José James – Black Magic (Brownswood)

Released: 01/02/2010

José James came to prominence when Gilles Peterson signed him to Brownswood Recordings a couple of years ago. His debut album, “The Dreamer“, has been one of my most frequently played records over the last two years, and I think it is now widely recognised for the great piece of music that it is. Finally, his new album, “Black Magic” is here.

His voice comes across as a modern Gil Scott-Heron, with influences ranging from Marvin Gaye to the unmistakable John Coltrane. ”Black magic” as José describes in the booklet, conveys a lot of meaning, from the roots of black music across genres with its emotional expression ranging from passionate uproar to the beauty of love.

The mission for José James is in his own words, “to create something classic, that is also relevant for todays people”. With “Black magic” he continues the journey he set out on “The Dreamer” this time drawing on a solid group of producers for assistance.

Not that he needed assistance, because one of the biggest strengths of the debut was the feel of the soundscape, the completeness of the production and how it perfectly arranged the vocals with the instruments, making it sound polished without loosing a live feel to it.

But the willingness to experiment and push himself further is a true feature of José James, and also one of the reasons he is such a good fit with Gilles Petersons Brownswood label. As label manager Emily says; “he has always been open and willing to work with different people and get completely out of his comfort zone. Not many vocalists of this sort of seriousness and pedigree can be found covering a dubstep classic, Mc-ing for Flying lotus at Brainfeeder events, having their vocals pitched up and twisted out by Basement Jaxx, or throwing down a rap for SOIL&”PIMP”’s ubercool trio side project J.A.M.”

The Productions by Flying Lotus Dj Mitsu the Beats, and Moodyman should increase his reach to further audiences without loosing his base. Of the producers, it is Flying Lotus that has the largest footprint on the record. Being involved from an early stage in the writing and recording process, his slow hip-hop grooves and atmospheric sounds is apparent on a number of tracks. Of his three  productions, “Code”, “Made for love” and “Blackmagic”, the latter is my favourite.

But the standout track for me is “Promise in love”. Produced by Dj Mitsu The Beats, the slow, warm beats and trumpet creates the perfect base to highlight José’s fantastic voice. Another great example is “Lay you down” – where bouncy and slow funk groove really accompany the vocal, this time with staying slightly more prominent in the soundscape.

“Touch”, “Save your love for me”, “The greater good”, “Beauty” and “No tellin’” is the tracks that mostly resembles the debut, whereas Moodyman develops the classic José James voice with a characteristic production on “Detroit Loveletter”. Worth mentioning is “Love conversation” the only track on the record with a vocal collaboration. The conversation with Jordana De Lovely is an example of how José also fits well with other artists in a more supporting role.

James has even adapted of Benga’s dubstep anthem “Emotions,” adding his own vocals and re-titling the track “Warrior” – after the title of Bengas album “Diary of an afro warrior”. The dark and slightly paranoid foundation of beats blends well with the smooth jazz piano and Josés vocals – taking it into a new exciting territory.

Again, if you haven’t checked out José James yet – you are in for a treat. The video is a great introduction.

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