Jakwob has immaculate skin, perfect teeth, impeccable dress sense and the innate aptitude to produce raw, unadulterated dub like a don.
Padded out in as many layers as he could humanely fit over his body, James Edward Jacob arrived at Loch Ness for the Rockness festival toasty warm. Booked to headline the Goldenvoice tent on Sunday early evening, the cold Scottish air came as a sharp shock to the inner city living event organiser turned producer. Embarking on his tour of the UK festivals, Jakwob will be playing out his newly released, hotly anticipated mixtape ‘The Prize’, on stages, venues and tents in villages, fields and cities until late November.
Preferring to spend his time on the road, writing new material, meeting fresh talent and collaborating with artists he encounters by chance, James has worked with Ghostpoet, Kano, The 14th, Youngman and Mr Hudson on his new body of work. Inspired by mostly sombre sounds, the diversely tempoed, dub influenced compilation is the result of marathon studio sessions. Forgetting to eat, sleep or leave the booth for extended periods of time, he wanted to create a dance music album that was not perfectly finished or robotic. Boshing out ideas as they came, thick and fast, each track runs fluidly into another for the duration of the mixtape.
Gathering an impressive crowd of kilt-wearing dance fans about the peripheries of the Loch, as soon as Jakwob took to the stage Rockness was transfixed. Playing new material alongside his older anthems, the music was received particularly well and the afternoon faded into night, to the velvet sounds of the one man’s dub machine. i-D online caught up with the illusive lad to chat about movie soundtracks and more.
Catch Jakwob at June’s i-D MIX from 8PM at East London’s XO Bar.
Text: Milly McMahon
With special thanks to Drambuie.
