Black Boots

Las Vegas based electronica based duo, Black Boots, has more to offer you than just two sets of shiny black boots. These guys got signed to Ultra in hopes of bringing their substance based EDM to the masses. Normally, this is the part of the post where we talk about how these two came together, but we have something even better for you. If you glance below, you’ll see an exclusive interview awaiting you. So, don’t take our word for how Black Boots was formed, instead read what they had to say about how they came together, who they admire in the scene, and what each of them brings to the table when coming up with new tracks!

TMN: We want to know how this project came about. Tell us how you two met?

It was cosmic coincidence. Universal magnetism.

We were standing at the precipice of chaos in our lives and we randomly crossed paths and became roommates. From there we spent more time together and it was very apparent that there was a deep connection on both an artistic and philosophical level. After that, it was only a matter of time until the concept of Black Boots came to fruition.

TMN: on the single “Flash Of Light,” it seems like you guys really take your time whenever you release a new single. Walk us through the production cycle of every track. What do you think each of you bring to the table when it comes to producing a new sound?

Thank you for the kind words.

We focus all of our energy on writing songs with substance and purpose, and the writing process is a deeply intense experience in which we are taking the physical and emotional climate of our lives and purging that to record. The songs we write carry a very personal message and emotional attachment that we hope will resonate with people and create a genuine connection. We spend countless hours in our creative space revisiting ideas and fine-tuning the instrumentals and vocals because they need to be perfect in our eyes. We are perfectionists.
TMN: If you could only describe your sound in 3 words, what would they be?

Provocative, Flammable, Orgasmic.

TMN: Who in the current EDM scene do you look up to, and who are you most eager to collaborate with?

We have a lot of respect for guys that are doing their own thing and aren’t necessarily subscribing to chasing formulas or trending sounds. Collaborations are such an exciting and essential process of making music. There really is a wealth of information out there and we are certainly eager to learn from other artists. At the moment we have our eye on working with artists like Tommy Trash, Calvin Harris, and Wolfgang Gartner, to name a few, but our doors and minds are always open.

TMN: If your music were a Vegas hotel, which one would it be?

Whichever one is most glamorous on the outside, but dark and seedy on the inside.

TMN: What can we expect for 2013? Will you guys be touring?

Black Boots will be invading the airwaves and marching through many cities in the next year. We have a lot of unreleased material, videos, artwork, and concepts that will be coming your way soon. Hope to see you all out there. - The Music Ninja

Las Vegas based electronica based duo, Black Boots, has more to offer you than just two sets of shiny black boots. These guys got signed to Ultra in hopes of bringing their substance based EDM to the masses. Normally, this is the part of the post where we talk about how these two came together, but we have something even better for you. If you glance below, you’ll see an exclusive interview awaiting you. So, don’t take our word for how Black Boots was formed, instead read what they had to say about how they came together, who they admire in the scene, and what each of them brings to the table when coming up with new tracks!

TMN: We want to know how this project came about. Tell us how you two met?

It was cosmic coincidence. Universal magnetism.

We were standing at the precipice of chaos in our lives and we randomly crossed paths and became roommates. From there we spent more time together and it was very apparent that there was a deep connection on both an artistic and philosophical level. After that, it was only a matter of time until the concept of Black Boots came to fruition.

TMN: on the single “Flash Of Light,” it seems like you guys really take your time whenever you release a new single. Walk us through the production cycle of every track. What do you think each of you bring to the table when it comes to producing a new sound?

Thank you for the kind words.

We focus all of our energy on writing songs with substance and purpose, and the writing process is a deeply intense experience in which we are taking the physical and emotional climate of our lives and purging that to record. The songs we write carry a very personal message and emotional attachment that we hope will resonate with people and create a genuine connection. We spend countless hours in our creative space revisiting ideas and fine-tuning the instrumentals and vocals because they need to be perfect in our eyes. We are perfectionists.
TMN: If you could only describe your sound in 3 words, what would they be?

Provocative, Flammable, Orgasmic.

TMN: Who in the current EDM scene do you look up to, and who are you most eager to collaborate with?

We have a lot of respect for guys that are doing their own thing and aren’t necessarily subscribing to chasing formulas or trending sounds. Collaborations are such an exciting and essential process of making music. There really is a wealth of information out there and we are certainly eager to learn from other artists. At the moment we have our eye on working with artists like Tommy Trash, Calvin Harris, and Wolfgang Gartner, to name a few, but our doors and minds are always open.

TMN: If your music were a Vegas hotel, which one would it be?

Whichever one is most glamorous on the outside, but dark and seedy on the inside.

TMN: What can we expect for 2013? Will you guys be touring?

Black Boots will be invading the airwaves and marching through many cities in the next year. We have a lot of unreleased material, videos, artwork, and concepts that will be coming your way soon. Hope to see you all out there. - The Music Ninja

Lightknife calls himself a child of rock 'n' roll, and yet he's a DJ.

Counterintuitive?

Not really.

Not any more.

Intermingling rock and dance music is far from an unprecedented concept, as plenty of rock bands have made themselves dance floor friendly (early Killers, The Rapture) while numerous electronic-minded acts have embraced rock bombast (Justice, LCD Soundsystem).

But Vegas' Black Boots, Lightknife (aka Pedi Amiri) and former Afghan Raiders singer Mikey Francis, are attempting to fashion a more organic hybrid of the two.

Amiri has described the Boots as having an electronic body and a rock 'n' roll soul, and that's a fitting characterization.

Take the band's first single, "Rebels in the Night." With Francis singing of living fast and dying young over a hydraulic beat and effervescent synth lines, the song mates a rock swagger with an insistent dance music propulsiveness.

"There's this void, I felt, in electronic music that was growing with the DJ culture," Francis says. "There's this lack of a live element, that rock 'n' roll icon thing. It was becoming lost. I think we were pretty concise in deciding that we wanted to do an EDM project that was both friendly for the DJ world and for the dance world, but also for rock fans."

For Amiri, a producer as well as a DJ, Black Boots is a chance to explore a different kind of songwriting.

"It allowed me to really tap into myself as a more full-bodied musician, making songs that can relate to people of all kinds, instead of people who are more in tune with underground dance music," he says. "Can you dance to them? Yeah. Can you relate to them? Yes. Can you listen to them in the bedroom? Sure."

The duo, who have been writing together since the summer of 2011, are making their live debut at Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel on Saturday, opening for French alt-electronica troupe M83, who are performing a DJ set. They inked a deal with heavyweight dance music label Ultra Music earlier in the year, and are working toward the release of their first full-length.

Judging by the relentlessly anthemic "Rebels in the Night," you might actually be able to hear these two on the radio in the near future, a day they didn't see coming.

"Mikey and I come from this place where we made music that I would say wouldn't necessarily hit a mainstream crowd before. But everyone from the indie kids to the mainstream audiences seem to be enjoying the stuff that we've been making," Amiri says, not wanting to put too fine a point on things. "We make songs; that's the bottom line."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. - Review Journal

Bucking the trend of the Facebook-obsessed EDM generation, Vegas producers Black boots have eschewed all the trappings of social networking, making their blossoming fan base all the more impressive. Fusing a rock-n-roll attitude with a dance floor focus, their signing with Ultra Records this year means they’ll be making even more noise next year. - VIBE

(See Magazine Article) April 2013 Issue #297 - Alternative Press

Dynamic EDM duo Black Boots are out with their new video for “Streetwalker.” The clip is full of bust-outs, break-ins, runaways and of course, dancing. - MTV

New Ultra Records signees Black Boots aren’t the typical EDM outfit. The Las Vegas-based duo--producer Lightknife and vocalist/producer Mikey Francis--eschews neon for black leather, abandons mainstream polish for a punk aesthetic, and aims not only to move crowds but to create a movement. Lightknife and Francis’ sound joins full-bodied electronic production with raw indie-pop vocals, all fueled by a devil-may-care, rock ‘n’ roll attitude.

The group’s first single “Rebels in the Night” was accompanied by a video that laid bare their vision. Directed by Jeremy Cloe, the clip features the group as crusaders against censorship, fighting an anonymous white-suited task force for freedom of expression. Follow-up “Flash of Light” sees the continuation of the group’s dystopian story and Cloe’s direction.

The clip casts the viewer as part of the Black Boots movement. The jarring first-person journey brings the viewer from an idyllic summertime swim, to a Black Boots rave, and then into the clutches of the group’s opposition.

“This character has been brought in by the task force that’s against Black Boots,” explains Cloe. “Once [the character] is inside this organization, the machines start trying to erase their memories and control their thoughts. And they’re fighting against that and ultimately not letting [the task force] control their thoughts.”

It’s heady stuff, but “the group didn’t want to be pigeonholed by typical EDM-type music videos,” says Cloe. “We both share similar tastes in what we like in videos, and we just wanted to tell a story that fit into the vein of the style of the band. It says more about them than doing the typical thing with lasers, and having them performing in front of a Hummer with girls in bikinis.” - BILLBOARD