The Drop: Blaqk Audio

Davey Havok and Jade Puget of multi-platinum rock band AFI have announced an April 15 release for MATERIAL (Blaqknoise/Kobalt), the new album from the duo’s electronic alter ego, Blaqk Audio. Produced and recorded by Puget, Material is Blaqk Audio’s third release following 2012’s Bright Black Heaven and 2007’s Cexcells. While they’re best known for their work with AFI, Havok and Puget’s shared love of electronic music runs deep. Havok, who counts Devo’s Freedom of Choice and Duran Duran’s self-titled debut among the first albums he owned, saw his tastes evolve over the years from the synth pop of Erasure and Pet Shop Boys to Depeche Mode and ultimately to the heavier, darker Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Front 242 and Lords of Acid. Puget shared his bandmate’s long-standing love of electronic music, beginning with a passion for Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Ministry, Squarepusher, Nitzer Ebb, and Front 242, spending a great deal of time programming electronic music, which in turn led to a plan to start an entirely electronic side project: no organic instruments, just synths, keyboards, drum machines, and software. “Being huge music fans and fundamentally driven by music in a creative sense, BA is a wonderful outlet for our long-standing love of electronic music,” says Havok. “Were it not for BA, I’d still be writing this type of music, even if it never saw the light of day.” Prior to kicking off their tour in San Diego on May 4, the GRAMMY Museum welcomes Blaqk Audio to the Clive Davis Theater for an intimate conversation on their new album, hosted by Scott Goldman, Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares. The conversation will be followed by a special performance.