Are You Even Real...

in #music3 years ago

I dunno how the fuck, as a DJ & producer, I've never really listened to James Blake before.


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YouTube recommended an interview of him with Rick Rubin - one of my all-time most-influential legendary producers and role models - so I turned it on, and shortly after, some of Blake's music...

O.M.Fucking.G.

The depth of emotion... stunning.

It feels I've been disconnected from such core passion and depth of heart & soul that drives so many of the greats to create their timeless masterpieces. Listening to stuff like this can be almost shocking, bringing me back to the sheer love that propelled me on my own musical journey. For so many years, I've been overly focused on the left-brained technical aspects of production & engineering, that stumbling across (new) music that's so deeply rich in soul rattles my reality.

While I've developed a habit of hitting walls producing, perhaps these moments are a checkpoint to reconnect to the higher elements being streamed down through music - casting aside the left-brained technicalities to return to an immersion in the exploration of a love for the fundamental wholes of the song.

Anyways...

This track of Blake's has been on repeat, captivating me like nothing has for a while...

The masterful use of reverbs and delays to create an ambiance amongst the thick, deep kick & bass... his spirit seeping through the speakers, overflowing with raw, vulnerable, authentic, lush emotion rarely expressed these days.

Sheer magnificence.

So without further ado, t'is shared here with the hope that you may glean even a fraction of as much inspiration listening to it as I have.

(And if you happen to have a streaming subscription service and good stereo and/or headphones, I'd receommend listening to it that way as the quality is notably higher than this YouTube version.)

🙏⭐️🙏



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Hahahaha, finally you got there :)

The first time a came across James Blake, was at an after-party at some friends home. One of our friends was so much 'in love' with his sound, I heard this track many times. It was the 'Limit to Your Love' one.... BUT, what I just realised: The version I've heard so many times on after-parties, is a version that is not the original one. Will need to ask my friends, maybe the version I've heard was remixed by one of my friends, or they got it from some other producer. Will come back on this one :)

EDIT: Just found out, the track I was talking about is indeed a remix of 'Limit to Your Love', a bootleg one. Remix guy: Unknown. Not available on the internet, that's a shame, otherwise, I could send you this version. Better than the original, but quite similar, just added some beat of the slower kind. All the remixes on YT, Soundcloud of this track I don't like, they take the minimalistic style and emotions of the original away.

The name sounds familiar, but I don't know as though I have ever listened to him. I am going to have to fix that after I get through my Discover Weekly playlist this morning.