Barbarossa, a.k.a. London-based singer-songwriter James Mathé, built a steady wave of goodwill after the release of 2008’s acoustic-heavy Chemical Campfires, but for his latest LP, the upcoming Bloodlines, Mathé (who also perfoms as a member of José González’s live band) decided to blaze a new trail for himself. “I loved the acoustic scene, but knew it was not all I was about,” he said recently. “So I dug out all my old casiotone keyboards, drum machines and analogue synths and just started writing.” Which brings us to “Turbine,” a jagged, synth-assisted groove marked by Mathé’s soulful falsetto. It’s the first taste off Barbarossa’s Bloodlines, and it’s available for streaming or download down below.
