BLACK ESKIMO

There is a siren ’s call and a thumping from the woods of New England. Black Eskimo pulls you into their world with seductive, thought-provoking lyrics and hypnotic electronic soul in an intoxicating brew some would call modern trip-hop. Poet/songwriter/ visual artist Ingrid Chavez ’s storied career includes collaborations with diverse musical icons including Prince, David Sylvian, Lenny Kravitz, Lorenzo Scopelliti, dating back to 1991 and the release of “May 19, 1992” on Paisley Park/Warner Bros. An in-demand lyricist, she ’s always worked with the best of the best, and along the way, she blazed a path distinctly her own while also crafting some of the most memorable songs of a generation, like “Justify My Love,” recorded by Madonna. After a hiatus from music to raise children with now ex-husband Syvian, Chavez came back into the spotlight in 2010 with Marco Valentin in Black Eskimo. But it was a long and winding road to the eventual formation of the group. Chavez first encountered Valentin’s tracks via a mutual friend in 2006 and was moved to record vocals on a few of them. Though Valentin was awestruck by the beauty of Chavez ’s words for his music, at first nothing further came of the pairing. But Chavez was renewed and inspired and set about recording her first full length recording since her Paisley Park debut, “A Flutter and Some Words” with Scopelliti. After hearing it, Valentin reached out to Chavez for new collaboration and in short order Black Eskimo was born. Valentin’s unique and hard hitting sound counterbalances Chavez’s mysterious and delicate vocals, bringing out an attitude and quirkiness in her delivery hitherto unheard. By May 2011, songs were flowing out of them with a string of singles and EPs – “Escapology” and “Breakaway” in 2011, followed by “The Decemberists” and “Frosty” in 2012. In 2013, they released two EPs “Deep” and “Heady,” and then the LP, “Deep & Heady,” each adorned with Ingrid’s own gorgeous photography. The mysterious and brooding landscapes on the covers matched the emotional territory covered by the recordings and left listeners with the gift of poetic songs that they could unravel and interpret as their own stories over time.

Black Eskimo are now working on their sophmore L.P. while continuing to promote “Deep & Heady,” which earned international acclaim including recognition for best spoken word song in the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards for “My Sky,” which has been gorgeously remixed in 2015 by some of dance music’s hottest producers including Beat Pharmacy, Deep Dive Corp. & Mashti, Ganga, and E39 (Peter Tanico). Chavez recently collaborated on a track, “Non Toxic,” for Ganga’s forthcoming new album, “Reptile Routine” which was also released as a single with a special remix EP. Black Eskimo emphasize that it’s difficult to predict how their next LP will sound as each new experience and collaboration imprints on their flows. However, it’s certain they will continue to explore the dark and the light, the deep and the heady.