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LISTEN: Bon Iver & James Blake Track
Luke Turner , August 24th, 2011 14:36

Blubstep bromance? Or brilliant?

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We heard the news of the collaboration between James Blake and Bon Iver with interest and trepidation. After all, Bon Iver had been a pioneer of a rootsy prototype of the Blubstep form adopted by James Blake on his album For Emma, Forever Ago: both men are capably of producing introspective slightly mopy records recorded in shed or bedroom. But after Bon Iver's far more upbeat and inventive second album, what of this pairing up? After all, we're huge fans of both James Blake's non-LP work and Bon Iver. Had the Blubstep Jims (Messrs Blake, Woon and XX) concocted a plan to kidnap Justin Vernon and bring him back to the sensitive side? Or had the reverse happened, and Bon Iver sat James Blake down with the dudes from Gayngs, a massive bong, and the best indie grumble he could find? Did Vernon then say "Son, like you I would sit at my music making machines, shedding small tears for a woman who no longer loved me. But then I saw the light, and realised that with a whack of Autotune and a sound smoother than Belgium's Charles Ubaghs, everything would be OK"? You can listen and decide for yourselves below. We're not sure about the upset farm animal sound effects.

Simon
Aug 25, 2011 5:12pm

I submit that for the brooding underworld of the Blogosphere it must feel for them the equivalent of what this must've like felt for mainstream soft rock fans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofA3URC1wyk

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elmsyrup
Aug 25, 2011 10:38pm

It's no use, I really don't get James Blake, no matter how I try. It's just noises.

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Saul
Aug 26, 2011 7:17am

Sounds like Cher on mogodon

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