If anyone is looking for evidence that pop music is still capable of progression, expansion, and transformation, James Blake is the perfect example. When the British singer-songwriter and producer hijacked the deep bass and minimalistic rhythms of dubstep to create the perfect, icy atmosphere for his gently sung R&B vocals 15 years ago, he didn’t just blur the lines between the dancefloor and the bedroom but also changed the direction of contemporary music. The textures were, and remain, sophisticated and constantly surprising as he cuts and pastes carefully curated elements to build an introspective world that is intimate, spiritual, and deeply confessional. This distinctive take on production has also been lent to artists like Travis Scott, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar. Last year, James Blake returned to his roots in leftfield club music with the celebrated Playing Robots Into Heaven, and earlier this year, he shared Bad Cameo – a collaboration with the genre-defying Lil Yachty. This summer, James Blake will take his piano, his band, and his ever-evolving electronics to Way Out West!⁠

We have previously announced that The Smile will not be performing at Way Out West 2024. James Blake will replace them and will play at Flamingo on Thursday, August 8th at 19:05.