James Blake

As a rule, dubstep is an incredibly dark art—the electronica fan’s rainy day music, generally devoid of any sentiment that could remotely be considered warm. But London’s James Blake is changing that single-handedly by channeling his love for Stevie Wonder and D’Angelo into the world of Burial and Skream. On his eponymous debut, he sings in a chilly but mightily soulful AutoTuned croon over minimal, bass-damaged beats. He also covers Feist for an eerily sexy version of “Limit To Your Love.”

Updated 03/04/2011