Open House
ON THE COVER OF JAMES BLAKE’S FOURTH ALBUM, Assume Form, he is in repose, hands clasped behind his head, staring directly into the camera. Though Blake’s expression isn’t immediately discernable — “I’d say it’s a quiet defiance, really,” he says with a laugh — it’s the clearest he’s appeared on a cover yet; no longer masked by double exposure, deep shades of blue or illustration.
Assume Form follows suit in both sound and subject matter, giving the listener an even clearer view of Blake’s present headspace. Galvanized by his romantic relationship with actress Jameela Jamil, Blake sings on the title track, “I will assume form, I’ll be out of my head this time. I will be touchable by her, I will be reachable.” On “Power On,” he sheepishly admits, “I thought you were second place to every song.”
“I wanted to, for this record at least, get away from covering up what I’m saying with too much metaphor,” Blake explains from Los Angeles. “I wanted to try and say the thing I mean, which is hard. It’s scary to do that sometimes. I think the fear kept me from doing that before.”
In the time since releasing the emotionally weighty 2016 LP, The Colour in Anything, Blake’s newfound openness has demonstrably extended to his professional life. That year, collaborations with Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Vince Staples and Travis Scott gave way to work with JAY-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Mount Kimbie in 2017. Last year, he appeared on a pair of tracks from Lamar’s star-powered Black Panther soundtrack and mixed and co-produced Oneohtrix Point Never’s Age Of.
“There’s a thrill I get in seeing somebody expressing themselves in such a different way,” Blake explains. “It’s always nice to have a feeling of achievement that’s shared amongst people. For me that was a fairly new thing.”
Speaking with Exclaim! in 2011, Blake didn’t hesitate to name OutKast as his dream collaborators. Blake sampled the inimitable Atlanta duo’s “ATLiens” for Vince Staples’ 2016 track “War Ready.” Two years on, he has realized his dream, teaming with André 3000 for album cut “Where’s the Catch?” and last year’s surprise SoundCloud drop “Look Ma No Hands.”
Blake speaks of the elusive André reverently, laughing wryly when asked if he’s now being regularly pressed for details about the rapper’s every move. “He has taught me so much,” Blake says, “Not just in the few times that we’ve worked together, but through his back catalogue.
“He’s a private person and I don’t want to talk too much, but I think the open-mindedness to new sounds and dignity with which he
“Sometimes it’s easy to get swept up in what other people are doing.”
approaches making music is really inspiring,” Blake explains. “Sometimes it’s easy to get swept up in what other people are doing, and try and copy them, or try and get in on the party. But I love the way he really appreciates that feeling of discovery. I think that’s what drew me to his music in the first place.”