Tag: james blake

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Music

Vault: The best new sustainable music platform? 

Scrolling through Vault, James Blake's newest streaming platform. Photo by Kaitlynn Rodney // The Concordian

James Blake has launched Vault, a subscription service for unreleased music, to the public since March.

British singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ James Blake released a new platform named Vault inspired by social media discourse about how streaming platforms and social media are not sustainable ways for artists to make a living solely out of music. 

On the website, Vault explains that “artists can share their unreleased tracks directly from their vault to their fans and tap into a new recurring revenue stream.” The app saw the light on March 21, a few days after Blake communicated his opinions publicly on how social media can be an issue for music artists and their careers. “Music is my life’s purpose and I will not have mine destroyed by a bunch of labels and tech companies who don’t even pay us and exploit us relentlessly,” says Blake in an Instagram post in early March 

Blake shared on his Instagram story that the concept of a subscription-based platform like this one offers an artist some certainty, financially speaking. “I want artists to have less anxiety about what they put out, less fear that it leads to uncertainty,” he said. 

Indeed, this platform revolves around unloading music files from hard drives and displaying any idea that will probably never make it on Spotify, Apple Music, or other streaming platforms. “We’ll never be able to eliminate uncertainty from music, but platforms need to encourage artists to make their favourite, most integral music—not just the big 15-second TikTok moment,” Blake said.

Vault also contains a discussion forum space, allowing fans to discuss the music on the artist’s page and directly message Blake for instance. There is also a mobile app currently in the works, making the private access to the artists’ vault for their fans more accessible.

Blake said the infant stage of this platform is exciting as he shares it with people and how he can get artists to grow their following, heighten their connection with their fans, and make it fun to put out music they love, not just music that works as singles on TikTok. 

He highlighted that this platform is one of the only ones that will focus on getting artists actually paid directly. “The industry has always been an ecosystem of free versus paid.” 

A lot of the reason why music stays unreleased is because of demand-side platforms’ (DSP) limitations which is a type of software that allows solutions for advertisers. “DSP’s favour in certain structures/styles/genres to accept songs onto playlists, to the point where it stifles creativity,” Blake noted in another post. 

Moreover, as of March 28, the platform has announced its first new artist alongside Blake to be American singer Monica Martin. Blake stated in the comment section that “it’s going to be an amazingly diverse, musically exciting place pretty soon.” 

A monthly subscription fee is needed to unlock an artist’s page and all of its content. Blake’s page demands $5 USD per month and Monica Martin’s Vault content requires $2 USD per month. The subscription amount then differs via the artist’s popularity, making up-and-coming artists’ pages more affordable to encourage more people to discover them. Subscribers are also notified of any new drops by a text message to their phone number. Any collaborators who worked on the songs released also benefit from the revenue. 

“Artists are already being robbed worse and legally,” Blake wrote about potential piracy on his platform. He adds that copyright claims are still in effect and the usual copyright laws will protect all music found on Vault. 

Blake said that he’s working to grow his Vault following and show people it’s worth the $5 USD a month. The artist also revealed he’s felt more creatively free this past week than he has since he started in music. 

“Looking forward to more artists joining and seeing what I’m talking about, and for their fans to see what the real world effect of offering an easy-to-use alternative to the DSPs will be,” he shared. 

With new artists joining the platform, Vault will continue to flourish with brand new users every day and evermore cut the middleman between eager fans of music and passionate music artists.

Categories
Concert Reviews Music

James Blake thrills L’Olympia

James Blake performing live in Montreal on October 10 at L'Olympia. Photo by Tabéa Benlakehal / The Concordian

Montreal welcomed James Blake with open arms at a striking concert on Oct. 10.

English musician James Blake wears many hats, notably being a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer and DJ. His last visit to Montreal dates back to 2019, when he performed at L’Olympia on Saint-Catherine. Back at this very venue four years later, James Blake came to town following the release of his sixth studio album Playing Robots Into Heaven out on Sept. 8. 

The return to electronic roots follows up on his 2021 album Friends That Break Your Heart which did not receive a live show in Montreal. Long time fans and admirers of Blake’s music journey were ecstatic to finally see him in the flesh, this time to experience “a little bit of everything,” as Blake himself put it. The tour started off in Europe in mid-September and will end a month from now in Los Angeles, California where Blake is currently based. 

From his emergence in the dubstep scene in South London, James Blake has since contributed to countless artists’ projects as well as collaborating with many others from different realms of the music world. The list includes Beyoncé, Rosalía, André 3000, Metro Boomin, Kendrick Lamar, Mount Kimbie and Bon Iver, just to name a few. Blake is renowned to be a chameleon of his own calibre, and comparing him to anyone would be unfair. 

After an hour’s wait in the front row, the unannounced opener of the evening walked onto the stage. For about half an hour, electronic producer Rob McAndrews under the alias Airhead—Blake’s childhood friend who has worked alongside him for many years—offered the audience some electro-ambient tunes from his recent project Lightness full of varied tempos, reverb and bass with catchy guitar riffs. 

After Airhead had left the stage, the very last track of Blake’s brand new album resonated in the entire theatre, announcing his composed arrival on stage with a smile and waving hands. His station was to the right of the stage, with a keyboard and synths at his disposal. Opener Airhead was back for a second shift, this time handling the modular synth and guitar on the far left, which left the centre space for the drummer. 

The soothing and experimental instrumental track transitioned to “I Want You To Know,” a track with an equal amount of gorgeous harmonies and synths with experimental electronic touches. Some of the prominent bass in most tracks also pierced right through my body, making the whole room appear to be vibrating. 

The singer pleasantly surprised everyone by playing “Godspeed” by Frank Ocean, which he wrote, as well as doing an acapella and piano version of “Say What You Will” right after fans asked for it to be performed. Songs from his new album continued, but key tracks such as “Love Me In Whatever Way,” “Can’t Believe The Way We Flow,” “Retrograde,” and “Limit to Your Love” from past albums were also part of the setlist. The gifted artist concluded his concert with an experimental high-tempo remix to finish the night on a high.

James Blake’s singing was controlled throughout the entire show, conveying lyrics full of introspection and pensive vulnerability while he simultaneously played the keys. Effects ranged from soft and delayed vocals to more powerful and raw singing. Opposed to the so-called “sad boy” title that some people have given him, Blake confidently shares melancholy and heartache messages without being “afraid of being seen as weak or soft,” as he expressed in a 2018 tweet. To this day—and all over his stage presence at L’Olympia—Blake is in tune with himself and proudly exchanges his catalog with the crowd. 

One of the key takeaways from the concert, which made it extra special for me, was the decision to not incorporate any computer in the live performance despite it being a heavily electronic set. As for stage lighting, the simple but effective use of light bulbs around the perimeter of the theatre’s structure created this tinted barrier of light play between the crowd and the artists on stage. The audience, and me included, vividly cheered and eagerly clapped in between each track. Blake commented on the passionate response saying that he and the band were more than happy to be back in Montreal. 

“We got off stage and we all said to each other this is just the best gig we’ve done in ages,” James Blake expressed to the audience when returning from the encore intermission.

Categories
Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: James Blake – Friends That Break Your Heart

Friends That Break Your Heart  is a continuation of the sound he was surfing on his last record, Assume Form

James Blake is one of the more interesting names in the pop and R&B field. His last record, Assume Form, was a big departure from the sound that first got Blake onto the scene. Despite being a popular figure in the genre, the enigmatic singer approaches the style in a way that stands out from your average artist, blending elements of electronic music and R&B in a refreshingly experimental form.

Friends That Break Your Heart is an intimate listen that all starts with the gorgeous opener “Famous Last Words.” This song sees Blake opening up about a relationship that ended, feeling like he should have forgotten about that person by now. This is accompanied by a stellar instrumental, with an absolutely breathtaking string progression at the end.

Blake’s self-titled debut veers more towards the experimental while including esoteric sound clips in a Björk kind of way. This might not be for everyone at first but once you get used to it, it’s actually quite pleasant. Friends That Break Your Heart borrows a lot of trendier elements that are easier on the ears. The production of the record is extremely atmospheric with songs such as “Life Is Not The Same” and “I’m So Blessed You’re Mine,” showcasing Blake’s somber and more ominous instrumentals. The Metro Boomin produced “Foot Forward” is also another cool highlight with its bouncy piano chords. These production choices instantly captivates listeners into his own world. It truly feels like it has been meticulously assembled in a genuinely delicate way with every single sound on the record having its own purpose.

Blake’s voice also adds a lot to the experience and his vocals throughout the album can be described in two words: hauntingly beautiful. His rich and high-pitched delivery provides a profound sentiment of melancholy, and when this is paired with his lyrics about losing friends, it all makes for one truly magnificent experience.

This album doesn’t have a lot of features, but the few that are included all enrich the overall experience. Blake has a knack for choosing quality artists to be on his songs, and this album makes no exception. From the likes of SZA on the utterly pleasing “Coming Back,” or even JID and SwaVay on “Frozen,” both delivering explosive verses — they all add up to the overall experience of the album.

Friends That Break Your Heart is a breath of fresh air in the mainstream pop and R&B branch and is one truly hypnotizing listen that you will come back to more often than not. Ten years after the release of his first album, this is definitely his best album to date.

 

Trial track : “Coming Back”

Score : 8/10

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