Unless you’ve been hiding out under a rock for the last year you can’t fail to have read about or heard dubstep maestro James Blake. His melancholy, sometimes yearning vocals and skilful arrangements have brought a multitude of admirers. He’s a Q Magazine Face Of 2011; runner up in the Brit Awards Critics Choice for 2011; and the Youtube video for the hit Limit to Your Love has over 3 million hits. To cap it all, his eponymous debut album hit the streets last month to amazing critical acclaim. The Clink was lucky enough to get the chance to speak to James.
As I get the call I’m sitting watching random old Harry Enfield clips on Youtube. As I pick up the phone I think to myself, I’m no dubstep aficionado, I hope I don’t come across all Tim Nice But Dim. After a brief hello and intro to The Clink from me we crack on.
The Clink: You’ve had quite a meteoric rise in the last few months, so what’s life like at the minute, is it all a hundred miles an hour?
JB: Eh, no not really, I’m sitting at home having a cup of tea and chatting to you! I suppose in a parallel world this might be considered work, but I’m not sure it is. The music and DJ’ing is a job but it’s a job that’s punctuated by really good moments, and I’m self employed so if I need time to get away from it all I can.
The Clink: The album has been pretty much universally well received, did that surprise you at all, given the type of record that it is? Some great records in certain sub-genres don’t get that kind of recognition.
JB: Yeah it’s definitely been a surprise. But also I don’t think you’ve been searching hard enough, there is some negative stuff out there! But you’re right, for a very experimental album it’s pretty mad how well it’s been received. Just the fact that we’re doing interviews and people want to know about it’s really nice and appreciated.
The Clink: There’s a lot going on on the album, in terms of musical styles, (soul, dubstep, trip hop). I hear quite a soulful influence, is there a soul background in your musical tastes?
JB: It’s more a vocal background as opposed to a soul background. I did listen to a lot of Stevie Wonder growing up. I love his vocals and musicianship, but in the same breath I could also mention loads of artists that aren’t soul but are just great vocalists and I appreciate them in the same way.
The Clink: In your DJ sets, there’s some pretty quiet spots and on the album too, can you explain how you use silence to build atmosphere?
JB: I don’t necessarily try to use silence, but I think sometimes things need to be left to the imagination. What’s that film called? (long pause) oh yeah… Jeepers Creepers, you see the monster at the end and it ruins the whole film, cos the whole thing’s been built on suspense, it’s all anticipation, something that’s left to your imagination. So you think why did I come and see this!
It’s the same with music, you can sometimes fill the gaps with things that don’t need to be there, with leaving sounds on their own you kind of give people a contemplation of what they’ve just heard.
The Clink: Do you have a preference to performing you’re music live or DJ’ing?
JB: Nah…they’re completely different things and I love both. I love DJ’ing I love it, I love meeting people, I love making decisions based on the people, the music can change, it’s spontaneous, and I love the feel of vinyl!
But also I love hearing my music reassembled in a different way every night in the live show, it’s also spontaneous, every night is different, so playing live is great too.
TheClink: Are you working on anything new at the minute or are you too busy touring and talking?!
JB: Doing a lot of talking! I’d prefer not to be talking so much. No, I actually quite enjoy it really…I like just chatting anyway (laughs), there are a lot of nice people who write blogs and run magazines (he means TheClink!). You know, it’s not the fashion industry, so people are actually fairly interesting to talk to. If I can keep the music coming I’m happy to do the talking too.
The Clink: Do you ever perform completely stripped down acoustic, no effects, just you and a piano?
JB: Me and a piano, yeah, I did one with BBC the other night it’s a cover of Joni Mitchell and that is just piano and voice.
The Clink: Have you been to Ireland before?
JB: Yeah, once, I played the Twisted Pepper, it was really good fun. We went to a little South Korean place round the corner after, it was really cool.
The Clink: Have you got any plans for shows in Ireland?
JB: Yeah absolutely, we’re just confirming a load of new gigs and hopefully one of those will be in Ireland. In terms of travelling it’s quite a pleasant one [coming to Ireland] cos…you kinda instantly just get on with everyone (laughs again). It would be great to go back.
And finally.
The Clink: We put out a couple of tunes every weekend, one we call Weekend Tunage (we send it out on a Friday afternoon to help people kick start their weekend). The other is a more chilled out Sunday afternoon slot. What’s your ultimate ‘kick start the weekend’ tune and your most chilled Sunday sound?
JB: Getting ready to go out tune, let me see…probably Over by Drake. It gives me the same give kind of going out vibe that I got when I listened to Eminem when I was younger, (I laugh). Ha, that’s really embarrassing admitting to that, but yeah it’s that kind of buzz. (I offer to omit the Eminem bit but in fairness he says it’s alright). On a Sunday though, I’d probably listen to Erik Satie – Gnossienne No.5. (Laughs again) They’re pretty different tunes!
So that’s it folks, our chat with the minimalist dubstepper James Blake. In the words of the aforementioned Tim Nice But Dim, what a bloody nice chap…
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