To celebrate the release of his debut solo album on Warp Records, James Ellis Ford dives into his eclectic record collection to present an array of his personal favourites and influences on The Hum.
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- Artist
- James Ellis Ford
- ReleaseProduct
- The Hum
- Label
- Warp Records
- Catalogue Number
- WARPDD332
- Release Date
- May 12, 2023
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Vinyl 1×LP, Coloured Vinyl
$32.99Clear vinyl
Read MoreWARPLP332I
- 36 x 24" fold out poster
- Black paper inner sleeve
- Download code
- Limited to 1000
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Vinyl 1×LP
$30.99 -
CD
$17.99Read MoreWARPCD332
- 4 panel digipak
- Fold out poster
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Download
$9.99320 kbps, LAME-encoded
It’s not every day a superstar producer steps out from the shadows to make their solo debut. With over two decades of experience in providing musical service to an endless list of artists, James Ellis Ford is ready to stand in the spotlight on his own. Naturally, he could’ve gone for a feature-heavy showstopper, an ode to collaboration which would have been equally grandiose as he boasts credits with Florence + The Machine, Gorillaz, and Arctic Monkeys, as well as being one half of Simian Mobile Disco. But with a home studio, a vast array of instruments played by his own hands, and a courageous appetite for exploring beyond his comfort zone, Ford’s first album The Hum shows off his talents far more.
You wouldn’t think this is Ford’s first time playing bass clarinet, or singing, or even recording a solo album due to the sheer quality of it. Indeed, the unorthodox opener ‘Tape Loop #7’ bears the mark of a seasoned experimenter, capturing music in an embryonic state with murkily resonant and meditative tones, rising blushes of soft distortion, and warm synth lines bathing in a cosmic soup. Shifting this into the enchanting jazz journey of ‘Pillow Village’, with swirling incandescent winds, syrupy bass plucks, and fried swells of sax aplenty, makes it clear there’s a real master at work here.
‘I Never Wanted Anything’ distills Ford’s wisened everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach into an angular pop vein, melding the sensibilities of smooth jazz with the playful experimentation of electronica and the UK’s post-punk re-revival. ‘Golden Hour’ channels psychedelic, baroque pastoral scenes with stacked vocals painted in bronze shades, while ‘The Yips’ pays homage to his wife and son’s Palestinian roots with Arabic-influenced melodies and harmonies whizzing dynamically through bubbling grooves, foreshadowing the scintillating gamma ray synth bursts of ‘Caterpillar’ and fiery flashes of guitar in the elegant and heartfelt ‘Emptiness’.
James Ellis Ford has opened a new chapter in his career, spilling his heart and studio contents into his solo debut The Hum.
Digital Tracklist
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1
Tape Loop #7
4:40
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Tape Loop #7
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2
Pillow Village
5:20
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Pillow Village
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3
I Never Wanted Anything
5:09
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I Never Wanted Anything
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4
Squeaky Wheel
3:19
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Squeaky Wheel
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5
The Yips
4:42
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The Yips
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6
Golden Hour
3:57
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Golden Hour
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7
The Hum
2:32
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The Hum
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8
Caterpillar
5:01
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Caterpillar
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9
Emptiness
4:10
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Emptiness
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10
Closing Time
5:27
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Closing Time
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Tracklist
Nala Sinephro - Space 1
Soft Machine - Floating World
Jon Hassell - Toucan Ocean
Craig Leon - Nommo
Alice Coltrane - Galaxy In Turiya
Yasuaki Shimizu - Umi No Ue Kara
Don Cherry - Benoego
Robert Wyatt - Pigs
Broadcast - Man Is Not A Bird
Linda Mccartney - Oriental Nightfish
Syrinx - Hollywood Dream Trip
Scott Walker - On Your Own Again
Featured Tracks
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Space 1
Nala Sinephro
Space 1.8
4:08
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Space 1
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$2.19
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Toucan Ocean
Jon Hassell
Vernal Equinox
3:53
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Toucan Ocean
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Nommo
Craig Leon
Anthology of Interplanetary Folk Music Vol. 1: Nommos / Visiting
7:17
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Nommo
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Man Is Not A Bird
Broadcast
HaHa Sound
4:52
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Man Is Not A Bird
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Hollywood Dream Trip
Syrinx
Tumblers from the Vault
5:13
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Hollywood Dream Trip
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