As January wound to a close, our last set of residents took control of the decks. This week we’ll be highlighting the enigmatic James Blake.
He is most well-known for his collaborations and contributions to albums performed by household names. He is credited on monster albums such as Beyonce’s Lemonade, Jay-Z’s 4:44, and Kendrick Lamar’s Damn. With these credentials, it’s clear that his mastery of hip-hop production is appreciated and recognized.
However, his personal releases take on a much different tone. He eschews the pop sound and instead focuses on a more downtempo and melancholy tone. His music is emotional whether it’s focused around samples or his own voice.
His residency follows the latter. While it incorporates hip-hop, the overall tone is decidedly eclectic, moody, and somewhat sarcastic. The vibe is set when Blake comes in and introduces his guest for the show, Moses Sumney. The interview that follows sets the listeners expectation for the following hour, off the wall, mellow, and random.
On a series that promotes variety and attempts to introduce new sounds to the radio, James Blake’s show is by far the most unique of what’s on offer. It encourages the listener to embrace the madness and allow themselves to be led down the rabbit hole. While some of the past residencies have been great to start a party, or play long into the night, this one is for the after-party. It’s a great mix to play at the end of the night when everyone’s looking to chill out and wind down.
This ends the first set of residencies. All the artists so far had the opportunity to open the timeslot. From here on out, we’ll be covering the artists lucky enough to hop on the decks for the second half of the residency each week. The names might not be as big, but the sounds are.
Photo Credit: BBC
Connect with James Blake:
https://www.facebook.com/jamesblakemusic
https://twitter.com/jamesblake
https://soundcloud.com/jamesblakeofficial
https://www.instagram.com/jamesblake
http://www.jamesblakemusic.com
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