- Release Info -------------------------------------------------------------- -
Artist: James Blackshaw
Album: The Glass Bead Game
Label: Young God Records
Playtime: 49:31 min
Genre: Folk
URL: http://www.younggodrecords.com/
Rip date: 2009-05-07
Street date: 2009-05-26
Size: 72.74 MB
Type: Advance
Quality: 194 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo
- Release Notes ------------------------------------------------------------- -
Initially inspired by the guitarists of the 60Æs Takoma label to teach
himself fingerpicking, James Blackshaw writes long-form pieces primarily for
solo 12-string guitar and piano that are heavily influenced by minimalist
composers and European classical music and which use drones, overtones and
repeating patterns alongside a strong inclination for melody to create
instrumental music that is both intelligent, hypnotic and emotionally
charged.
Born in London in 1981, Blackshaw has so far released six solo studio albums,
one live recording and has also appeared on numerous compilations in the last
five years. "O True Believers" (2006, Important Records/BoÆweavil
Recordings), "The Cloud of Unknowing" (2007, Tompkins Square) and "Litany of
Echoes" (2008, Tompkins Square) have received huge critical acclaim from
printed and online publications including Pitchfork, Billboard, The Wire, The
Observer, The Times, Uncut, The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, The
Onion, Magnet and Acoustic Guitar Magazine. "The Cloud of Unknowing" was also
listed as one of the 50 best albums of 2007 by The Wire (no. 24) and
Pitchfork (no. 34). His latest album, "Litany of Echoes" was listed as Uncut
Magazine's 13th Best Album of 2008.
Blackshaw has recently signed to Michael Gira's Young God Records label
(Devendra Banhart / Angels Of Light /Akron/Family / Lisa Germano / Larkin
Grimm / Swans etc...)and his seventh studio album The Glass Bead Game is to
be released in May 2009. Blackshaw is currently a member of Current 93,
Brethren of The Free Spirit (duo with Jozef Van Wissem) and performs live
with Pantaleimon. He has toured extensively in Europe, US and Japan, playing
approximately 200 shows since 2005 in a broad range of environments from
sold-out 1,000 capacity venues supporting Jose Gonzalez to intimate church
shows and institutions such as The Douglas Hynde Gallery in Dublin and The
ICA in London. He has featured on National Public Radio in the US, BBC Radio
2 and performed live on VPRO television in The Netherlands.
- Track List ---------------------------------------------------------------- -
01. Cross ( 8:38)
02. Bled (10:25)
03. Fix ( 5:38)
04. Key ( 6:02)
05. Arc (18:48)
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