James Blake (musician)

2.1. Early Releases and EPs (2009-2010)

James Blake commenced his musical career in July 2009 with the release of his debut 12-inch record, "Air & Lack Thereof," in the United Kingdom. This initial release, recorded in his bedroom and distributed by the Hemlock label, quickly garnered attention from BBC Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson, who championed the track. Following its release, Peterson invited Blake to perform a special mix on his international show, which included an exclusive track by Mount Kimbie.

In March 2010, Blake released his second EP, The Bells Sketch. Later that year, he submitted his fourth EP, Klavierwerke, as a second-year composition assignment for his studies at Goldsmiths, receiving high marks for the work. By the time of this release in September, Blake's interest in his academic studies had reportedly waned.

In May 2010, his third EP, CMYK, was released through R&S Records. The title track, "CMYK," was chosen by BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw as his "Record of the Week" and received significant airplay from other DJs. On 29 September 2010, Zane Lowe designated Blake's cover version of "Limit to Your Love" as his "Hottest Record in the World." This song, originally by Feist from her album The Reminder, was released as a single in the UK on 28 November 2010, debuting at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart. During this period, Blake also participated in several tour performances with the electronic duo Mount Kimbie.

2.2. Debut Album and Critical Recognition (2011)

In late 2010, James Blake was nominated for the BBC's annual "Sound of 2011" poll, which identifies promising new musicians, ultimately securing second place behind Jessie J and ahead of The Vaccines and Jamie Woon. On 15 December 2010, he was also the runner-up for the BRIT Awards' "Critic's Choice" accolade. In January 2011, Blake's track "CMYK" was honored as Single of the Year (2010) at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards. His work from 2010 appeared on numerous year-end best-of lists, with "CMYK" ranking 24th on Frontier Psychiatrist's top 40 songs, and the EPs The Bells Sketch, CMYK, and Klavierwerke collectively placing 8th on Pitchfork Media's top 50 albums of 2010. Additionally, "I Only Know (What I Know Now)" was ranked 8th on Pitchfork's top 100 tracks of 2010. Amazon.com ranked his debut album 4th on its best albums of 2011, and Mojo magazine placed it 17th.

Blake's self-titled debut album, James Blake, consisting of 11 tracks, was released on 7 February 2011, though it was leaked online days prior to its official release. "The Wilhelm Scream" was unveiled as the album's second single on 9 January 2011. In February 2011, Blake was featured on the cover of The Fader's 72nd issue. In August 2011, he debuted "Fall Creek Boys Choir", a collaboration with Bon Iver. The following month, the BBC released an exclusive mix by Blake, featuring ten of his unreleased songs, including "Deeds," "Olivia Kept," and "Evening Fell Hard for Us."

Later in 2011, Blake released the EPs Enough Thunder and Love What Happened Here. These EPs showcased a more structured, R&B-tinged sound, marking a noticeable shift from the experimental electronic style of his earlier releases like CMYK. Towards the end of 2012, Blake performed three intimate shows where he debuted new material.

2.3. "Overgrown" and Major Success (2012-2013)

In early 2012, James Blake spent time collaborating with American rapper Kanye West, who had publicly named Blake as his favorite artist, and singer Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Later that year, Blake announced a new non-single collaboration under his alias Harmonimix with British rapper Trim; the single "Confidence Boost/Saying" was released on 24 September 2012. Also in 2012, Blake and his friends, including Foat, Nick Sigsworth, and touring musicians Rob McAndrews and Ben Assiter, established a residency at the club Plastic People as the collective 1-800 Dinosaur, hosting a series of spontaneous dance nights. In the summer of 2013, the collective launched a record label of the same name, through which Blake and other artists released their material.

His second album, Overgrown, was released on 5 April 2013. The album's lead single, "Retrograde", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on the same day and was officially released on 11 February. The track listing and album art were unveiled on 25 February. Overgrown was selected as Variance Magazine's Album of the Year in December 2013. The album notably featured guest appearances from acclaimed electronic music producer Brian Eno and rapper RZA of Wu-Tang Clan. The release received widespread critical acclaim and was awarded the 2013 Mercury Prize. The judges praised the album as "...late-night music for the digital age. An inventive, poignant and poetic record of great beauty." Blake revealed to Hot Press that falling in love had significantly influenced the warm, nu-soul sound of the album, contrasting with the more experimental nature of his self-titled debut. A remix of "Life Round Here" from Overgrown, featuring Chance the Rapper, was released on 11 October, accompanied by a music video directed by Nabil Elderkin.

2.4. "The Colour in Anything" and Collaborations (2014-2017)

In an interview with Spotify, James Blake recounted an incident in December 2014 where he declined permission for Drake's label to use a beat from one of his older tracks on Drake's single "0 to 100 / The Catch Up". Blake later expressed shock upon learning the substantial financial sum he had foregone by refusing the sample. During his BBC Radio 1 Residency in December 2014, Blake announced that his third studio album would be titled Radio Silence and was slated for release in the first half of 2015. He later confirmed that the album would feature collaborations with Bon Iver and Kanye West, along with guitar work from Connan Mockasin.

In 2014, Blake received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist. On 11 February 2016, he premiered a new song, "Modern Soul", during his BBC Radio 1 residency. On 14 April 2016, Blake revealed during a surprise hosting spot on BBC Radio 1 that the album was complete, comprising 18 tracks, including one that extended to 20 minutes. He also premiered a new song titled "Timeless" during the broadcast. In a May 2016 interview with BBC Radio 1, Blake stated that he began working on the album in England but completed the recording at Shangri La Studios in the United States with producer Rick Rubin after "running out of steam."

Blake produced and was featured on the song "Forward" from Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade, and also co-wrote the album's opening track, "Pray You Catch Me." On 28 April, Blake and his label, 1-800 Dinosaur, shared social media posts featuring a mural by children's novel illustrator Sir Quentin Blake (known for his collaborations with Roald Dahl), hinting at the new album title, The Colour in Anything. This was officially confirmed as the title of his new album days later, which was released on 6 May 2016.

Blake collaborated with Jay-Z on his 2017 album 4:44, producing two of the three bonus tracks and featuring on "MaNyfaCedGod." He also contributed to the production of Kendrick Lamar's song "Element", refining its original "jazzy" sound. On 2 September 2016, Blake released a remix of "Timeless" featuring Vince Staples, which had previously been leaked online. In December 2017, Blake released a cover of "Vincent" by Don McLean, accompanied by a studio performance video.

2.5. "Assume Form" and Artistic Expression (2018-2020)

On 11 January 2018, James Blake co-wrote and performed alongside Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Future on the single "King's Dead" from Rock's album Redemption and the soundtrack Black Panther: The Album. The song achieved commercial success, reaching number 21 in the United States and number 50 in the United Kingdom. "King's Dead" later earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 2019 ceremony. Blake also contributed to another track on the Black Panther soundtrack, "Bloody Waters," which he co-wrote with Lamar, Mark Spears, Robin Braun, and Ab-Soul.

On 26 January 2018, Blake released a new single, "If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead", accompanied by its music video, which premiered during his BBC Radio 1 residency. His second solo single of the year, "Don't Miss It", was shared on 24 May with a lyric video and released the following month. While the track received critical acclaim, a less positive review from Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork described it as "sad boy music." This prompted a significant response from Blake, who publicly stated, "I can't help but notice, as I do whenever I talk about my feelings in a song, that the words 'sad boy' are used to describe it. I've always found that expression to be unhealthy and problematic when used to describe men just openly talking about their feelings." This statement highlighted his commitment to promoting emotional openness and challenging harmful stereotypes surrounding male vulnerability, aligning with his broader artistic and social impact.

Blake mixed and provided additional production on the ninth album by American electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never, titled Age Of, released in June 2018. He also co-wrote and was featured on "Stop Trying to Be God" from Travis Scott's third studio album, Astroworld, and appeared in the song's music video.

In December 2018, Blake announced a North American tour for February/March 2019, with tickets including a copy of his forthcoming album. Later that month, he teased new material with André 3000 during a show in Brooklyn, marking their second collaboration after "Look Ma No Hands," on which Blake provided the piano part earlier that year. In early January 2019, Amazon.fr inadvertently leaked details of Blake's fourth album, Assume Form, including its track listing and collaborations with André 3000, Travis Scott, and Metro Boomin. Soon after, LED billboards promoting the album appeared in London and New York. The album's release date was confirmed as 18 January 2019 through advertising in the London Underground. The day before the album's release, Blake released the tracks "Mile High" featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin, and "Lullaby for My Insomniac." Following the album's release, "Barefoot in the Park" and "Mulholland" (a vinyl-only track) were released as singles on 4 and 26 April, respectively, with the former accompanied by a music video.

Throughout 2020, Blake released several new tracks, including "You're Too Precious" and "Are You Even Real?," followed by the Before EP in October.

2.6. Recent Projects and Stylistic Evolution (2021-Present)

James Blake released his fifth album, Friends That Break Your Heart, on 8 October 2021, after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This album largely maintained a stylistically traditional approach. It was followed by an ambient album titled Wind Down on 18 March 2022, created in collaboration with German artificial intelligence media company Endel to aid listeners in falling asleep. The subsequent year saw Blake collaborating with several hip hop artists, including Kanye West, Flatbush Zombies, JID, and Don Toliver.

Blake's sixth album, Playing Robots Into Heaven, was released on 8 September 2023. This album marked a notable return to his electronic and club music roots, incorporating elements of dance and experimental music. The lead single, "Big Hammer," was released on 28 June 2023, accompanied by a heist-themed music video directed by Oscar Hudson, which features three robbers in white tracksuits.

In 2024, Blake departed from Polydor Records and established CMYK Group, a new production house and record label. He released the single and music video for "Thrown Around" in May 2024. The following month, Blake released the "CMYK 002" extended play and Bad Cameo, a collaborative album with Lil Yachty, further showcasing his stylistic versatility and independent artistic direction.