Touch Shapes by James Hayford

James Hayford is bringing his unique style to Growroom Productions after nine varied releases on our friend's Filtered Deluxe Recordings label. The four track EP 'Touch Shapes' drips with psychedelic vibes and is anchored by downtempo beats. Hayford worked with friends and musical collaborators, J O E & R U E (Joe Andrew), Wil Blades (Royal Potato Family), and Honest Lee to create a sound that blends head nodding grooves with ear tickling soundscapes.

On 'Pent Up Chill' J O E & R U E provides layers of vocal harmonies drenched in blissful reverb on top of a thick breakbeat and a fat sour gummy worm of a bassline. Skillfully layered, the dream-like state of waiting is perfectly conjured here. Modern organ luminary, Wil Blades contributed keys on 'WYA Parks' which get chopped up over abstract beats and bass to give flashes of tricked out cars rolling on hydraulics through a warped SoCal street. Hayford also used Wil Blades' clavinet on 'Eyes Shut, Forest Walk' and layered it with shifting electronic environments. He then recruited Growroom head honcho Honest Lee to add swung-out drums that help conjure up psychedelic post-rock or spiritual journey vibes. The title track, 'Touch Shapes', is all Hayford doing what he does best, slicing and dicing audio nuggets to create a whole new stew full of manic energy that coincidently calms as elements build and fade.

James Hayford is a sample based producer behind the game changing Shoes edits. He runs the Shoes and Plimsoll edits label which has released Ritalin-hyper-diced edits of Al Green, mash ups of 90's house with afro-beats, and dubbed out odes to classic breaks. The reissue kings, The Numero Group, released his "Eccentric Breaks and Beats" mixtape, and Pitchfork compared his work to "DJ Shadow or the Avalanches." Since 2020, James put out a series of releases on Filtered Deluxe Records, and has contributed remixes for Bigga Bush (Tru Thoughts), Burdy, Stereo 77 (Filtered Deluxe), Well Bunuel., and igloo two (Growroom).

Tracklist

1.	Pent Up Chill ft J O E & R U E	3:53

2.	Touch Shapes	4:26

3.	Eyes Shut, Forest Walk ft Wil Blades & Honest Lee	4:58

4.	WYA Parks ft Wil Blades	3:09

Credits

released November 15, 2024

James Hayford - all production and original elements
Joe Andrew - vocals (tk 1)
Wil Blades - keys (tk 3 & 4)
Lee Durham - drums (tk 3)

Mixed by James Hayford
Mastered by Lee Durham

Art Direction by James Hayford and Lee Durham
Original Collage by James Hayford

License