Podcast 840: Seven Davis Jr.

Last month, Seven Davis Jr.—the Texas-born, California-raised singer, songwriter, and DJ-producer—returned with Stranger Than Fiction, a new album. Since 2012, Davis Jr. has put out music on Secret Angels, the label he launched in 2016, but also Classic Music Company and Ninja Tune, which is where he released his debut album, Universes, on which he gave a nod to all the different genres of music that have affected him, ranging from classic pop, funk, and soul, to soulful house and jungle. On Stranger Than Fiction, he collaborates with John Cale, Luke Solomon, and Jon Dixon to deliver an album that’s soulful and futuristic, and drenched in groove. And it’s precisely this essence that Davis Jr. has captured in his XLR8R podcast, which he recorded on the fly earlier this year. Featuring tracks from Satoshi Tomiie, Bambounou, and Jason Hodges—plus of course some Seven Davis Jr. originals—it’s a mix of four-to-the-floor jams that’ll seduce even the most stubborn of hips.

01. What have you been up to recently?
I’ve just released my new album, Stranger Than Fiction, and relocated to Los Angeles after spending most of last year in the mountains pretending to be a vagabond. Trying to get a grip on my nomadic ways and stay put in one city this year.

02. What have you been listening to?
I’ve been listening to God.

03. You’ve just put out a new album. What can you tell us about it?
It’s a blend between hip-hop and soulful house with an ode to ’90s music. Done in the spirit of that era when it was all about humble songs with fun beats.

04. Where and when did you record this mix?
I recorded this mix in Calabasas, California about two weeks ago.

05. What setup did you use?
I live recorded the mix at my friend’s studio on his CDJs right before we had a session with an artist named Gavin Turek.

06. How did you choose the tracks you’ve included?
I made a folder of all these tracks I wanted to put in the mix at first. Then my car died and my laptop died, all in the same week. So I said fuck it, and I felt like playing to let off some steam. In this mix I just picked tracks that I was vibing with in that moment. It’s a vibe sesh!

07. Where do you imagine it being listened to?
As with everything I do, I hope it can be listened to anywhere. At home, in the car, at a party, on a hike…whatever you’re at.

08. What’s next on your horizon?
I don’t know. And that feels oddly good. I’m in a healthy place, letting things happen naturally. But I should probably mention that I’m accepting bookings these days and playing more this year. I’m playing my first live show in a while at The Jazz Cafe in London with Girls of the Internet on March 9. I’m looking forward to that. It will also be my first time in London for almost a decade. I don’t remember pretty much any of my former years spent overseas, so I’m looking forward to having a fresh experience.

XLR8R Subscribers can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R subscriber, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

Editor’s Note: A track listing for this album will be added once it’s available.

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