Magic Seeds II

Producer and composer Leifur James released ‘Magic Seeds’ via Night Time Stories last November, his most collaborative and revered offering yet. Blurring the lines between genres, James is a rare artist who is capable of driving you to great highs while providing a diving board into a magnetising sonic world. A few months later, he will release an instrumental version of his virtuoso third album. Out on 14th February, he had this to say on the upcoming ‘Magic Seeds II release:’ 

"It was in the balance in the writing process for this record whether to leave many of these as instrumental and electronic works, and 'Magic Seeds II’ is my chance to share more of that side. Without the top lines it leaves a bit more room for you to hear some of the production; you can hear the crunch of the Formanta drum machine, the Mellotron, and some of the field recordings dug into the sound design. It’s nice to let them be the focus.” Leifur James

Over the past few years, James has steadily built a reputation as a vital new voice in electronic music on both sides of the Atlantic. He’s played prestigious London venues, including Village Underground, the Barbican with notable European tours to match, earning praise from the likes of Pitchfork, KCRW, BBC 6Music and NTS, and been championed by tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Bradley Zero and actor Cillian Murphy. His 2018 debut album ‘A Louder Silence’ defied convention, deftly blending IDM and minimalist avant-garde influences with Nina Simone-inspired vocals and capturing heady nights at London’s long-lost and beloved club Plastic People. A remix EP was to follow, featuring respected leftfielders including Bruce, FaltyDL and Coby Sey, and yet James refused to stay in one lane. ‘Wurlitzer’s’ ominous crescendo of neo-classical piano and sub-bass won acclaim at film festivals thanks to its visual by Hungarian director Balázs Simon, and then came his second, more challenging electronic full-length. 2020’s ‘Angel in Disguise’ album garnered attention from the dance music world, earning praise from Mixmag, CRACK and DJ Mag, and culminating in a full performance on Boiler Room. Written after moving to Lisbon during the pandemic, James’ third full-length ‘Magic Seeds’ was a rebirth of sorts, and cemented James’ place among one of electronic music’s most poignant and revered voices.