James Blake

Roughly every other weekend, we deliver a RMX Roundup of the freshest mixes and electronic beats on the blogosphere. To kick off this installment, we have London outfit Eat More Cake‘s new track “I See You.” Featuring vocalist Claire Row, this deep house number is one for the club with its contagious steel drums and buoyant bassline. You can find a free download for your end-of-summer playlist over on Soundcloud.

Next is a relatively unknown British DJ / producer based out of Barcelona who goes by the handle Henotik. Following a favorable reception with a release through Einmusika Recordings, Henotik has opted to self-release his new track “A Thousand Questions.” And an impressive self-debut it is with its melodic beat, driving sound and warbling synths all guided by an entrancing vocal. We have a thousand more questions for Henotik, and have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from the house producer in the future.

Last but not least, we have the new remix from red hot Canadian producer CRi. Not only did he have a stellar original work that was featured on our last RMX Roundup, now he’s chosen to do a retake of “Noise Above Our Heads,” arguably our favorite track off James Blake‘s latest LP, The Colour in Anything. Although we’ve not been shy about our love for this album — and feel its perfect in its own right — Montreal’s CRi certainly gives the original a shot of adrenaline, revving up the bass and allowing Blake’s haunting vocals to hang delicately in the balance. Stream below and grab a complimentary DL on CRi’s Soundcloud.

It may be premature, but we’re willing to take our chances and declare James Blake‘s new LP The Colour In Anything an early contender for album of the year. The much accoladed UK singer and musician, known for his metallic electronic minimalism has outdone himself on the new record released earlier this month — composed of 17 no-filler tracks over the span of 76 minutes. With songwriting and production credits from Justin Vernon, Rick Rubin, Frank Ocean, and NZ’s Connan Mockasin, Blake’s third LP might be the magnum opus of his R&B inflected, nu-gospel catalog. Rather than the myriad of contributors making his music sound disjointed, there’s a continuity between the tracks that tethers the effort into one stunning, cohesive piece. His signature spacious and quietly majestic production is still at the forefront of the project, with his soulful, sumptuous pipes reigning supreme.

The deeply moving album plays out like a devotional oeuvre, tackling well-trodden themes such as love lost and grief, but with an introspection, emotional maturity, and eventual acceptance that makes these subjects well worth the re-immersion. Little known fact, Kanye West was actually supposed to contribute to the track “Timeless,” but in the end wasn’t able to make it work. Regardless, the song is still true to its epithet.

Stream “Timeless” and album opener “Radio Silence” below — and then we implore you to listen to the album in its resplendent entirety.