Tag Archives: James Blake

Treasure Island 2016: 12 Must See Acts — SF 10/15-16 [Festival Preview]

culrt-fumaam8ayIf you’ve been following The Music Ninja over the last few years, you already know that Treasure Island Music Festival reigns atop our list of best music events in the Bay Area. Rounding out peak festival season, TIMF consistently avoids the repetitive lineups that plague competitors while offering an ideal environment for attendees worn out from over-crowded events. 2016 is an important year for the festival marking both its 10th anniversary and final year taking place on Treasure Island itself as a result of upcoming real estate development. Thankfully it will not be the end altogether for the SF staple, which will be relocating to a TBD destination come 2017 (the SF Chronicle even has a poll where you can vote on where it should be).

With those milestones in mind, Noise Pop have stepped up their already fantastic curation bringing what may be our favorite lineup to date. Our best advice would be to catch as many artists as the schedule permits, be prepared for the rain and stop by the Silent Disco. Although we know and love pretty much every artist on this weekend’s bill, we’ve curated our top picks for each day below. Hope to see some of you Ninjas on the island! Continue reading

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[Soul] Moses Sumney – Lonely World (feat. Thundercat)

Moses Sumney
Lonely World

I first came across Moses Sumney during an intimate headlining performance at this year’s Form Arcosanti festival. Given the crowd’s tangible excitement, I was surprised I hadn’t yet heard much about the LA-based singer/songwriter. His performance was haunting and emotionally intense leaving the audience fully entranced. In combining ambient, slow-building soundscapes with beautiful, heart-wrenching vocals, Sumney has proven himself a force among new wave soul/R&B artists and the music world has taken notice. He’s joined James Blake on his recent tour (a bill made in heaven!), will be featured on Solange Knowles’s upcoming album and has been co-signed by Sufjan Stevens among others.

Aside from his work with prominent artists, Sumney is gearing up to release his Lamentations EP on September 30th and today he dropped the latest single, “Lonely World.” The 5-minute track, which features superb bass work from Thundercat, starts with a stripped-down instrumental leaving Sumney’s vocals to draw the listener in. As the instrumentation fills out, you’re taken into a state of hypnosis only broken by an intense, layered closing. It’s a track that I’ve already listened to 10 times and chances are you will have too by the end of the day. Give it a spin above and check out the music video after the jump. Continue reading

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[Electronic] O Mer – Now I’m Alive

O Mer
Now I'm Alive

For all the James Blake fans out there, this one is a must-listen. Originally from Tel Aviv, singer/producer O Mer absolutely knocks his latest release, “Now I’m Alive,” out of the ball park. Fusing electronic music with Middle Eastern influences, he creates a unique tune that puts the listener on an emotional roller coaster. Vocal harmonies are used to start off the track, paired with minimalist drums. The booming synth at the beat drop sends everything into action, which puts together a series of different sounds for one giant eargasm.

We would like to think this is O Mer’s biggest track to date. With this level of talent and production skills, the now Brooklyn-based producer won’t just stop here. He’s definitely an artist to watch right now.

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[Festival Review] Life on the Incline: Sasquatch!, the Gorge and the Hill’s Eternal Serenity

17496069434_2c6a933028_oThere’s nothing quite like the sensation of sitting sideways atop the slope of the Gorge Amphitheater’s hill at Sasquatch! Music Festival overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. Add entrancing music to a background that no picture or piece of art could ever do justice; and, at that intersection, you’ll find the happy place Squatchers look forward to all year. The so-far-past picturesque backdrop sets the tone for the festival but, with arguably one of its best lineups yet, was a far cry from Sasquatch’s only attraction this year. Rather, the main stage’s slope served as the much-needed anchor after a dance party at the Chupacabra tent or Big Foot stage—a place to lie, head up or down, and absorb the collective consciousness of thousands of equally inspired concertgoers.

Music festivals have become such chaotic events and Sasquatch! is, certainly not an exception, but it’s that same comfort felt on the hill that permeates throughout the entire campground. No matter what you’re going through or how you’re feeling, the hill will take your emotional state to serenity, where it belongs.

18009447496_4d9cd9882f_oWords, photos and songs really can’t do justice to just how incredible the Squatch is but we’ve done our best to recap, from our perspective, the musical highlights from the 4 days. For those of you who were there, we hope this brings you back even if just a little bit and for those who weren’t, well, you’re going to want to be there next year after peeping our recap.

Continue reading

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[Trap] James Blake – Limit To Your Love (Cazzette Bootleg)

James Blake
Limit To Your Love (Cazzette Bootleg)

Trap gets chilled by the Swedish act Cazzette who took “Limit To Your Love” and made one of the dopest remixes of the year. There’s just something about this production that wins on all levels.

First of all, starting with James Blake isn’t a bad place to begin, and Cazzette’s production prowess took things to the next, next level. Everything from the piano to the celestial chorus packs a punch that will make a lasting impression on listeners everywhere. For the ninjas, we’ve had it on repeat since we first came across it. Released as a free download, there’s no reason to stay away from this beautiful gem. Prior to this treasure, Cazzette recently released a string of other incredible remixes, so if you haven’t heard those either, you should head over to Soundcloud.

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[Soothing] James Blake – I Am Sold (GARREN Remix)

I Am Sold (GARREN Remix)
James Blake

GARREN has established quite the reputation for his work, and even had people stealing it at one point. Thankfully, that situation was rectified, and he’s begun to truly receive the credit that’s been long overdue to him. Every remix he’s released lays a warm blanket of lush synths and refined drum work over our delicate ears and tucks us in at night safe and sound.

His new take on James Blake‘s “I Am Sold” continues this tradition with the aptitude of James himself along with clear influences from Cashmere Cat and more forward thinking artists. His groundwork for success is strong, and while he still is slightly under the radar, there’s no doubt that his time going unnoticed will be short lived. He has demonstrated mastery of exactly what sound he’s going for, and we need to hear more. Grab the free download here.

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[Electronica] James Blake – 200 Press

James Blake
200 Press

After his last album, James Blake has stayed relatively quiet during summer. But we are very excited to present to you all his brand new track titled “200 Press”, because according to Mr. Blake, “only 200 are going to be pressed up”.

James Blake released this track during a radio residency session with BBC Radio 1. If you’re a James Blake fan, you probably already know about his exquisite skill set of using loops. Like many of his other songs, he takes this vocal sample and builds it up with unique beats and his occasional vocals. This song is based on this sample that goes “Gather ’round the beat like campfire…”, and with his quirky input into the beat, it turns into this creepy, mysterious and futuristic tune. It’s almost like he’s building a snowman from scratch, but it turns out to be looking like a scarecrow (excuse the excessive imagination).

This song could be a good preview to whatever Sir James got in store for us. Needless to say, we really like where he is going with his music.

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