James Blake, Mt Kimbie, CD/SD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-ehllI7Jts

haha (actual lol at 3:20 - 3:40)

For those following this stuff:
James Litherland IS my father, not a man that was produced by my father.

That midi instruments remix is amazing. Several huge laughs from me as well. The part where it goes nuts with a big drum build up is incredible.

Skream and his Skreamix's hay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdPIyXrPtu0

:')

Finally got around to listening to this after one of my workmates recommended it to me. Maybe because it's a dull, wet Sunday afternoon but this is hitting the spot. The one album it's reminding me of is John Martyn's 'Solid Air' who had a similarly gauzy voice. He isn't anywhere near as good as Martyn, but sonically it's on the same plane.

I like this album now! Have acclimatised to the scrapey vocals. "The Wilhelm Scream" converted me first, then went back to the rest. Still not so sold on the last two or three tracks, but that could be just scrapey-vocal fatigue kicking in.

i like joe keyes' blurb on this disc, posted today on the emusic blog

In the midst of a whole lot of madness last week, the James Blake record arrived on eMusic U.S. From what I understand, it’s pretty divisive! Some people really like it, some people think it’s watering down dubstep. These are real controversies! Amazing! We live in thrilling times. You can be the judge yourself. And while you’re at it, download his cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” Which, come to think of it, is probably not going to do a whole lot to defend him from his accusers.

it's true: we live in thrilling times.

no one thinks it's watering down dubstep

holy shit on that screamix remix. the seinfeld bass was serious lols. not a dis, but it sounds like something milton or dominique leone would make.

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/792/tumblrlfzz9gdsqi1qdawze.gif

this album has been lovely background music.

the sleeper cut is "i mind" (would have fit in perfectly on klavierwerke)

kinda love i never learnt to share and will be playing it around my sister a lot

Weird thing about Never Learnt to Share - he's an only child.

So we're liking this now? God my head!!

Only just discovering the Mt Kimbie album. Lovely, especially Before I Move Off, Carbonated and Field, though (apart from a couple of bassier tracks) definitely closer to Four Tet and Gold Panda than dubstep - basically the 2010s incarnation of IDM and trip hop. Which is fine by me. Blake still stands alone, for better or worse.

Okay, I've just realised how fantastic Wilhelm's Scream is - the build up and the chord progressions and the use of sidechaining transcend most of what's going on in this album.

Listened to this album again last night after a horrible day at work. It really calmed me down despite how unstructured it is (maybe I'm a rockist after all). The album is like incomplete thoughts floating in your head which is a new listening experience for me.

Plus, I listened to "Love What Happened Here" and I wonder why he couldn't be this remotely funky on his debut. I don't know if he is pandering to me or what but I nodded my head to it.

sounds like a cmyk outtake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vwOxF4NtdU

wilhelms scream is wonderful.

What an odd comment to make
http://pitchfork.com/news/41740-echo-chamber-james-blake-vs-remixes/

I can understand that maybe the commissioning of remixes can feel like hustling when you're a hot producer who's suddenly flooded with requests to remix songs, but the rest of that quote is a bit odd yes (maybe because it's taken out of context. That SPIN blurb it's taken from just seems like a collection of quotes instead of a (mini)interview).

yeah, it's understandable, but kinda shitty to say since he first started making a name off off remixes (untold, the harmonimix stuff). i'd imagine he'd say that he did those because the tunes spoke to him and not because he was trying to latch on to someone else's success, but still.

I did the Spin interview - those were the choice quotes taken from it because Spin wanted a variety of formats in its new artist feature. I'm sorry it's unclear - it didn't seem that way to me when he said it or when I wrote it up. He was just saying that he hated being asked to remix big acts he had no connection with just because he was the latest hot producer, and he thinks it makes the other artists look bad too. The remix industry now is very much about throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks - there are major label singles with six or more remixes. That's very different to doing a favour for Untold, who put out his first single.

That's what I thought that was meant but wasn't sure - thanks for clearing that up!

The remix industry now is very much about throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks - there are major label singles with six or more remixes.

not that I don't think it's dumb but that's hardly a new thing, if anything it's some choice !!!90S REVIVALISM!!!

"Remixing is like musical prostitution. I think it's really cynical and vacuous; I'm batting offers away like flies. It never used to be like that. Ray Charles didn't need five remixes. The song speaks for itself."

they're sitting out there waiting to give you their money. are you gonna take it? are you man enough to take it?

xpost True - I remember the 90s remix glut too but Blake's only 22 so it's new to him.

"Remixing is like musical prostitution. I think it's really cynical and vacuous; I'm batting offers away like flies. It never used to be like that. Ray Charles didn't need five remixes. The song speaks for itself."

^^^ Doesn't fucking get dance music.

Would totally be down for hearing a Ray Charles remix in the middle of a house set.

afaik Ray Charles didn't do a bunch of pop remixes under an alias either

Really? If that's true he's such a pompous arse.

Rather than being a contradiction, doesn't the distinction between remixing as an artform and remixing as a cynical marketing tool make sense? Now I'm worried I might have misrepresented him in the edit. Full quote was this:

I’m batting remix offers away like flies. I really dislike the remix industry. I think it’s really cynical and vacuous. You get five different remixes of someone’s first single in five different genres. It’s not right and it never used to be like that. Ray Charles didn't need five remixes. The song speaks for itself. It’s a horrible way of treating people and I won’t be treated like that. I haven’t done a commissioned remix so I don’t know what to charge. It’s like musical prostitution – lending your sound to someone else’s track. It’s just a load of indie bands who want some sort of validity.

Still doesn't get it.

xp I assume mh means the Harmonimix white label thingies he did, not official remixes

What's to get, Matt? I don't follow you. But I think your point that he doesn't get dance music - if by that you mean the specific culture and industry - then you're probably right.

Yeah, I didn't mean official commercial remixes.

Exactly, he doesn't get dance music, he doesn't get the idea of plurality and cross-pollination that you get through remixes, he doesn't get how incredible it can be to be on a dancefloor and hear a record you love reappear in an unfamiliar context. The idea that it's in some way killing the purity of the song or is a "horrible thing to do to a person" is just bizarre to me.

The remix industry now is probably an issue of bet-hedging as much as anything else, but it still provides an income for a lot of producers that would be non-existant otherwise. It feels like Blake is just pontificating from a position of privelege.

Haha "bass-heavy, reggae-informed techno" is such a wrongheaded way to describe dubstep as well so well done SPIN for making that happen.

It’s not right and it never used to be like that. Ray Charles didn't need five remixes.

oh fuck off with your sandi thom-esque "it were all fields round here" bs - not to mention it's always been like this, for as long as i can remember! and maybe ray charles didn't have five remixes at the time, but given how many excellent producers rework vintage songs to superb effect - henrik schwarz on bill withers' "who is he?", say - dismissing the potential of remixes comes off as really shallow rockism.

Exactly, he doesn't get dance music, he doesn't get the idea of plurality and cross-pollination that you get through remixes, he doesn't get how incredible it can be to be on a dancefloor and hear a record you love reappear in an unfamiliar context. The idea that it's in some way killing the purity of the song or is a "horrible thing to do to a person" is just bizarre to me.

The remix industry now is probably an issue of bet-hedging as much as anything else, but it still provides an income for a lot of producers that would be non-existant otherwise. It feels like Blake is just pontificating from a position of privelege.

matt dc otmfm

Also how many other artists' work did Ray Charles reinterpret? How many other jazz or rock or soul artists reinterpreted his songs? It feels historically ignorant more than anything else.

Oh bollocks, I cocked up that pasted quote. The "horrible" bit shouldn't be in there - that was from a different question where we were talking about the practice of labels overcommissioning remixes and refusing to pay for them, knowing that a lot of remixers would leak them online anyway because they were proud of them, thus giving the label free publicity. Aeroplane complained about this too - apparently it's common practice. And I agree that is a pretty lousy way to treat people.

He isn't criticising remixing per se, but the remix industry.

My new user name will be Cap'n save-a-Blake

that makes a lot more sense

xpost True - I remember the 90s remix glut too but Blake's only 22 so it's new to him.

― Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Thursday, March 3, 2011 4:58 PM (2 hours ago)

im 23 and i totally remember this. being all like uh why is there three remixes on the cd single of bitch by meredith brooks (this is a true thing its terrible that i know this)

We've done so much great work pillorying him based on the strawman misquote, DL! Stop trying to fix this.

it does seem like the main point of remix albums these days is to have another excuse to send out press releases/get google hits/etc.

I think I get the idea of having what's basically a second version of the album with a different remixer on each song, but I don't think it really works so well. I'd rather hear two or three remixes of the most remixable songs rather than a few gems and a couple of reinterpretations.