Loraine James will reinterpret the music of late American composer Julius Eastman on a new album. The acclaimed producer will share Building Something Beautiful for Me on October 7 via Phantom Limb.
The eight-track Building Something Beautiful for Me — James's second LP of 2022 — finds her in trans-generational dialogue with Eastman, their respective approaches demonstrating the power of gay, Black artistry.
Through Phantom Limb's relationship with Eastman's surviving brother Gerry, James was offered a zip drive of Eastman originals (courtesy of Gerry Eastman), Renee Levine-Packer & Mary Jane Leach's illuminating 2015 biography Gay Guerilla, and transcribed MIDI stems (courtesy of Phantom Limb founder & A&R James Vella) to inform the resulting album.
Opener "Maybe If I (Stay on It)" is the first piece to arrive from the album, and you can hear it below alongside the album's tracklist. Five of the album's song titles include the corresponding Eastman work in parentheses, with "Stay on It" later reappearing to be sourced on "Black Excellence (Stay on It)."
In April, James shared a self-titled debut as Whatever the Weather, which followed 2021 LP Reflection.
Next month, James will play the 2022 edition of Montreal's MUTEK festival. This year has also seen the artist remix Cadence Weapon and Tirzah.
Building Something Beautiful for Me is now available for pre-order.
Building Something Beautiful for Me:
1. Maybe If I (Stay on It)
2. The Perception of Me (Crazy N—)
3. Choose to Be Gay (Femenine)
4. Building Something Beautiful for Me
5. Enfield, Always
6. My Take
7. Black Excellence (Stay on It)
8. What Now (Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan D'Arc)
The eight-track Building Something Beautiful for Me — James's second LP of 2022 — finds her in trans-generational dialogue with Eastman, their respective approaches demonstrating the power of gay, Black artistry.
Through Phantom Limb's relationship with Eastman's surviving brother Gerry, James was offered a zip drive of Eastman originals (courtesy of Gerry Eastman), Renee Levine-Packer & Mary Jane Leach's illuminating 2015 biography Gay Guerilla, and transcribed MIDI stems (courtesy of Phantom Limb founder & A&R James Vella) to inform the resulting album.
Opener "Maybe If I (Stay on It)" is the first piece to arrive from the album, and you can hear it below alongside the album's tracklist. Five of the album's song titles include the corresponding Eastman work in parentheses, with "Stay on It" later reappearing to be sourced on "Black Excellence (Stay on It)."
In April, James shared a self-titled debut as Whatever the Weather, which followed 2021 LP Reflection.
Next month, James will play the 2022 edition of Montreal's MUTEK festival. This year has also seen the artist remix Cadence Weapon and Tirzah.
Building Something Beautiful for Me is now available for pre-order.
Building Something Beautiful for Me:
1. Maybe If I (Stay on It)
2. The Perception of Me (Crazy N—)
3. Choose to Be Gay (Femenine)
4. Building Something Beautiful for Me
5. Enfield, Always
6. My Take
7. Black Excellence (Stay on It)
8. What Now (Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan D'Arc)