James Blackshaw (born in London in 1981) is a British guitarist and pianist currently based in Hastings, Sussex. He is highly-regarded for his pieces for solo 12-string guitar, nylon-string classical guitar and piano. Strongly inspired by the 60s Takoma school of guitarists, minimalist composers and European classical music, Blackshaw employs fingerpicking techniques to create drones, overtones and repeating patterns, alongside a strong inclination for melody, to create instrumental music that is both intelligent, hypnotic and emotional.