Well, even projects steeped in circuitry and synthesis benefit from complementary personalities, and my guess is that the partnership forged between Mike Hodgson and Paddy Free back in 1996 has worked in innumerable ways to keep the duo’s sleek grooves ticking.
Paddy Free - electronics, programming
Mike Hodgson - electronics, visuals
Free’s mind was melted well before Pitch Black, when he worked on Killing Joke’s trance-oriented 1994 album, Pandemonium. This was his introduction to programming, engineering and production. Later, he would work with Crowded House, Neil Finn, Supergroove, Emma Paki, Stellar* and others; and he would win a Best Producer award for his work with Salmonella Dub on The Dub Plates album.
Pitch Black’s music has been used on several television shows, including True Blood and, improbably, CSI: Miami.
Mike Hodgson’s Misled Convoy ambient project performed in “quadrophonic” sound at Gary Steel’s record shop/venue, Beautiful Music, in 1999. Ben Harris released a limited edition CD of the event on his Systematic label.
Paddy Free released his collaboration of taonga pūoro-influenced sounds with Richard Nunns, Karekare: Te Reo O Te Whenua (Dub Conspiracy) in 2008.