When the 925 project started, we wanted to move away from the drudge – the plodding, 4-4 doldrums – towards the promised land. But in a (seemingly) rich yet oversaturated music landscape of the COVID years, sensory overload kicked in way before imagined. Sprinkled in between, a glimpse of the promised land was in sight, or a mirage leading to it – L'rain with Fatigue, Kelela with Raven, Tirzah with Colourgrade, Marina Herlop with Pripyat, Jamila Woods with LEGACY! LEGACY! – few of these artists existed in a nexus of what the future (hopefully) sounded like, transcending genres, resisting accords, stepping on new colours. An effervescent mix that defied the seams of borders. Borders of all sorts.
With Gentle Confrontation, her third full-length on Hyperdub, the London-based Loraine James seems to be knocking on the door of that company. Her previous work explored glitched-out grime, ambient and experimental club music. Gentle Confrontation draws from it all, but feels more thematically unified: Throughout the album, a cinematic envelope of forlorn tonality hovers over, and carries across its nimble sequencing like a hazy dream sequence. “Speechless” fills the room with liquid Actress pads, and George Riley’s vocals carry a certain Aaliyah verve. Elsewhere, fellow R&B sensation Keiya’s gets screwed-and-chopped. “I DM U” features Black Midi-drumming that summon the spirit of Squarepusher’s Iambic Poetry. The urgent, mellifluous dissonance of “Tired of Me” feels central to Loraine’s intent, firebrand in spirit but guarded in outlook. Her words revolve around grief, identity and uncertainty, and quietly hang on to the moody carvings of sound.
Masterfully programmed, the volatile, syncopated rhythms that corbel the LP tug back and forth, mooring between rapid-fire glitch, indie-electronica and Last Exit-era Junior Boys. The varied use of vocals doesn’t always land, occasionally sitting at odds in the mix. But the diverse origin of the many guests, from R&B to Math Rock, opens passage into unexpected hallways. The highpoints of Gentle Confrontations prevail, and glide over its bends. The ideas feel stark but fleshed-out. The emotion feels true and piercing. The best music gives you that Déjà Vu. Like the ones who came before her, the arc of Loraine James young career feels destined for further revelation, as well as obligation: The future of electronic music, in safe hands.
October 2023