Whatever The Weather

Loraine James is known for twisting various forms of club music, R&B, and hip-hop under her own name, but her work as Whatever the Weather occupies a different sonic space, mainly focusing on ambient and IDM. The project’s self-titled debut appeared in 2022, blending subtle glitches with weightless vocals, and punctuated by the occasional flurry of frantic breakbeats.
The London native released her first album, Detail, in 2017, but received far more exposure when For You and I, a deeply personal tribute to her upbringing, was released by Hyperdub in 2019. Her subsequent releases for the label, 2020′s Nothing EP and 2021′s Reflection, were also met with acclaim. While working on Reflection, James also began composing music that was largely mellower and less rhythmic than her material under her own name, often utilizing placid piano melodies and rippling synth textures. While most noticeably drawing from ’90s IDM and ambient, James also cites bands such as Deftones and American Football as influences on the project. Whatever the Weather’s self-titled 2022 debut was released by Ghostly International, home to additional artists who made an impact on James, such as Telefon Tel Aviv and Lusine. ~ Paul Simpson