Air & Lack Thereof

Hemlock proudly introduce the debut release for James

Blake; South London producer, keyboardist and live vocalist

for Mount Kimbie (Hot Flush). Having grown up "Playing

along to Stevie Wonder 'til the early hours and falling asleep

to Art Tatum and Erroll Garner" James's music comes

saturated with fresh ideas. With an upcoming mix for Rob

Booth's brilliant Electronic Explorations show, some big

collaborations in the pipeline and the likes of Mary Anne

Hobbs paying attention, the future looks bright.

He comes correct for Hemlock 004 with two

brilliantly off-kilter, blues and funk inflected bombs.

The perfect introduction to his very distinct sound.

At once fast and slow, melodic and heavy, and with its

feet rooted firmly in the dance, a. Air & Lack Thereof

is a beautifully wrong and virulently catchy concoction

of razor-sharp beats, bluesy vocal snippets, screaming

p-funk synths and distortion-a-plenty that adds up to

much more than the sum of it's parts.

b. Sparing the Horses goes for a darker, more twisted sonic

palette. Layers of reversed horns, deep morphing subs and

those distinct vocals again, all play over crashing polyrythmic

beats for another unique interpretation of the dubstep sound.

Worldwide support coming from Joe Nice,

Instra:mental, Dave Q, Distance, Pangaea, TRG,

Ramadanman, Ben UFO