On Thursday, June 11th at 8am, Massari speaks with GRAMMY-winning producer, songwriter, and musician, James Blake, before he hits the stage of The Greek Theatre in Berkeley later that same evening.
James Blake’s singular blend of soul, electronica, hip-hop, and alt-R&B has shaped the sound of modern music. Across six studio albums, Blake’s catalogue has been seminal with over 2.2 billion streams: his 2019 album Assume Form, featuring ROSALÍA, and Travis Scott garnered widespread acclaim, followed by his highest chart debut to date with 2021’s Friends That Break Your Heart.
A champion of artistic independence, Blake released his first fully independent album, Trying Times, earlier this year. Trying Times is a masterful display of the breadth of his artistry and ability to articulate emotion with endearing transparency. James Blake traces the uneasy space between intimacy and isolation in an age of instability. The record moves along the pressure lines of modern life, where overwhelm becomes both subject and atmosphere. The result is a body of work suspended between hope and dread. It moves through the comfort of loving and being loved while recognising how fragile that safety can feel when global anxieties and private doubts pull in opposing directions.
Most recently, Blake collaborated with revered UK Rapper Dave on his critically acclaimed album The Boy Who Played The Harp, and crafted “Séance” alongside Ludwig Göransson, a standout from the Sinners movie soundtrack.
Photo: Harrison Adair
