Much has been rehearsed and speculated around the hybrid nature that is electronica according to Loraine James. Stylistically complex and emotionally direct, over the course of a three-album run, it has felt more familiar than ever. And this familiar state starts from an assumption that there will always be room to see and follow her from one’s own discovery. When last year we came across the parallel project Whatever the Weather, we felt a certain distancing from the frenzy of the city and a possible desire to crystallize the moment. A few months later, and already under his usual signature, he surprises us with a unique reinterpretation of the musical universe of the forgotten composer Julius Eastman. Two major exercises that mirror a constant expressive search for tones, moods and fragmented memories; all central pieces to get where we are.
Loraine James’ next vision brings these and other perspectives into a record of instincts vindicated by experiences and desires in a world decked out at every moment. Gentle Confrontation allows breath, just as it expands honesty. Watery digital compositions that intertwine in technological R&B fabrics, perpendicular beats and confessional vocals. It charges sense to time, to what’s left behind and what lies ahead – taking that human fragility in an eternal notion of the froth of days. Deeply morning, it captures light and possibility, like an invigorating awakening.
An eagerly awaited return to the house that presented her live around here and is now getting ready to tune into James’ new frequencies. Unmatched. NA