James Blake – ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’ album review: an endearing return to quintessential club culture
Emerging from the ashes of dubstep and experimental electronica, singer-songwriter James Blake is at his best when he defies convention. Following the introspective, lockdown-fuelled endeavour that brought us Friends That Break Your Heart, Blake has returned to his roots with the dynamic Playing Robots Into Heaven, a venture that combines the sophistication and complexity of his recent creations with the appeal reminiscent of those crucial early years.
Following years of refining his signature blend of immersive electronica and heartfelt lyricism, this LP marks a return for the musician to the era when he released dance tracks through esteemed labels like Hessle Audio and R&S. It showcases the singer fully embracing the culture that captured his heart during his late adolescence.
Interestingly, Blake’s summary of the album rings true in the most abrupt way. “Basically, half of it’s when you’re stuck outside,” he notes, “And half of it’s when you finally get in.” If the album is listened to in chronological order, this sudden shift is immediately apparent – and if you’re not ready for it, the first half may seem misleading.
The most pleasant parts of the experience start with ‘Asking To Break’ and ‘Loading’. The latter, in particular, confidently takes on the intricacies of Blake’s signature style, demonstrating a significant artistic leap forward with its immersive production and endearing refrain. Equally, ‘Tell Me’ lures you in immediately with Blake’s soft, forgiving vocalisation before a significant beat-drop demands the point of no return, the kind that you didn’t prepare for but are willing to go along with anyway.
The lead single, ‘Big Hammer’, representing the crux of the dubstep era, incorporates samples from the Ragga Twins and delivers an electrifying surge of pulsating synths and intricately glitching hi-hats. Sitting at the fore of newfound club culture revival, Blake deftly masters the quintessential energy found in the movement with tracks like ‘I Want You To Know’, while others like ‘Fire The Editor’ capture Blake’s signature haunting prowess, as he threatens, “If I see him again, […] we’ll be having words.”
The best parts of Playing Robots Into Heaven are the bits that showcase Blake’s approach to variety. His most engaging compositions are those that achieve depth with simplicity, like ‘If You Can Hear Me’, which feels heartfelt and vulnerable, giving the album a temporary respite from the more charged contributions.
The title track, ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’, provides an experimental close to the album, summarising in the most unapologetic way Blake’s entire mentality when it came to its creation: and that is the fact that the most breakthrough creative moments come when you’re not limited by generic boundaries.
Playing Robots Into Heaven, although a nostalgic return to the essence of Blake’s early work, also delves into the euphoric freedom of taking musical risks and embracing one’s innate instincts. Consequently, most tracks on the album carry you along, while some possess the potential to venture into the isolating realms of Blake’s more specialised compositions.
Despite its broader innovative appeal, Playing Robots Into Heaven occasionally veers into a deliberately undefined direction that may come across as somewhat distant. However, the moments of clarity and strength within the album undeniably affirm Blake’s standing as a pioneering artist in the field.
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