Has Kanye West recorded a song with Bon Iver? That's the buzz from the blogosphere as West prepares to release his fifth album. The forlorn folkie has reportedly joined West in the studio, either recording something new or overseeing a sample from his album For Emma, Forever Ago.
So far, it's just a rumour. The whispers backstage at Lollapalooza, according to Stereogum, suggested the indie-loving rapper had flown Bon Iver's Justin Vernon to meet him in Hawaii. There, about as far away as possible from the emotional landscape of Vernon's Wisconsin cabin, they did ... something. Did Vernon rap? Did West cry? Did they bond over talk of ex-girlfriends?
Perhaps we'll find out in November, when West's Dark Twisted Fantasy – or whatever the album is called – is finally released. Certainly there's no sign of indie folk on either of the singles revealed so far, including yesterday's surprise debut, See Me Now, featuring Beyoncé and Charlie Williams. But West has demonstrated his indie affection before, praising Grizzly Bear and performing a live version of Peter Bjorn and John's Young Folks.
As for Vernon, he used a vocoder on last year's Blood Bank EP. Perhaps we can expect an Auto-Tune alt-folk team up?
