Out now: Blawan – SickElixir

Following the official reveal of the tracklist last week, Blawan releases SickElixir, his debut XL Recordings album.

Crafted between Berlin, Leeds, Paris, and Lisbon, SickElixir is Blawan’s most personal work to date; a manifesto that has seen him channel grief, family trauma, and seismic life shifts into 14 distinct and expansive tracks. SickElixir builds on his recent EPs – BouQ, Dismantled Into Juice, and Woke Up Right Handed – and plunges deep into Blawan’s chaotic yet meticulously crafted sonic world.

Jamie Roberts has been revered in electronic circles for years as an artist with a fastidious approach to creating his own sound, relentlessly drawing from his teenage influences growing up in Barnsley, a post-industrial town in South Yorkshire. At 14, he started working on a maggot farm and credits the clanging sound of the farm’s industrial mincer as an early influence on his music. After playing in various metal bands, Roberts’ musical horizons began to expand through visits to the West Indian Centre in Leeds, where he was introduced to the full spectrum of electronic music. He first emerged as Blawan at the turn of the 2010s with EPs on cult labels such as Hinge Finger and Hessle Audio, earning widespread critical acclaim. He’s consistently experimented, pushing boundaries in his solo projects while collaborating closely with British producer Pariah on several projects – the live techno act Karenn, the metal-inspired band Persher, and the label Voam. SickElixir marks the next step in solidifying his position as one of contemporary music’s unique, pioneering artists, operating firmly in a lane of his own.

Following a short US run, which included dates at NYC’s Basement and SF’s Portola, Blawan will headline London’s Village Underground on release day, with support from Braiden.

Stream / purchase SickElixir here.