Interview: New single "Black and White"
The electropop duo positron has recently released a new single, "Black & White." The video premiered at the beginning of November 2025, although there isn't really a traditional video. The regular version of the track is a solid seven minutes long. These are two atypical features in the world of music. We therefore posed a few questions to positron.
Question: The long break: Twelve years is an eternity in the music business. What were the biggest challenges and the most important lessons you learned as a duo during this time away from the spotlight?
Answer: Besides music, there are other tasks and areas that need to be served. We had a good year in 2012 because we recorded good songs. After that, there were some changes that were hindering the next steps, and we needed new approaches for that. This concerned, for example, our studio and rehearsal spaces. In a complex structure, sometimes it's enough for just a secondary component to change, and then everything comes to a standstill.
Question: The restart: Why did you decide to return after so many years with a 7-minute single, instead of a radio-friendly 3-minute format? Was that a conscious statement against the short-lived attention economy?
Answer: Yes. That was done deliberately for various reasons. One was answered by the question itself. Another reason was the fact that we have multiple versions, and this version is simply the best overall. If you still remember the era of Compact Disc singles, you'll also remember the maxi versions and extended mixes that were common back then. In that time, people tended to prefer listening to the maxi versions rather than the short radio edits. That was because the songs had a dramaturgy. You could even listen to a well-played drumbeat for two minutes without it getting boring. Music today is often loud and jarring, over-compressed, and lacks acoustic and musical dynamics.
Question: "Black & White" as a concept: The title suggests extreme contrasts. What specific themes or dualistic tensions (e.g., analog vs. digital, hope vs. cynicism) did you want to explore musically in this song?
Answer: Black and white is a classic way of looking at things, reducing a matter to yes and no, 1 and 0. This approach fulfills an important function when you want to understand the core of a matter. "Seeing things in black and white" is often used disparagingly, but logically, it's exactly the right tool for understanding a complex issue. This is important in many areas to move forward: relationships, career, society. Even in photography, black and white photos have greater clarity. The lyrics are about the interaction in a relationship that seems to have become hopeless and forms a repeating action-reaction loop with a clear effect.
Question: The sonic evolution: How has the sound of positron evolved over the last twelve years? Which new musical or production elements have been incorporated into "Black & White" that were not yet present in your older works?
Answer: The foundation of "Black and White" dates back to 2009. The demo version sounded slightly different back then. However, we don't have a specific sound that defines us. It's always about what the song needs and what it conveys. The version now released has been completely re-mixed, and some new elements were added. What we kept are the percussive elements of the main theme, which were created with a Kawai K5000S. Additional airy pad sounds and choirs were also recorded to enhance the floating atmosphere of the song.
Question: The minimalist video: The video shows only black and white gradients without a narrative plot. What do you intend this deliberate visual reduction to achieve for the viewer? Does it stand in contrast to the potential complexity of the 7-minute song?
Answer: In recent years, music videos, like the music itself, have become increasingly shrill. That has to do with attention, marketing, and the rising competition in the mainstream. But that's a finite concept; you can't infinitely escalate that. In the 90s, many music videos had those short cuts of 1.7 seconds, "so it doesn't get boring." The videos always dictated an image for the song. Our brain also works heavily visually. This is used to achieve an emotional effect. On the other hand, there were one-shot videos, meaning no cuts. The approach with "Black & White" was to omit the given image. This creates space for the listener's own images. Regardless of whether the listener likes the lyrics or the sound, everyone should generate their own images to go with it. We don't know what each individual listener is preoccupied with at the moment.
Question: Artistic freedom vs. market pressure: After such a long break, do you feel a stronger pressure today to adapt to algorithms or listener expectations, or have you gained a new freedom for uncompromising art through the break?
Answer: It is primarily about the artistic outcome. We don't make functional music, nor do we serve any specific musical pigeonhole. Of course, things have changed significantly. And we have witnessed this dynamic development of the internet completely since our founding in 2005. Today, you really have to question the mechanics of these processes because it has become completely insane from an artistic point of view. Musicians are more preoccupied with social media than with music. As a musician, I'm not supposed to be playing the fool for bored internet users by constantly generating new content that has nothing to do with my music. Previously, there were several platforms to showcase new music, all of which had different approaches. The music was available there, and that was good. Today, a lot of focus is on a single streaming platform, but to generate listeners there, the musician has to create short-lived content on multiple social media platforms to refer people to the playlist. And then each piece of content has to be in its own format (tall, wide, square). That's overwhelming for many musicians. It's not about the music; it's about the structures.
Question: The creation process: How did the songwriting for "Black & White" unfold? Was it a spontaneous creative outburst, or is the song the result of years of tinkering and development?
Answer: Both. In the beginning, there was this striking percussive theme that can be repeated endlessly. This led to a demo version with electronic sounds. It seems somewhat monotonous, but it never really gets boring. It floats, so to speak. With the lyrics, it's often the case that you don't have a suitable idea. You notice that especially when the instrumental already dictates a mood. We listened to the track again, and then, after a short time, the lyrics came out just as they are now. Essentially, there is no verse and no chorus, only musically. For such a long song, it's a very short lyric. Another contrast. Subconsciously, everything seems to have been perfectly put together here. The final version took some time, though. That was a process in the details. There's also an original version and another short version. It's not yet clear whether we'll release those later.
Question: Connection to past work: Is there a bridge or a thematic thread connecting "Black & White" to your music from twelve years ago, or do you see this song as the beginning of a completely new era for positron?
Answer: Since the song, or rather, the idea for the song, goes back to 2009, this is probably to be seen as a thematic thread. It's not about a new sound or a new era. Since our sound is generally very versatile, it doesn't wear out that quickly. Of course, changes are inevitable because you constantly gain new impressions, try new methods, learn new things, and studio technology always evolves.
Question: The live performance: How do you plan to implement such a long, atmospheric piece as "Black & White" live? Will the minimalist, abstract video concept also play a role on stage?
Answer: Good question. There are no concrete concepts for that yet. But if you remain consistent, you would have to implement it in a truly minimalist and abstract way. And that is precisely what is needed again and again when things try to outdo each other in their shrillness. All that helps is a reset, and people often realize that it's beautiful, too.
Question: The future: Is "Black & White" a harbinger of a forthcoming album or an EP? And if so, can fans expect the entire new material to maintain this focus on epic length and artistic contrast?
Answer: It is a harbinger of an album. The exact date is not yet fixed, as we are working on many versions, and the selection has not yet been made. The album represents 20 years, which is why the first release came this year. The album will contain other new songs and older songs that were never released, only played live. And there will be new versions of older songs that might surprise the fans. There will certainly be another single before the album.
Posted by November 20th, 2025
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