Blackhaine: Noise Rap to Industrial Folk on the XL Debut

Manchester artist Blackhaine makes music that sounds like a warehouse collapsing in slow motion, then finds a ballad hiding in the rubble. Few UK artists working today switch between brawling rap chaos and bleeding-heart folk songwriting the way he does, and his debut album is where that range finally gets a full-length home.

The story so far

Blackhaine's story, as told in the press, began in a Blackpool hotel room and led to the 2020 Armour EP on classmate Rainy Miller's Fixed Abode label, followed by 2022's And Salford Falls Apart and Armour II EPs. Parallel to the music, he became a sought-after figure in the art world, taking on creative and stage direction for Playboi Carti and presenting work at the Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Sónar, Manchester International Festival, the Venice Biennale and Club2Club. His live shows are notorious for their intensity, and that physicality bleeds into every track.

The album

On October 1, 2026, Blackhaine announced his debut LP, Saints In The Wethouse, out November 13, 2026 on XL Recordings. The 12-track record blends noise rap, industrial folk and straight songwriting, produced largely by Blackhaine himself with Wraith9 (EsDeeKid, Fakemink) as executive producer, alongside contributions from Rainy Miller, Croww, Space Afrika, Ship Sket, Vanessa Bedoret and Gabe Evans. Press coverage flagged the opener "Cold Shoulder" and "Northside Needs Me" as highlights, alongside "The Wind", a ballad and duet with Rainy Miller. Lead single "Consumer" arrived with a video directed by Elena Isolini, with Blackhaine serving as creative director.

What he sounds like

Start with the blown-out industrial rap assault of Death Grips, strip out the bounce, and add the blunt spoken-word attack of the Sleaford Mods lineage. Then, just as the noise starts to feel total, a folk ballad breaks through the grime. That swing from harsh noise to tender, honest songwriting is the whole point, and it is what separates Blackhaine from the rest of the noise-rap field.

Live

He premiered the album live at his headline appearance at Unsound Festival in Warsaw on October 4, 2026, debuting a new show built around the record. If his reputation holds, expect the tour dates to be physical, confrontational, and impossible to look away from.

Start here

"Consumer" — the lead single, the clearest statement of the new era. Blown-out low end, elegiac organ lines, gothic rap.
"The Wind" (with Rainy Miller) — the ballad that shows the record's other pole.
"Cold Shoulder" — the opener. Brawling swagger from bar one.
Armour II (2022 EP) — the back catalogue, to hear how he got here.

Where to find out more

Official IG Page: https://www.instagram.com/p/DeKSPfSAqGC/
Resident Advisor on the XL signing: https://ra.co/news/86127
Our Culture on "Consumer" and the album: https://ourculturemag.com/2026/10/01/blackhaine-announces-debut-album-shares-new-single-consumer/
Dancewax on the announcement: https://dancewax.net/2026/10/02/blackhaine-announces-debut-album-releasing-via-xl-recordings/
The Quietus on the XL signing: https://thequietus.com/news/blackhaine-signs-to-xl-recordings-for-new-album-saints-in-the-wethouse/