Timothy James: Ambient Meets Afrobeat
Prior to joining Antibalas a decade ago, guitarist Timothy James made a point of catching the lauded Afrobeat group every time he could. “I was a fan of Antibalas in college,” he recalls. “I went to see them before I even moved to New York City in 2002. The same way people get obsessive about the [Grateful] Dead, I got obsessive about Fela Kuti. I wanted to know every track, and I wanted to play all the guitar and bass lines.” His deep knowledge of the Kuti’s catalog came in handy. He wound up playing on Fela!, a Broadway musical based on the Afrobeat architect’s material. After some Antibalas members who were also part the show took note of James’ astute playing, they invited him to sub on some gigs. Before too long, he was a full-time member; now, he’s celebrating the fact that Antibalas’ most recent record, Fu Chronicles, has been nominated for the Best Global Music Album Grammy. “I’m beside myself in one way, but I also think it makes sense. Amayo—the spiritual leader of the band—has been incubating this music for 20 years. I’m so happy that he’s being recognized this way.” Meanwhile, during quarantine, James has appreciated the opportunity to work on his solo music. He has been releasing singles on Bandcamp each Friday and is putting the finishing touches on his second solo record, Team. While starkly different from Antibalas at first glance, James’ solo work is still informed by Afrobeat. “There’s a couple noticeable moments where you can hear how the composition reflects that sensibility,” James explains. He also draws influence from “minimalist composers who use the orchestra as a tool,” citing influences like Steve Reich and Philip Glass, as well as “guitar gods” Nels Cline, Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot. “If you listen to my music, you’ll hear the funk influence, but you’ll also hear these pastoral, ambient textures. It’s not ambient music, but it’s instrumental and cinematic.”
