LATEST RELEASE
JAMES WEBB
CATALOGUE
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following on from his two previous critically acclaimed albums, 'dark days exit' reflects felix’s forays into classical instrumentation whilst still audibly remaining true to his unique style, walking a thin line between lush and disconcerting beat scapes. felix describes it as his first “true album”, where he feels the music represents his vision alone. the result is a truly beautiful electronica album, mixed and arranged with absolute genius – each track has distinct character, never slipping into the wallpaper monotony of current lounge fodder. TRACKS: dark days exit is available on itunes worldwide (compost records release) PRESS
QUOTES: "an inspired and deep album of esoteric kindness and warm technology" - peter kruder / g-stone "miss teardrop is a sublime brill supertune.. sneaking carefully into your ears and remaining there for a long long time... excellent" - richard dorfmeister "stunning album" - laurent garnier "dark days exit’s all-round unabashed loveliness could possibly convert even the most misanthropic marilyn manson fan" – bbc collective’s paul clarke "it has the dark sparkle of air`s `moon safari`, random trippy flashes of pink floyd´s earlier sounds, and if david lynch had based `twin peaks` in cape town´s city bowl, then this would work as the soundtrack." - sa / rockdigest "he's clearly an architect, a visionary, and his ongoing musical creations bear testament to this. his tunes — a collection of collages, textures interwoven with lucid melodies and twisted, yet simple, beats — stand tall in an industry which all too often rewards the followers rather than the innovators." - stephen timm / iafrica.com "laband's music reminds one of modern classical composers like reich and glass, leftfield electronica artists like boards of canada, aphex twin and the audio pranksters at ninja tune. it is head music which makes your foot tap. it is delicate, yet earthily funky.." xxxxx charles leonard 48 hours "the latest offering from mr laband is a real alice in wonderland soundtrack; surreal but wonderful. ..a melodic overture of good sounds with an off-beat melancholy which reminds me of autumn." - cape etc "though both laband's previous albums were superb in every respect, they pale in comparison to his new masterpiece - an album so far removed from the usual electronic fodder that it is impossible to categorise. most great albums are." - jon craig canavan / SL magazine "the soundtrack for sensitive people's lives - very recommendable." - martin gretschmann / the notwist / console “sometimes dark and sinister, always a little melancholy, infused with a retro hipness that is entirely cocktail inspiring. felix´s greatest quality must be his use of space – the music breathes with space around the beats, fresh fresh fresh. infinitely listenable, especially outdoors.“ - world online “an insane swirling ambient dub glitch freak show.“ - dazed & confused magazine “the album is a warm space of melody and rhythm that lets you move through colours of nostalgia and déjá vu with endless possibilities of hearing something new.“ - philippa cameron “laband´s superbly-layerd, multi-tiered soundscapes are tantalizingly tranquil and intriguingly unique – they amble like ambient and slip into the bloodstream like liquid lsd.“ - rage.co.za “...if you have too less money to travel to south africa, no problem, just listen to “dark days exit“ and close your eyes...“ - nat queen cool / sounds good inc. “kraftwerks´s autobahn might have been a prelude but this is the omega! fur sure!” - helene ramos galagarza “the new album takes felix's music deeper than before. 'whistling in tongues' is a hypnotic tune perfect for late-night driving.“ - ennio styles |
cd: infinite
coastline
cd: conference
selected press and biography information
“james webb is a pioneer of sound art in south africa.” carine zaayman, artthrob http://www.artthrob.co.za/04aug/artbio.html august 2004
“i kept my eyes open throughout and couldn't help thinking how great it would be if radio were really like this.” richard haslop, art south africa, volume 3 issue 1, spring 2004
“it is a fiction constructed through collection, amplification of the mundane, and a desire to reveal to us the architecture of our consciousness.” carine zaayman, artthrob, http://www.artthrob.co.za/04aug/reviews/ccc.html august 2004
“james is really a sonic artist. i met him at the recent red bull academy in cape town, where he had the most delightful and slightly disconcerting installation in the toilets!” mira calix, dazed & confused, volume 2 issue 15, july 2004.
“on the other end of the spectrum (as stratford-upon-avon is different from whittlesea), there was “a compendium of imaginary wavelengths” by james webb and james sey. here, there are no lead singers and zero ego, with just two men in black sitting behind desks, dimly lit by the glow from their laptops’ open faces, from which they play, control and manipulate the sounds and textures that make up their specific brand of electronica. it’s a bit like listening to benguela (or like watching the film powaqqatsi) — music in which you can completely dissolve into. before you know it, an hour has passed and your thoughts have been drifting here and there in some weird dream-like state almost subconsciously guided by the delicate pulls and thrusts of the music. no encores when done though, just a synchronised slapping-shut of their laptops.” best of the fest: from culture to condoms by toast coetzer, www.iafrica.com 19 july 2004
“the piece acts as a sort of sonic, scientific, and erotic wunderkammer, that 17th century cabinet of eccentric wonders by which gentlemen could imagine their own alchemical science. those collections, unlike the compendiums and scientific almanacs of today which systematize and normalise, instead sought out the wondrous and extraordinary: mermaid’s tails, pieces of the skulls of wise men, two-tailed lizards, perpetual motion machines.” julian jonker - art south africa, volume 2 issue 3, autumn 2004
“james webb’s response to the idea of archiving is a postmodern affair, devoid of emotions that can be attached to particular meanings. an accidental meshing of sounds generated by asynchronous cd players, it takes randomness beyond the personal. webb’s work has lots in common with the computations inside a motherboard at nasa. still searching, but digitally.” alex dodd - art south africa, volume 2 issue 1, spring 2003
“interestingly what is produced is not, as might be expected, an alienating or irritating experience. instead webb's piece is curiously soothing. apparently undirected, the work encourages free association. not forced to find an intended meaning one is carried by one's own associative processes. listening to the sonic hissing and stutter induced memories of the sound of rain in an african night filled with insects - perhaps an apposite evocation for a country caught between the first and third worlds. a highly satisfying experience.” virginia mackenny – artthrob, june 2003
“iconoclastic cultural terrorist.” alexander sudheim – mail & guardian, 6 june 2003
“after (him) krushed & sorted will probably sound like westlife.” nic dawes - mail & guardian, 21 february 2003
“james webb is another artist from cape town whose work can be understood as a productive interplay with spatial and geographic determinations, though in a completely distinct way. his success story might be unique, yet for artists feeling underexposed or disconnected it can stand as an example of an artist who, while struggling with local conditions, remains true to his intentions and gets recognition from his peers.” thomas boutoux – flash art international n° 225 july- september 2002
“james
speel hiermee ’n slinkse klankspel met die besoeker.” melvyn
minnaar
- die burger, 25 april 2002
“webb's arrangements of speakers and wires exert their own mesmeric fascination on the viewer, and once you are seduced into letting your imagination have free rein, the music seeps into your consciousness in an almost unassuming way. you start seeing all kinds of things: flowers stretching towards the sun, cobras poised to strike.” chris roper – artthrob, april 2002
“but this is not the work of any old cunning linguist…” kathryn smith - mail & guardian, november 2001
“outre avant-garde” lloyd pollak - cape times, april 2000
“it's the kind of landscape which, once experienced, one yearns to revisit.” sue williamson – artthrob, november 1999
“(the) music adds threat and beauty.” jill fletcher - cape times, 6 june 1999
james webb has exhibited nationally and internationally on a number of group shows in the installation, audio, visual and text mediums. he curated ydesire at the castle of good hope and co-curated yde tag at the south african national gallery. webb was awarded a merit prize for his work on the 2002 absa l’atelier. james webb has attended master class workshops given by brian eno, and has contributed to holger czukay’s “linear city” album. webb’s work is represented in the south african national gallery as well as in private collections locally and abroad.
his methods are unconventional and garner unique results. with a background in advertising and a successful career in both fine art and sound design, webb’s work looks beyond the ordinary confines of the cd medium and live performance towards creating work that can exist within the public sphere as well as in other mediums.
james webb’s forthcoming debut solo album, “za” will be released in 2005.
LINKS:
http://www.artthrob.co.za/04aug/artbio.html
http://www.artthrob.co.za/04aug/reviews/ccc.html
http://www.cca-kitakyushu.org/english/research/participants.html
http://www.artthrob.co.za/03july/reviews/nsa3.html
http://www.artthrob.co.za/02apr/reviews/usag.html
http://www.artthrob.co.za/01nov/project.html
DISCOGRAPHY:
chop sui 2003
open record sampler 1 2002
infinite coastline (with sir name) 2001
linear city (with holger czukay) 2001
conference (with sir name) 2001
improvised pieces for double bass and electronics (with brydon bolton)
2001
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open
01 enkeleen ek is legio full details buy online |
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02 alex van heerden & derek gripper sagtevlei full details buy online |
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03 brendon bussy diesel geiger full details buy online |
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04 benguela sui full details buy online |
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05 derek gripper blomdoorns full details buy online |
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CONTACT
ross campbell
iliketea@iafrica.com
cape town
south africa
distributed
in south africa by
kurse music distribution
contact alastair
tel: 021 424 1959 alastair@kursemusic.co.za