When Chris Stewart set out to write and record his third album as Black Marble, he was newly living in Los Angeles, fresh o a move from New York. The environment brought much excitement and possibility, but the distance had proved too much for the car he brought along. With it out of commission indefinitely, he purchased a bus pass and planned his daily commute from his Echo Park apart- ment to his downtown studio, where he began to shape Bigger Than Life. The route wound all through the city, from the small local shops of Echo Park to the rising glass of the business district, to the desperation of Skid Row. The hurried energy of the environment provided a backdrop for the daily trip. When Stewart finally arrived at his studio, he'd look through his window at the mountains and the sky, seeing the beauty that makes L.A. unique - the same beauty his fellow commuters, some pushed to the edge of human endurance, had seen. That was the headspace he was in when he began to map out the syncopated drums and staccato arpeggiation of Bigger Than Life, an ode to his new condition and a shim- mering synth-pop response to it's cacophony. As with every Black Marble album, Stewart recorded, produced, and played everything you hear on Bigger Than Life using entirely analog gear, though the process was new. This time around, he wrote everything on his MPC and sequenced it lie to his synths - only using the computer to record, not to create. "I try new approaches every time, which helps me stay engaged but also it's kind of a trick I play on the creative side of my brain," Stewart says. "Keeping one side of my mind busy on organizational creativity I think frees up the other side where the inspirational creativity comes from."
Release date:
June 17, 2022
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
-
Nobsound Little Bear T7 Tube Preamp
Delivers rich, warm audio through its high-quality vacuum tubes, featuring multiple inputs and adjustable gain
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
-
Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
Features an elliptical stylus that accurately tracks the grooves of vinyl records, delivering a rich, detailed sound with an output voltage of 5.5 mV
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Various Artists Look at All the Love We Found: A Tribute to Sublime [3xLP]
Sublime Recordings
August 29, 2025 -
Case Oats Last Missouri Exit
Merge Records
August 22, 2025 -
Silverstein Pink Moon (Blue)
Unfd
September 12, 2025 -
Newton Faulkner OCTOPUS (White)
Cooking Vinyl
September 19, 2025 -
Oasis (What's The Story) MORNING GLORY? (30Th Anniversary; Deluxe Edition) (Exclusive) [3xLP]
Big Brother Recordings Limited
October 3, 2025 -
Supertramp Crime Of The Century (Half-Speed)
A&M
August 29, 2025 -
Luke Morley Walking On Water
Townsend Import
August 8, 2025 -
Sarah McLachlan Better Broken
Concord Records
September 19, 2025 -
Dean Wareham That's the Price of Loving Me (Desert Haze Tan)
Carpark Records
August 15, 2025 -
Jaywood Leo Negro
Captured Tracks Rec
September 5, 2025 -
Anand Wilder Psychic Lessons
Last Gang Records
August 22, 2025 -
Preston Cooper Toledo Talkin' (Graphite)
The Valory Music Co.
August 29, 2025 -
Mötley Crüe From The Beginning [2xLP]
Bmg
September 12, 2025 -
Raekwon THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES OCEAN CRANFIRE
Corey Woods p/k/a "Raekwon"
September 19, 2025