He’s produced tracks for Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis, Jet Age of Tomorrow, and Vince Staples, so it's no shock to see him here. Nigerian-American producer Michael Uzowuru, who is credited on both albums (he co-produced the Endless standout “Rushes to”), has been Odd Future-adjacent since 2010. Perhaps he had something to do with the gorgeous, streaking violins on “Pink + White.”
In his four-decade long career he’s done everything from arranging synths for the Temptations in the ’80s to arranging strings on Michael Jackson’s “ Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “ Rock with You” to conducting on Justin Timberlake’s Justified and OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Gospel singer Kim Burrell, who worked alongside Kirk Franklin in the Trinity Temple Gospel Mass Choir and later founded the Love and Liberty Fellowship Church, is a vocalist on “Godspeed.” Two Japanese rappers, KOHH and Loota, are credited as guests on the CD version of “Nikes.” They are best known in the West for their features on Korean rapper Keith Ape’s viral hit “ It G Ma.” Producer Benjamin Wright also joins the fray.
The most surprising name in the credits might be Yung Lean, the sing-songy Swedish rapper/one-time web phenom, and it’s hard to tell what exactly his input was (vocals on “Self Control,” perhaps). But in addition to credits from some lost legends like the Beatles, Bowie, and Elliott Smith, seasoned musical sages ( Brian Eno, Jonny Greenwood, and Rick Rubin), some more contemporary A-listers ( Beyoncé, Pharrell, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar), and some artists of the “dream collaboration” variety (Arca, James Blake, Jazmine Sullivan, and Rostam Batmanglij), there are a handful of unusual guests and some straight-up unknowns. Listen closely and you may hear the flourishes of returning collaborators Malay and Om’mas Keith. The list, which doesn't distinguish between sample sources and musical collaborators, also brings more questions about the record's composition. The Blond credits were presented as a list in the Boys Don’t Cry magazine, not in the traditional liner notes format like on the visual album, Endless, but poring over them still provides some context for this record. Guest List: Late Icons, A-listers, and … Japanese Rappers? Not to be forgotten is Channel Orange alum Jeff Ellis. Then there’s producer extraordinaire Mike Dean (who mastered Endless) and Grammy winner Tom Elmhirst, who mixed Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, Adele’s 19 and 25, and Beck’s Morning Phase. Joe Visciano, who has credits on David Bowie’s Blackstar and Jamie xx’s In Colour (both of whom are also credited on Blond), and who has mixed and assisted on records for Adele, Arcade Fire, and Shamir, is also listed as a contributor for this album. Sean Oakley and Jason Lader, who were also credited on The Colour in Anything as recording engineers, are here, too. The legendary Bob Ludwig, who has worked on records for Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, and Nirvana, among many others, had a role on Blond.
Guests James Blake and Jonny Greenwood appear to have brought engineers from recent projects with them-Sam Petts-Davies and Matt Mysko, who worked on A Moon Shaped Pool and The Colour in Anything, respectively. A host of experienced engineers from different backgrounds had a hand it making the album what it is.
#FRANK OCEAN BLONDE ALBUM COVER OUTLINE CRACK#
Meet the Crack Team of Engineers That Mixed Blondīlond sounds lush and rich, especially heard next to the comparatively lo-fi Endless. Now that you can finally dive in, here are some things to consider as you listen to Blond. There are shades of Orange in its diverse sonic palette, but it is unique with its own feel and flow. It's almost all material we've never heard, with a few reworked elements from some songs debuted in Munich a few years back thrown into the mix. A 17-track offering, Blond builds on Ocean’s reputation as a songwriter and auteur of the highest order, enlisting assistance from creatives across the musical spectrum.