Welcome to Stereogum Sessions, wherein we bring a video camera to the bands we love and document them in action. This episode is on location, in a basement belonging to Brooklyn’s Small Black, a band we’ve been locked on since their earlier iteration as Slowlands, and one that’s grown into a cinematic widescreen synth- and indie-pop sound with this year’s Limits Of Desire. The band performed three standouts from that record for us in their Gowanus practice space — “Breathless,” “No Stranger,” and “Free At Dawn.” A Fun Fact for folks attuned to the indie rock internet a few years ago: Small Black’s basement is Juan’s Basement, the underground video performance show from the late-aughts (Juan Pieczanski is the band’s bassist/guitarist). The band’s practice space being a proven television set is one reason this shoot looks so good. The other is our crew of filmmakers, Alexandra Eaton and Amanda Marzullo, who beautifully shot, produced, and edited this jam. And the reason it sounds so good is Small Black’s performance, and the technical mix work of Jeff Curtin and Juan (i.e. Small Black’s rhythm section). Watch all three, here:

“Breathless”

“No Stranger”