James Blake – Godspeed

“This song has always been special to me, but I wasn’t expecting the response it’s gotten. Love to everyone who willed the full recording into existence.”

James Blake

Interview: Quickfire with Lil Halima

One of Norway’s most hyped RnB talents from the last twelve months, Lil Halima has already received a huge response globally as well as coverage from tastemaker heavyweights like The Line Of Best Fit, Spindle Mag, and Wonderland. With a new EP released today, I had the opportunity to ask this exciting talent a few quickfire questions…

Before we begin, tell us a little more about you.

Haha! What do you want to know? I’m Lil Halima, an artist from northern Norway. I love to create music, sing, produce, play instruments. Also painting, drawing and I want to learn so much more when it comes to forms of expressing yourself through art because it truly brings me peace. 

What’s the RnB scene in Norway like?

It’s not very big, i know some people who do Norwegian RnB and a bunch of people I wish did RnB instead of pop, hehe. but thats just my taste, I appreciate people doing what they want to. 

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

Everywhere! Just now, I realised (or I’ve always known just never really labeled it) that I have synesthesia, and I’m starting to be more accepting for the colours and the odd way of mixing my senses. It has always been like this, so that some sounds have very visual colours, numbers with personalities and making music being very much so like painting a moving image of patterns, textures and colours. So I feel like this has been the reason I could sit and make music for hours every day, since as long as I can remember. It’s very entertaining. and inspiring. Also people in general, the earth and the questions I have surrounding everything inspires me. 

Tell us more about the tracks on your EP.

My EP is called ‘For The Dark Days’. It is created for the dark days that we have in Northern-Norway. I also have one coming out that will be for the bright days. In Northern-Norway we have months of complete darkness because of the placement of the location on earth, and during summer the sun won’t go down (it’s literally switching on the horizon). The music I listen to, the clothes I wear, how I feel, what I think about and how I spend my time is extremely different, depending on the season. Therefore I wanted to make to EPs to illustrate this, and try to capture it. On this EP, the songs will be for the dark days, but not in the sense of darkness meaning sadness. One song is for example about dreaming about being abducted by an alien, hehe.

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

Always been, always will be James Blake. And monte booker, his music with the sounds he choses, has so much colours and patterns and shapes that I’m always just trying to process and take it all in, in a good way. 

I always ask this with Scandinavian artists, but the answers are always interesting… Why do you think so much good music comes from the region?

Hmm. Maybe because we all have such a great opportunity to make music. We are so blessed when it comes to going for the things you love, because we mostly have a system to fall back on if we fail without it very obvious (yes Im talking about you the States) giving us a hard time. Thats probably one of 13569 factors, but the only thing on top of my head.

What do you have planned for 2019?

My plan is to live my best life. Plain, simple, still really hard. Learn and evolve, make music and listen to music, play shows and go to shows, make visual art and see visual art, sing and dance, create, create, create, create.

Lil Halima

The Top 20 Most Blogged Artists in the World So Far

Disclosure most blogged

Last night on Now Playing on BBC Radio 6, Disclosure was revealed to be the most blogged artist in the world this year during a special Half Year Music Blog Zeitgeist in collaboration with Hype Machine.

The top 20 so far this year are below:

2. Phoenix
3. Chvrches
8. Haim
12. The xx
13. Ms Mr
14. Classixx
15. Daughter
17. London Grammar
18. Foals
19. Grizzly Bear
20. Say Lou Lou

Brits 2012 nominations revealed!

 

The UK’s biggest music event announced this year’s nominations. It just all seems a bit… boring…

British Male Solo Artist

British Female Solo Artist

British Breakthrough Act

  • Anna Calvi
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Emeli Sande
  • Jessie J
  • The Vaccines

British Group

  • Arctic Monkeys
  • Chase & Status
  • Coldplay
  • Elbow
  • Kasabian

British Single

  • Adele – Someone Like You
  • Ed Sheeran – The A Team
  • Example – Changed The Way You Kissed Me
  • Jessie J Ft B.o.B. – Price Tag
  • JLS Ft Dev – She Makes Me Wanna
  • Military Wives/Gareth Malone – Wherever You Are
  • Olly Murs Ft Rizzle Kicks – Heart Skips A Beat
  • One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
  • Pixie Lott – All About Tonight
  • The Wanted – Glad You Came

British Album of the Year

  • Adele – 21
  • Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
  • Ed Sheeran – +
  • Florence & The Machine – Ceremonials
  • PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

International Male Solo Artist

  • Aloe Blacc
  • Bon Iver
  • Bruno Mars
  • David Guetta
  • Ryan Adams

International Female Solo Artist

  • Beyonce
  • Bjork
  • Feist
  • Lady Gaga
  • Rihanna

International Group

  • Fleet Foxes
  • Foo Fighters
  • Jay Z / Kanye West
  • Lady Antebellum
  • Maroon 5

International Breakthrough Act

  • Aloe Blacc
  • Bon Iver
  • Foster The People
  • Lana Del Rey
  • Nicki Minaj

British Producer

  • Paul Epworth
  • Flood
  • Ethan Johns

Outstanding Contribution to Music – Blur

Critics’ Choice – Emeli Sande

So who’s going home with a Mercury?

We’ll find out on BBC2 in the UK from 10pm tonight with the highly annoying Lauren Laverne (or ‘1995’ as I like to call her). If you do a Google Image search for the awards, PJ Harvey seems to be the most googled artist today, but it’s anyone’s game.

UPDATE: PJ Harvey won.

Mercury Prize nominees 2011

As predicted, no Jamie Woon, but good to see Adele, Everything Everything, James Blake and Katy B on there. Lots of people here who were featured on Alfitude before.

Adele – 21
Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything – Man Alive
Ghostpoet – Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock – Good Days At Schloss Elmau
James Blake – James Blake
Katy B – On A Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Diamond Mine
Metronomy – The English Riviera
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy

New Music: Ed Sheeran

A sexy, soulful voice with a massive online following. File beside James Blake and Jamie Woon. Check out here.

New Music: Berri Farley

Sometimes the classics are the best – from the Motown of the Isley Brothers and Smokey Robinson to soul legends like Gladys Knight and Etta James, there is a timeless appeal to beautifully crafted songs performed with soul, verve and above all, honesty – Berri Farley is a singer who clearly understands this power.

Already hailed by the likes of industry barometer Music Week and declared as ‘one to watch for 2011’ by the Irish Times alongside the likes of James Blake and The Vaccines, Berri Farley is set to conquer ears and hearts with her remarkable debut E.P, available from June 6th. Check out here.

James Blake in 2nd place for BBC Sound of 2011

James Blake, first featured here last November, is runner up for the BBC Sound of 2011. ‘Limit to your Love’ is still on my A-List… Winner is unveiled tomorrow. I reckon it’ll be Jessie J, but who knows!

BBC Sound of 2011 list revealed

This is always an exciting bit of news every year for me. The ‘BBC Sound’ poll is often the most accurate forecaster for next year’s biggest music acts, having predicted 50 Cent, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mika and Little Boots as ones to watch in the past. Visit the website here for more info. Full list is:

I’ve managed to clock 6 of those in the last year… not bad going if I do say so myself! The top five will be revealed in the week commencing 3 January.

New Music: James Blake

Stunning dramatic slow dub with a big voice. The undertones on ‘Limit To Your Love’ are mind blowing. Something about James Blake reminds me of Jamie Woon. Check out here.