CMU Playlists

Playlist: James Lavelle

By | Published on Saturday 16 October 2010

James Lavelle, I think it’s reasonable to say now, is an icon of the British music industry. At just eighteen he founded the Mo’Wax record label, which grew to become hugely respected, thanks to Lavelle’s keen ear for great tunes, releasing work by the likes of Money Mark, Luke Vibert, Blackalicious and South.

Lavelle is also credited with bringing DJ Shadow to the wider world, putting out a number of his early releases and, most notably, his debut album, ‘Entroducing’, in 1996, which remains highly Influential in hip hop, electronic music and beyond to this day.

In 1994, Lavelle formed UNKLE with Mo’Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, who later went on to found the DFA label. The duo released a number of singles and EPs with various collaborators, but it was with DJ Shadow that Lavelle created the project’s debut album, ‘Psyence Fiction’, which was released in 1998. Shadow left a year later, replaced by producer Richard File, who was in turn replaced by Lavelle’s current partner, Pablo Clements of The Psychonauts.

This year UNKLE released their fifth album, ‘Where Did The Night Fall’, their most acclaimed work since ‘Psyence Fiction’. Currently preparing for a tour of the US and Central America, Lavelle and Clements will bring the UNKLE live show back to the UK next year with a show at London’s Brixton Academy on 1 Apr.

We asked James Lavelle to put together a Powers Of Ten playlist for the 100th edition of CMU Weekly.

JAMES LAVELLE’S TEN
Click here to listen to James’s playlist in Spotify, and then read on to find out more about his selections.

01 Queens Of The Stone Age – Better Living Through Chemistry
A happy ten years, one of the best tracks from one of the best rock albums of a generation.

02 The National – Little Faith

My album of the year.

03 Autolux – Turnstile Blues

A drum-heavy classic.

04 The National – Sorrow

A classic piece of beauty.

05 Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

The ultimate comedown.

06 UNKLE feat Mark Lanegan – Another Night Out

The perfect way to finish our last album.

07 Massive Attack – Small Time Shot Away

Bristol late night blues.

08 DJ Hell feat Brian Ferry – U Can Dance

Loving the Brian Ferry comeback, still on the sleaze!

09 Carl Craig – At Les (Christian Smith’s Tronic Treatment Remix)

A great new reconstruction of a Carl Craig classic.

10 Nathan Fake – The Sky Was Pink (Holden Remix)

A classic euphoric anthem.



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