New York dark heavy since 2018 — LarkFest to Magnetic Eye to the lockdown-forged trilogy 'Trewartha', 'Clean', 'Apotrepo'.
HYBRID — legit disclosure: AI/production tools used on specific tracks. No ghostwriters. 'Trewartha', 'Clean', and 'Apotrepo' are the modern-era lineup (Vitali / Andrew K / Greg O — no David Tyo on these tracks).
Black Electric arrived playing, not posting: formed in 2018 in the Albany orbit (Voorheesville, NY), on stage at LarkFest by September 2019 and at Pauly's Hotel with High Reeper the next night, with the self-titled debut out on Magnetic Eye Records that fall. The follow-up 'Utopian Hymns' was tracked at Tyo Mixes across the winter of 2019–20 and released independently on May 22, 2020, just as the world shut down. The lockdowns became the woodshed: writing and production started on three full records — 'Trewartha', 'Clean', and 'Apotrepo' — which landed years later in a six-week salvo to open 2025 on American Record. Modern-era credits: Vitali with the New Orleans (Andrew K) and Los Angeles (Greg O) network; the early era was Vitali, Mike Langone (vocals), and David Tyo (drums, engineering, production).
Black Electric forms in 2018: Michael Vitali (vocals, guitar, bass, electric piano), Mike Langone (vocals), David Tyo (drums, engineering, production at Tyo Mixes). Live lineup adds George Lipscom, Zack Cohen, Stew Overocker.
September 21, 2019 — LarkFest, Albany NY, one of the Northeast's biggest free street festivals; Pauly's Hotel with High Reeper the following night (per The Obelisk). Photographed by Kiki Vassilakis.
Digital August 18; CD/LP via Magnetic Eye Records November 17, 2019 (vinyl MGEY72.1, 2021).
Tracked at Tyo Mixes Oct 2019–Mar 2020, released independently May 22, 2020 — right as the lockdowns fell.
During the lockdowns, writing and production begin on three full records at once — the material that becomes 'Trewartha', 'Clean', and 'Apotrepo' — with the New Orleans (Andrew K) and Los Angeles (Greg O) network.
'Trewartha' (Jan 2), 'Clean' (Jan 16), 'Apotrepo' (Feb 13) — 37 tracks, released on American Record, years after the lockdown sessions that forged them.
The self-titled debut — digital August 18, 2019; CD/LP via Magnetic Eye Records November 17, 2019; vinyl MGEY72.1, March 12, 2021. All songs written by Mike Vitali/Black Electric. Produced and engineered by David Tyo at Tyo Mixes. The Obelisk: 'Albany heavy blues rockers Black Electric have emerged with a stripped-down, hook-centric debut that's as catchy as it is understated.' Debut live lineup: Mike Vitali / Mike Langone / George Lipscom / Zack Cohen / Stew Overocker.
Tracked at Tyo Mixes across the winter of 2019–20 — nine months into the band's life — and released independently May 22, 2020 as lockdown fell. Darker hymns, deeper grooves: 'The Sea' swells Crazy Horse-tall, and 'StewBall' sets Lead Belly's public-domain words to new music. 12" LP in Color-in-Color and TriColor variants plus CD, sold via Bandcamp. Timings from the vinyl-preview masters in the estate vault.
Alice in Chains' 43-second interlude, covered for Magnetic Eye's 'Dirt [Redux]' compilation — The Obelisk: 'here covered by Black Electric, which features Magnetic Eye Records' own Mike Vitali (also ex-Ironweed and Greatdayforup) on guitar.'
Released January 2, 2025 on American Record (Albany, NY). 14 tracks. Canonical listing on the Black Electric catalog.
Released January 16, 2025 on American Record (Albany, NY). 11 tracks. Canonical listing on the Black Electric catalog.
Released February 13, 2025 on American Record (Albany, NY). 12 tracks. Canonical listing on the Black Electric catalog.
“Albany heavy blues rockers Black Electric have emerged with a stripped-down, hook-centric debut that's as catchy as it is understated.” The Obelisk · 2019 · Black Electric debut album due on vinyl Nov. 17; streaming now
“Bluesy refrains drenched in fuzz and fronted by clean distinctive semi stoned vocal tones.” Desert Psychlist
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