So James Blake has me excited enough to maybe start posting again occasionally. Obviously his new self titled album has gone crazy and everyone is freaking out about him, so I’m not sure just how much I can add… Folks who love him are totally lit up, and folks who don’t like him accuse him of “stealing” some sort of dubstep aesthetic and packaging it in a poppy, palatable package.

To be honest I couldn’t get all that into Mr. Blake’s older stuff; though his melodies were occasionally interesting, his production was just a step too close to Burial for comfort. It seems like he’s finally accepted the fact that he’s a soul singer. Most of the songs on this album repeat one or two melodies, while the synths, harmonies and the rest of the production seem to play around those melodies; rather than have a backing band with the singer on top, James Blake is essentially looking at his own melodies as someone remixing something would. I fucking love it.

My favourite:
(♪)James Blake – Unluck

The hit:
(♪)James Blake – Limit To Your Love

I like the naïveté and wonder of a lot of older “cosmic” music, and find that it can work well slowed down and hardened up. Here is a mix I put together. Hope you enjoy it.

(♪)The Greatest Conversation  – Space

Tracklist after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »