitar for the fourth album. Wilson stated that he will contribute lead vocals to only one song, but is also contributing "a bunch of guitar parts" and "arranging backing vocals". Despite his lessened role, he still said that he was "protective of the Blackfield legacy", and that the next album would "still sound like a quintessential Blackfield album." One of the guest vocalists that Wilson had alluded to before, was revealed to be Vincent Cavanagh of the band Anathema, who recorded vocals for a track.
On June 14, 2012, Geffen announced he was in the final mixing stages of the album with Wilson.
In a September 2012 interview with Discord Magazine, Wilson reiterated his stance with Blackfield, stating:
"I won’t say producing [the fourth album], I am only helping [Geffen], a bit of singing, guitar, mixing whatever it takes but I am not going to tour, it’ll be too much, I’ll kill myself, would just run myself to the ground. I won’t tour Blackfield anymore but I will do anything to keep the name going…I just don’t think that writing the kind of style that Blackfield make is where I am at right now."
At the end of November 2012, Geffen stated that he roughly aims for an April 2013 release time frame. Wilson confirmed that he sang and played guitar on several tracks, but "much less than before", that Geffen was able to get "a bunch of great singers to contribute to the record, some of whom are quite well known", and that the album would be the first that Geffen would consent to be mixed for surround sound.
On February 25, 2013, Wilson released his third solo album, The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories), of which some copies contained a compilation sampler disc of music done by artists under record label Kscope; one track was a new track, "Pills", taken from the fourth Blackfield album.
On June 9, 2013, it was announced that the fourth album would officially be titled Blackfield IV, and its release date would be August 26, 2013.
Dissolving With the Night
Blackfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't leave a trace
I can count on one hand all my glorious days
And cry out all the rest
What an unforgettable past
From my first day to the last
I was in panic there
Dreams turn to dust
We're dissolving with the night
All the stupid bitches on their dime a day
Soon they'll fade away
Should I wear the purple dress, that's all she cares about
What a silly life she has
All these people who smile
Never cry
But it's fine with me
With their feet on the ground
Blinded by the sun
Never asking more from life
Soon I'll disappear into the deepest space
I won't leave a trace
The lyrics of Blackfield's song Dissolving With the Night explore themes of mortality, existentialism, and the fleeting nature of life. The first verse sets the tone for this contemplation of life's transience, with the singer stating that they will soon disappear into the "deepest space" and leave no trace behind. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for death or simply the idea that our lives are but brief blips in the grand scale of the universe. The singer reflects on their life, noting that they can only count a few "glorious days" and that the rest were filled with crying and disappointment.
The second verse is a commentary on society and the people around the singer. They observe that many people are content to live mediocre lives, caring only about material possessions and superficial things like the color of a dress. The singer contrasts this with their own experience, where they have witnessed dreams turning to dust and mountains collapsing. The final line "we're dissolving with the night" reinforces the idea that life is fleeting and ephemeral.
Overall, the song's lyrics offer a sobering reflection on mortality and the fleeting nature of life. It encourages listeners to consider what truly matters in life, and to not get caught up in superficial pursuits.
Line by Line Meaning
Soon I'll disappear into the deepest space
I will soon vanish into the vast unknown of the universe
I won't leave a trace
I will leave no proof or evidence of my existence
I can count on one hand all my glorious days
I have had only a few remarkable and noteworthy moments in my life
And cry out all the rest
The memories of all the other days bring me sorrow and regret
What an unforgettable past
My past is filled with memories that cannot be easily forgotten
From my first day to the last
From my birth to my impending death
I was in panic there
I experienced intense fear and anxiety in that moment
Watching mountains collapse
Seeing massive and seemingly unbreakable things crumble and be destroyed
Dreams turn to dust
My aspirations and goals have fallen apart and disintegrated
We're dissolving with the night
We are slowly and inevitably fading away with the passing of time and the darkness surrounding us
All the stupid b*tches on their dime a day
All the ignorant and foolish women living their mundane and trivial lives
Soon they'll fade away
They will soon disappear and be forgotten, just like everyone else
Should I wear the purple dress, that's all she cares about
She only worries about superficial and unimportant things like what dress to wear
What a silly life she has
Her existence is trivial and meaningless, with little substance or purpose
All these people who smile
All the individuals who put on a facade of happiness and contentment
Never cry
They never show the pain and sadness that they truly feel
But it's fine with me
It doesn't bother me that they hide their true emotions
With their feet on the ground
They are firmly planted in reality, with no desire to venture beyond their comfort zone
Blinded by the sun
They are blinded by the beauty and goodness of life, unable to see the harsh realities of the world
Never asking more from life
They are content with the mediocrity and monotony of their lives, never striving for greater achievement or ambition
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
chocolate chef bandit
I didn't like this song at all the first time I heard it. In fact, I struggled to like most of the album. I don't know what happened - and maybe that's the magic of it all - but one day I woke up with this song stuck in my head. In the morning. At work. On the drive home. I got home late at night, tired and completely exhausted, locked the door to my house and put this song on. I closed my eyes and let the emptiness fall over me. This is now one of my favorite songs off that album. Haunting.
Güneş Seyis
Same.. when i listened the whole album.. i didn’t like so much but one day i loved every song..
Al Ras
Aviv and the band are awesome...Superb. You just need a financial boost and come up with some videos for your fantastic tracks. I've ordered 2 albums on Amazon, can't wait to get them. Bravo guys..2 thumbs up. (An Iranian living in Toronto)
giulianetto
Beautiful! Album underrated. The best of the 5 Blackfield, in my opinion.
Keith Calhoun
My enjoyment of this song is tampered by the realization that I still contribute to the very decadence and myopia Aviv condemns here.
It's a beautiful song made by a person who probably hates my guts. It's a strange feeling.
rimefrostkitten
"Soon I'll disappear into the deepest space, I won't leave a trace."
Dust.
John Marston
Fucking Great Song
Fernando Acuña
just great
Güneş Seyis
Beauty..
QnTristan
1:50 - 2:17 Wow