james blake and sound of 2011 is - Radio Clash Podcast James Blake and Sound of 2011 is post dubstep? Radio Clash Music Mashup Podcast brings you the best in eclectic tunes, mashups and remixes from around the world. Since 2004, we've been bringing you the freshest and most innovative music from a diverse range of genres and cultures. Join us on our musical journey as we explore the sounds of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Discover new music and be inspired by the mashup of musical styles that only Radio Clash can provide. Subscribe now to elevate your musical experience!

James Blake and Sound of 2011 is post dubstep?

Not really heard much James Blake other than hearing the rather Coldplay-like ‘Limit to your love’ on 6Music, so when they just profiled him as he’s gotten to #2 in the Sound of 2011 I was surprised, more dubstep and Burial electronic territory than I was expecting – and love what he did to the Kelis Caught out there sample. Really like CMYK, which apparently Radio 1 was playing…maybe I should tune back in to Radio 1 if they are playing good stuff like this again and not fucking N-Dubz.

Then again judging on recent tracks and success he might be going the tried-and-trusted boring singer-songwriter traditional sounding path, I hope not as that Feist cover isn’t as original as his other stuff…keep the noise and glitch and oddness James!

Interesting the influence of The XX and what they are calling post-dubstep (hmm, hope it isn’t a nu-rave but it does seem to have more than a passing relationship with the dubstep scene) but I have to say the influence of the likes of Burial and XX is not a bad thing – check out fellow Sound of 2011 nominee Jamie Woon who was promoted by Burial and here is co-produced by him:

Also on the Sound of 2011 list is some not-so-post dubstep – Nero who was one of the tracks I almost put on my best of, Innocence. Probably my favourite dubstep track of 2010 along with Sweet Shop by Doctor P, and they did some blinding remixes too:

Expect big things from both in 2011 methinks. Apparently the winner is announced tomorrow, cue reaction of ‘who?’ etc – hopefully less bland than Ellie Goulding was in 2010’s list *yawn*.

It is kind of depressing that the ones chosen so far mostly still fit the safe tested mould of single singer-songwriter, even the ones I like still have that – over the bands or production teams like Nero (Noah and the Mumford Velvet Ramones sounding The Vaccines excepting). Single people are easier to market, easier to mould and easier to sell, as Simon Cowell will tell you – but did the BBC learn nothing from John Peel? With rioting in the streets, this selection seems oh so safe – and not reflecting what is going on, then again with the BBC it was ever thus, weird how they pretend to be cool and down with the yoot when really BBC has always been more Royal Variety than 100 Club (or the crowd kicking in Charles’s Bentley window on the way to the Royal Variety! Good work those people!).

Not going to second guess who will win it, but I’d choose Warpaint (one of the few here who doesn’t sound too directly derivative) or Nero, maybe Yuck – but I’m guessing it’ll be *surprise* a lone female or singer-wrongwriter.

Then again this is the awards that put Lady Gaga in 6th place three years ago, under Little Boots and Florence and the Machine. Lady Gaga is now probably the biggest pop act in the world, at least if YouTube hits are anything to go by…

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