#james bright

[sweet-morgue]

turns out my boyfriend has been using that ugly ahh piece of cat brightglass fanart I made years ago as his phone wallpaper EVER SINCE I MADE IT so I had to save the both of us from that terrible thing and the redraw was made.

MISERABLE OLD VERSION UNDER CUT

boo tomato tomato 🍅🍅

[thesunlounge]

James Bright - Shimmer (from Sol d’en Serra, Higher Love Recordings 2020)

[thesunlounge]

James Bright - World So High (from World So High, eclectics 2020)

[thesunlounge]

James Bright - Mo’oera (from Pacific Bright EP, eclectics 2018)

[thesunlounge]

James Bright - La Digue (from Pacific Bright EP, eclectics 2018)

[brokeandfamouseu]

James Alexander Bright //

[nctrnm]

#NowPlaying: " PREMIERE | My Friend Dario - Storm (James Bright Remix) [NuNorthern Soul] 2021" by 44,100Hz Social Club

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 144: James Bright

James Bright is a chill-out legend and has been releasing and remixing deep balearica since the early 2000s. An obvious standout is the luscious “Little Things” featuring Rachel Lloyd, which has appeared on countless beachside downtempo compilations over the years (including one of my favorites, Café Ibiza: The Cream of Balearic Cuisine). James has also worked here and there with Steve Miller, releasing the legendary Northern Lights in 2005 as Lux as well as providing a sensual and gliding house remix of Afterlife’s “Clear Blue Sky”. So given this resume, it’s no surprise that the Eclectics crew have tapped James for their eighth release, the stunning Pacific Bright EP. Though I haven’t written about Eclectics much due to The Sun Lounge’s focus on vinyl, they are one of my favorite labels and have released so many of my most listened to tracks from the last few years (Micko Roche’s “Balearo Remix” of Field Theory’s “Callisto” and the Dream Chimney dub of Faint Waves’ “Paradise Lost” just to name a few). But the Pacific Bright EP might be their strongest outing yet, as it gives James ample room to fully explore his cosmic and balearic universe, resulting in four diverse cuts of pure oceanic magic.

James Bright - Pacific Bright EP (Eclectics, 2018) In “Mnemba”, angelic pads in majestic kosmische progressions ring out like a choir of ocean spirits over soft cymbals and enchanting pianos. Hand drums pan around the mix while vocal pulses build in strength and after a hushed pause, James drops us into a romantic downtempo dreamscape wherein smooth liquid guitar solos are surrounded by luscious walls of heavenly synth warmth. Layers of sound cascade like waves made of light and smeared out drone meditations rush through the mix aside outerspace feedback blips. All the while, palm-muted guitars and dreamland pianos sway together over tropical bongos and deep chill-out beats as subdued acid sequences drift towards the horizon on outerspace clouds of electronic gas. The sprightly and ascending synth lines in “La Digue” remind me of A Vision of Panorama, but overall the song exists in this atmospheric world of 50’s beach romance. The swinging drum intoxication is supported by chunky bass guitars and percolating hand drums, while futuristic synth sparkles and hollow idiophones fly high in the sky. The melodies are dominated by magically delaying piano chords that bring to mind Coyote…these incredible chord cascades dancing under oceanic echoes while mesmeric arps soar through a cosmic wonderland. The sonic vibes evoke a perfect day spent at some paradise beach, the water so blue and inviting, with light reflecting off the surface like an infinite web of diamonds. And as the smooth and warm sand moves between your toes, a gentle breeze blows and good vibrations rain down from a bright blue sky. 

“Mo’oera” cuts dramatically into massive and euphoric pads like cosmic ocean waves that crash over mystical and delay-soaked alien percussion. It’s like the beach evoked by “La Digue” now seen at night and bathed under the lustrous glow of billions of stars, as chiming cymbals keep time while swirling intergalactic noise clouds and hallucinatory space sequences are shrouded in a haze a mystery. Starshine acid sequences percolate gently and work the mind towards balearic ecstasy above the increasing drum propulsion and at some point, reverb soaked guitars wash away some of the looping layers of kosmische beauty with their gorgeous midnight solo incantations. Closer “Roatan” begins with slow motion soul beats obscured by wisps of dark synthetic light. Then comes a dreamland of downbeat chill-out mastery, with the rhythms lead by double time cymbals and high-pitched snares. Submarine pings transform into epic melodies and as the rhythms pull away, it feels like being set afloat in a beautiful yet disorienting ocean world where strange sea creatures swirl around trailed by currents of rainbow light. Eventually the drums return and majestic french horns (or trumpets?) ring out from the top of some deep oceanic mountain, their powerful brass spells slight muted by the flowing world of watery sound. Then, after meditative acoustic guitar riffs work their way into the mix, the rhythms drop away again, leaving behind a spellbinding dreamdrift of aqueous synths, arcing voices, flowing chimes, and heart-aching horn melodies.

(images from the label’s Bandcamp)