Tune #99: James Holden - I Have Put Out The Light

James Holden is a no stranger in the electronic music industry. A prodigy of the progressive sound, he composed in 1999 his first track, Horizons, which was released one year later by Silver Planet Recordings and became an instant success. The track was a runaway club hit, supported by top disc jockeys like Dave Seaman, Sasha, John Digweed and Nick Warren (the latter along with Jody Wisternoff created even a banging remix). The subsequent releases were also successful, with Nothing (both the Original Version and the 93 Returning Mix) reaching the pinnacle of progressive trance of that era.

Holden's hits made him a highly sought name for remixes by the big players (Madonna, Britney Spears, Depeche Mode). In 2002, Sasha invited him to be part of the production team for his album Airdrawndagger (the album's eighth track, Bloodlock, was a collaboration between Sasha, Holden & Junkie XL). In the meantime, Holden showcased his DJ skills in mix CDs. His first one (Fear Of The Silver Planet) was supported by Silver Planet, mainly consisting of his productions and remixes. The second one was the fifth installment of the Balance series (curated by EQ Recordings) and it is till this day one of the greatest mixes ever conceived.

The "progressive" phase of James Holden lasted until 2005, when he decided to focus on different music styles. This transition is reflected in the early releases of Border Community, Holden's label home. His first works in the label can be described as minimal progressive house, which progressed to experimental IDM. Under the label's umbrella, several innovative artists produced solid compositions, like Petter, Nathan Fake, Avus, The MFA and Luke Abbott.

I haven't followed James Holden's work for years (as a matter of fact, his new orientation is not my cup of tea), but I recently discovered one of his early works, which has escaped my radar. In 2002 he created his third EP for Silver Planet, titled Solstice/I Have Put Out The Light. The B-side of the EP is presented in the current post.

JAMES HOLDEN - I HAVE PUT OUT THE LIGHT



IHPOTL is the characteristic sound of Holden's early output; hypnotic driving pads and tweaked vocals. In my opinion, it can be considered as a precursor to the acclaimed Nothing track. The ethereal yet sedate voice of Jenny Holden (James' little sister) is tweaked for a darker emotional experience.

An interview with James Holden from the old days can be found here.