The average temperature on the second Loraine James album, which she is releasing under the name Whatever The Weather, is a chilly 12.58°. That’s almost three degrees lower than on her debut. Does the music sound cooler now too? And why would anyone bother calculating something so arbitrary? Before we get to that: British producer Loraine James consistently names each track of her side project after a different temperature. So far, everything from 0 to 36° has been included. With her delicate version of electronica and reduced IDM sounds, she turns our typical ideas of what’s considered ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ in music on their head.
Because whether we are hearing the freezing point or, according to the thermometer, should slowly unbutton the top button of our shirt fluttering in the spring wind – she makes no distinction. And we’re not supposed to move around much here anyway. Crisp, shimmering sounds and tracks surrounded by static, acoustic guitars, and crystal-clear walls of sound now have more in common with Jan Jelinek than ever before. She largely dispenses with beats, creating a fascinating, almost impenetrable sound fog. Instead, the songs pulse gently, breathing their own air, while looped, small melodies and Loraine James’ heavily distorted voice declare summer officially cancelled.
