[Column] Black Midi — The impact of experimental rock from London and its trajectory

Column en British Experimental Rock UK Rock

30 Nov 2025

[Column] Black Midi — The impact of experimental rock from London and its trajectory

The trajectory and musicality of the rising star of London experimental rock

Text: mmr｜Theme: From their formation to their main works, their evaluation both domestically and internationally, and their influence on subsequent bands and culture.

Black Midi is a young rock/experimental music band formed in London in 2017. Just a few years after their debut, they shocked the world of indie rock with their bold sound, overwhelming performance, and unpredictable live structure that went beyond the boundaries of conventional rock and post-punk.

1. Black Midi — Basic information and activity overview

Band name: Black Midi (written in lower case)
Birthplace: London, England
Formation: 2017
Current main members: Geordie Greep (guitar/vocals, etc.), Cameron Picton (bass/vocals, etc.), Morgan Simpson (drums)
Support/tour participants (depending on the season): Keyboard player, saxophone player, etc. (e.g. keyboardist Seth Evans, saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi)
Musical style/genre: He has a wide range of experimental styles, including math rock, progressive rock, post-punk, noise, and avant-jazz. Characterized by improvisation, structural complexity, and genre mixing.
Origin of the band name: They themselves took the name of the band from “Black Midi” (a musical score filled in “black” with many MIDI notes), which is an internet culture/music genre that originated in Japan. However, there is no direct relationship in terms of sound, and it is only a reference to the name.

Black Midi started out in the live houses and indie/underground scene of south London, and despite their young age, they have rapidly gained attention since their debut in 2019, armed with outstanding technique and experimentalism.

2. Major works and musical evolution

A brief history of Black Midi’s discography and the characteristics of each work.

Year	Work title/format	Characteristics/Summary (improved visibility version)
2018	Single “bmbmbm” and others	First release from Speedy Wunderground. From here on, the band’s official activities began in earnest. Strong minimalism and repetitive noise aesthetics emerged as early characteristics.
2019	1st album “Schlagenheim”	Produced by: Dan Carey. Recorded in just a few days. Introducing a variety of tones such as synths, organs, banjos, and drum machines while maintaining a live-like energy. Critical review: Top 50 UK charts, Mercury Prize nominee. It has been described as “the most important debut work of the end of the 2010s” due to its rough yet dense construction.
2021	2nd album “Cavalcade”	The compositional and chamber music approach is clearly expanded from the previous work. Adds saxophone, viola, keyboard, etc., and integrates vocabulary such as jazz, progressive rock, post-punk, and contemporary music. The signature song “John L” combines chaotic structure + cult fable + theatricality, and the band’s “coexistence of frenzy and precision” reaches its peak.
2022	3rd album “Hellfire”	The most “theatrical” work with even stronger story, character, and allegory. A mixture of noise, odd time signatures, baroque developments, and kabare-style storytelling. The structure is such that each song takes place in a different setting, with themes of black humor, war fables, and sin and redemption. Characteristics after this period: A policy of actively creating differences between studio works and live reinterpretations has become established.
2022	Live album “Live Fire”	Fest recording in Portugal. The songs from the “Hellfire” period have been reconstructed live, emphasizing improvisation and the passion of the performance. This work contains many different interpretations from the studio version, and defines “Black Midi as a live band.”

Through these works, Black Midi has evolved from “improvisation to construction,” “from noise to structure,” and “from live chaos to studio precision.”

3. History of criticism and media reactions

We will summarize the domestic and international criticism, media, and fan reactions to Black Midi, along with its evolution.

3‑1. Debut period — Shocking and fresh high praise

Their debut album Schlagenheim was highly praised by many critics as ““unpredictable,” ““edgy sound,” and ““breaking the boundaries of existing rock/post-punk.” In particular, there were many compliments on his drumming technique (Morgan Simpson), with comments such as ““his playing ability being extraordinary at such a young age” and ““the rise of young talent.’’
They received attention in the Japanese media, and their debut was introduced as ““the most noteworthy overseas band of 2019” and ““a candidate for the best album of the year.” Some Japanese listeners and writers have argued that their sound resonates with “games,” Japanese jazz, alternative, and noise, and was accepted not only by traditional Western rock fans but also by subculture/alternative listeners.
The origin of their name from the black musical score genre “Black Midi” has also become a hot topic as an unexpected cultural connection with Japan, and their position as “a young British band with references to Japanese culture/internet culture” has further strengthened their interest in Japan.

In this way, during their debut period, Black Midi attracted intense attention from media and listeners in both Europe, America, and Japan as a ““bright new star” and ““a young rock band full of experimentation and impulse.”

3‑2. Cavalcade, Hellfire—A nod to expansion and a nod to esotericism

After the release of their 2nd album Cavalcade, many critics commented that it was ““more structured and ambitious,” ““A labyrinth of madness that swallowed up many genres such as jazz, progressive rock, and experimental music,” and ““It’s rare for a young artist to be able to change and expand this much.’’ In particular, praise has been given to the expanded composition that includes saxophone, keyboards, strings, etc., and the variety of musical developments.
On the other hand, there were also comments such as ““the sound is too dense,” ““the balance between noise and structure is difficult to find,” and ““it gives the impression of being too elaborate, rather than the freedom of live improvisation.” Some critics praised Cavalcade’s opulence and structure, but felt that the ““raw danger” and ““improvisational impulse’’ characteristic of their debut work had diminished.
Furthermore, regarding their third album Hellfire, there were compliments such as ““the most experimental and theatrical ever”, ““a group of songs with a narrative, allegory, and character”, ““it chooses the listener, but it has a strong impact”, and ““a work of art that goes outside the framework of ‘rock”.” In particular, Hellfire”s radical composition and sound, as well as the multi-layered nature of the music, have received high praise.
However, at the same time, there are also persistent complaints that ““the structure is too complex and the entrance is narrow”, ““you have to listen to it more than the initial impact”, and ““it”s a work that people either like or hate”, and some say that Black Midi”s songs are difficult to say ““for everyone”. In other words, Black Midi’s period of growth was a period in which it expanded its techniques, composition, and musicality, and its radicalness and sophistication pushed the boundaries of music that could easily be divided into pros and cons and that could be chosen by the listener.

3-3. The value of live performances and “performance/improvisation” — Live albums and re-evaluation

The live album Live Fire released in 2022 captures Black Midi’s appearance as a “live band” in a different form from the studio recording. Many of the songs have been reconstructed, and the improvisation, changes, and passion of the performance are realistically conveyed. Their approach of “recording + live reinterpretation” was seen as a demonstration of their versatility and flexibility.
Also, one of their charms is their live performance, improvisation, and interaction with the audience. Radical performances, odd time signatures, noise, and chaos–these were always different at each live performance, and they attracted the audience, who were not satisfied with the performance after seeing it once, but with a feeling of wanting to see it again and again and not knowing what would happen next. This was well received not only by media critics but also by the fan/community, with the live experience becoming seen as an important aspect of Black Midi.

4. Black Midi’s influence — the scene, subsequent bands, and cultural repercussions

4‑1. As a leader in the “Windmill scene”

Black Midi is based at a live house in Brixton, south London, and has been considered a key band in the “Windmill scene”, a movement of young experimental rock/post-punk/art rock-oriented bands. Along with them, several young bands participated in the same scene, and together they attracted attention.
Their success demonstrated the “potential for commercial/critical success” in this scene. In other words, they paved the way for even young bands with an indie/underground style of experimentation to be able to build world-class works and careers. This became a “success model” for Windmill Scene and the bands that followed.

4‑2. Re-evaluating genre mixing, experimentation, and liveism

Black Midi’s music spans a wide range of genres, including math rock, progressive rock, post-punk, noise, jazz/avant-jazz, improvisation, cabaret/theatrical elements, etc., and has a thorough attitude of crossing and mixing genres. This approach presented a new way of rock/experimental music that is not bound by traditional “rock-ness” or “genre-ness.” For many subsequent bands and artists, mixing/eclectic/experimenting across genre boundaries became a model that could become the ““natural choice.’’
In addition, Kuro midi’s attitude of emphasizing not only studio recordings but also “live”, “improvisation”, “reconstruction”, and “liveness of performance” has set new guidelines for young bands and indie/underground musicians. The idea that there is no strict line drawn between recorded works and live performances, and that both have equal value, is an important perspective in the way bands and music should be in the 21st century.

4‑3. International/internet spread and influence on subcultures

Black Midi”s works have spread not only to the UK, but also to indie listeners and subcultures/internet cultures all over the world, including Europe, America, and Japan. In particular, their sound”s hybridity, “unorthodoxy,” improvisation, and free crossing of genres resonated across countries and cultures. As a result, the boundaries between experimental music and indie music were once again questioned, and many listeners were inspired to “explore music unbound by conventional boundaries.”
In Japan, the band”s name refers to the word “Black Midi,” and the sound”s affinity with not only Western music but also alternative music, Japanese jazz, gaming culture, and internet culture has made it clear that the band is not just imported rock, but also has an affinity with Japanese subcultures. These cross-cultural references strengthened Black Midi’s international and cultural meaning.

5. Limitations, pros and cons, and the value beyond them

Bands like Black Midi aren’t always popular with everyone because of their experimental nature. The following limitations and pros and cons have been pointed out.

The structure of the song is complex, noise and experimentation are strong, and people say it’s ““difficult to get started”, ““difficult to get into”, and ““tastes are largely divided’’. This tendency is especially noticeable in works such as Cavalcade and Hellfire, which have a strong compositional and experimental nature.
For listeners who seek “improvisational chaos/live-like intensity,” studio construction can sometimes feel like a “lack of a live feel” or “excessive production.” In fact, as the band evolved, there were also mixed reviews.

-Also, because it is extremely technical, it is well received by “intelligent people” who value performance and compositional beauty, but it is difficult for those who seek sentimentality, emotional movement, catchy melodies, and familiarity. In particular, the lyrics, singing, and song’s ““excessiveness” and ““distorted structure” tend to be divided into ““like/dislike’’ opinions.

Still, the value of Black Midi lies in the following points.

Breaking down the traditional genre framework and opening up new horizons of hybridity/experiment.
Studio recording and live performance, composition and improvisation, noise and structure, popness and experimentation - an attitude that relativizes these dichotomies and affirms them all as music.
Sounds and ideas that can be used internationally/cross-culturally. It has made it possible for it to be accepted across Internet culture, Japanese subculture, Western indie music, and everything else.

6. Timeline — Black Midi”s history

timeline title Black Midi — 年表 2017 : band formed in London 2018 : debut single released ("bmbmbm" etc.) 2019 : Debut album Schlagenheim released; UK Albums Chart トップ50入り、Mercury Prize ノミネート 2021 : 2nd album Cavalcade released; 新編成で拡張されたサウンド 2022 : 3rd album Hellfire released; サウンド／構成のさらなる拡張 2022 : Live album Live Fire released (festival recording) 2021‑2022 : 欧州・米国を含むツアー、国際的な活動拡大

7. Summary — Black Midi’s historical position and questions for the future

Black Midi has been around for just a few years. But their footprint became an important signpost for the future of indie/experimental rock. Rather than fitting into existing genres, they reinterpreted and expanded the rock genre, bridging diverse cultures and subcultures.

At the same time, it is certainly not for everyone, due to its experimental nature and esoteric nature. However, Black Midi’s greatest value lies in its re-presentation of musical freedom, diversity, and the coexistence of improvisation and construction.

The mixture, madness, structure, improvisation, theatricality, and subculture that they created… They are not just noise, but a language and a possibility in 21st century music/culture.