CexCells is the debut studio album by the American
electronicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
duo
Blaqk AudioBlaqk Audio is an American electronic music duo formed by current AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget under Interscope Records. Their debut album CexCells was released on August 14, 2007 and reached number eighteen on the Billboard 200.-Origins:...
. It was initially scheduled to be released on August 7, 2007, however, it was rescheduled and released a week further on August 14, 2007 through
Interscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. It debuted at number 18 on the
BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling more than 29,000 copies within its first week. It received mixed reviews from music critics. It spawned one
singleIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
: "Stiff Kittens".
Background and recording
Before
Davey HavokDavid Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
and
Jade PugetJade Errol Puget is the guitarist for the alternative rock band AFI , and the keyboardist/synthesizer operator for the electronic duo Blaqk Audio. Puget is vegetarian and straight edge....
formed
Blaqk AudioBlaqk Audio is an American electronic music duo formed by current AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget under Interscope Records. Their debut album CexCells was released on August 14, 2007 and reached number eighteen on the Billboard 200.-Origins:...
, the two began including more synthesized elements into
AFIAFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
's songs, notably in the albums
Sing the SorrowSing the Sorrow is the sixth studio album by American rock band AFI. It was released on March 11, 2003 through DreamWorks Records. It debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Platinum in December 2004 by the RIAA. The album was supported by three singles, "Girl's Not Grey", "The Leaving...
and
DecemberundergroundDecemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. The album was released on June 6, 2006 through Interscope Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 in its first week. The album certified Gold by the RIAA on August 30, 2006 and has sold...
. In the August 2006 issue of
Guitar WorldGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
, Puget revealed that "
Love Like Winter"Love Like Winter" is a song by American rock band AFI. It was released as the second single from their seventh studio album Decemberunderground on September 26, 2006. A music video for the song premiered on TRL on September 26, 2006 and was directed by Marc Webb, who has also directed previous...
" and "37mm" from
DecemberundergroundDecemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band AFI. The album was released on June 6, 2006 through Interscope Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 182,000 in its first week. The album certified Gold by the RIAA on August 30, 2006 and has sold...
were initially intended to be apart of the side project. According to Havok, the concept of Blaqk Audio began at some point between 2001 and 2002, with "Snuff on Digital" being the first song written for the side project. Puget began experimenting with a multitude of
industrialIndustrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
to
ambientAmbient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, and were influenced by a variety of
electronic musicElectronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
Havok and Puget entered the studio in January 2007 to begin recording
CexCells. Puget began updating fans through their official
MyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page. Dan Under of
The Dear & DepartedThe Dear & Departed is a rock band from Orange County and Los Angeles, California, founded by Dan Smith. Founded in 2006, the band went on the Vans Warped Tour and released their debut album the same year. In 2007 the band again played on the tour, and some other tours followed...
and
Nick 13Nick 13 is the guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter of psychobilly band Tiger Army as well as a solo artist in the Americana/Country genre....
of
Tiger ArmyTiger Army is an American psychobilly band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. Its constant member and lead song writer is Nick 13. The band have released a total of four studio albums.-History:...
, who has previously performed with
AFIAFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
(see
I Heard a Voice), provided background vocals for the album. The album's name and defunct release date was announced via Myspace and AbsolutePunk.
Release and promotion
On August 3, 2007,
Hot TopicHot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
stores across the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
began having listening parties to preview the entire album.
The album's fourth track, "Bitter For Sweet", was available for streaming via Myspace. A non-album track titled "If Only" was available for streaming on June 14 via Myspace as well. In January 2007, Puget posted lyrics to a song titled "Black-Ink Style" on his official blog, however, it was not included on the album and has not been released to date.
Instrumental segments of "Between Breaths (An XX Perspective)" and "The Love Letter" were used in the trailer for the 2008 remake of
The EyeThe Eye is a 2008 supernatural horror film starring Jessica Alba. It is a remake of the Pang Brothers' 2002 film of the same name.-Plot:Sydney Wells is a successful classical violinist who has been blind since the age of five. Fifteen years later, Sydney undergoes a cornea transplant, which causes...
.
Track listing
All songs written by
Davey HavokDavid Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
and
Jade PugetJade Errol Puget is the guitarist for the alternative rock band AFI , and the keyboardist/synthesizer operator for the electronic duo Blaqk Audio. Puget is vegetarian and straight edge....
.
- "Stiff Kittens
"Stiff Kittens" is the first track on Blaqk Audio's debut album CexCells, released on August 14, 2007. On June 13, 2007, "Stiff Kittens" was released on the band's MySpace profile...
" – 3:47
- "Between Breaths (An XX Perspective)" – 4:28
- "Snuff on Digital" – 5:03
- "Bitter for Sweet" – 6:10
- "Where Would You Like Them Left?" – 4:16
- "The Fear of Being Found" – 4:44
- "On a Friday" – 4:14
- "The Love Letter" – 4:23
- "Semiotic Love" – 3:32
- "Cities of Night" – 3:47
- "Again, Again and Again" – 3:26
- "Wake Up, Open the Door and Escape to the Sea" – 3:05
Bonus tracks and B-sides
- "Black Electric" (iTunes
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
exclusive) – 3:12
- "Girls & Boys" (Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
exclusive; BlurBlur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
cover) – 3:21
- "Mute" (Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
exclusive) – 3:45
- "The Ligature" (Myspace download exclusive) – 2:51
- "Black-Ink Style" (unreleased)
- "If Only" (appearing as a music video only)
Personnel
- Davey Havok
David Paden Marchand , more commonly known by the stage name Davey Havok, is the lead vocalist of the American rock band AFI and the electronic music band Blaqk Audio....
– lead vocalsThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
- Jade Puget
Jade Errol Puget is the guitarist for the alternative rock band AFI , and the keyboardist/synthesizer operator for the electronic duo Blaqk Audio. Puget is vegetarian and straight edge....
– keyboardsA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, backing vocalsA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, programmingProgramming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Chad Bamford – vocal engineer
- David Bascombe
David Bascombe is an English music producer and mix engineer. He has worked with many bands and musicians, such as Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and Suede.-Selected engineering, production, mixing and remixing:*Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair...
– mixingIn audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Matthew Cooke – photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Jennifer Goodridge
Jennifer Goodridge is the former keyboardist of Your Enemies Friends. She is a current member of Seaspin where she is a songwriter and provides lead vocals and rhythm guitar. She provided background vocals on Blaqk Audio's album CexCells, on the song "Again, Again, and Again".-References:...
– backing vocals (track 11)
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
assistant
- Emily Lazar – mastering
- Morning Breath Inc. – art direction
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
, designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
- Nick 13
Nick 13 is the guitarist, vocalist, and main songwriter of psychobilly band Tiger Army as well as a solo artist in the Americana/Country genre....
– backing vocals (tracks 5, 7)
- Jason Odell – band photography
- Matt Paul – mixing assistant
- Dan Under
The Dear & Departed is a rock band from Orange County and Los Angeles, California, founded by Dan Smith. Founded in 2006, the band went on the Vans Warped Tour and released their debut album the same year. In 2007 the band again played on the tour, and some other tours followed...
– backing vocals (tracks 5, 7)
Charts
| Chart (2007) |
Peak
position |
| Australian Albums Chart The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
|
86 |
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
18 |
| US Top Electronic Albums |
1 |
| US Top Rock Albums |
5 |
| US Top Alternative Albums |
5 |
Chart precession and succession