| CMYK | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 28 May 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 in James Blake's home | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 15:55 | |||
| Label | R&S | |||
| Producer | James Blake | |||
| James Blake chronology | ||||
| ||||
CMYK is the second solo extended play by London-based indie producer James Blake. It was released in both the United Kingdom and the United States on R&S Records on 28 May 2010. [1] It samples many tracks, mostly from 1990s R&B. [2] The EP received positive reviews from critics.
The title track samples Kelis' "Caught Out There" and Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?". Pitchfork described the track as "modern homage to old ideas" as Blake "[took] two R&B archetypes ... and imagines them in a back and forth." On the track, Blake sings normally and also occasionally uses a vocoder to process his voice. [2] The track is influenced by 1990s rave pop and also contains synthesizers. [3] The following song, "Footnotes" also has Blake using the vocoder, but the song is hymnal and contains "gospel chords". [4] It is a minimalistic track; it uses slight noises to create an "atmospheric" sound. [5]
The next song "I'll Stay" has been described as the "warmest, most accessible track of [CMYK]". [5] It is also hymnal, but it contains a call and response with repeated, high-pitched synthesizers. The final track, "Postpone" has been likened to a "lumbering requiem before transforming into lumbering exultation." [4] It features electronic beats, "hip hop choruses", and "triumphant" horns. [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Fact | 4/5 [6] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10 [2] |
| Resident Advisor | 4.0/5 [4] |
The EP received generally positive reviews from music critics. Mike Powell of Pitchfork complimented how Blake used the samples in his music, and gave the EP a score of 8.3 out of 10. [2] Fact named "Postpone" as the highlight of CMYK, and called the EP "the most anthemic thing Blake's done to date." In the review, the EP received 4 out of 5 "records", and the reviewer stated that he was "sold [on Blake's music]." [6]
Sam Louis of Resident Advisor gave CMYK 4 out of 5 stars and stated that "Blake underpins nearly everything here with those comfortable blankets, wrapping you up while he makes you consider dancing." He also wrote "[Blake] clearly also knows that a little bit of subtlety can go a long way", and that "[his songs are] just as emotionally affecting, squeezing pathos out a single line from Kelis and warm, deep chords." [4] Pitchfork later named CMYK the eighth best album of the year, along with The Bells Sketch EP and Klavierwerke EP; the website applauded how Blake released so much material in a year. [7] It also included "CMYK" on its list of the 200 Best Songs of the 2010s. [8]
All tracks are written by James Blake
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "CMYK" | 3:39 |
| 2. | "Footnotes" | 4:47 |
| 3. | "I'll Stay" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Postpone" | 3:40 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Physical Singles Chart (Official Charts Company) [9] | 49 |
Kelis Rogers, known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She attended New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she learned to play the saxophone and won a spot in the Girls Choir of Harlem. After she graduated from high school, Kelis took on a variety of jobs before landing a backup vocal slot on an album track called "Fairytalez", released by the American hip hop group Gravediggaz. She then began working with music producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, known as The Neptunes, which ultimately resulted in her being signed to Virgin Records in 1998.
A drop or beat drop in music, made popular by electronic dance music (EDM) styles, is a point in a music track where a sudden change of rhythm or bass line occurs, which is preceded by a build-up section and break.
"Robot Rock" is the lead single from Daft Punk's third studio album Human After All. The single was released initially on 11 April 2005 with a music video, directed by and featuring the duo, preceding the single's release. While the single reached a moderately high chart position, many critics found the song overly repetitive when compared to songs from their other studio albums at the time. It features a sample of "Release the Beast" performed by Breakwater.
Trans is the twelfth studio album by Canadian musician and singer-songwriter Neil Young, released on January 10, 1983. Recorded and released during his Geffen era in the 1980s, its electronic sound baffled many fans upon its initial release—a Sennheiser vocoder VSM201 features prominently in six of the nine tracks.
"Oceania" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her sixth studio album Medúlla. It was written and produced by Björk, with additional writing by Sjón and production by Mark Bell. The song was written by the singer specially for the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, after a request by the International Olympic Committee. "Oceania" was released as a promotional single on 13 August 2004, by One Little Indian Records. The song was written at the ocean's point of view, from which the singer believes all life emerged, and details the human's evolution, whilst accompanied by a choir. "Oceania" was generally well received by music critics, who believed it was the best track from Medúlla, although some thought it was not the best choice for a promotional release.
Premiers Symptômes is the debut EP by French electronic music duo Air. It consists of singles issued between 1995 and 1997.
"Caught Out There" is the debut single by American singer Kelis, released on October 5, 1999, from her debut studio album, Kaleidoscope (1999). Written and produced by the Neptunes, the song peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but fared better outside the United States, reaching the top ten in Canada, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes said in an interview that the instrumental track was originally meant for rapper Busta Rhymes, who rejected it.
Passion Pit is an American indie pop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, formed in 2007 by band members Michael Angelakos, Ian Hultquist (Guitar/Synth), Ayad Al Adhamy (synth), Thom Plasse (bass), and Adam Levinsky (drums).
"Acapella" is a song by American singer Kelis from her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone (2010). The song is a departure from her past singles in that it is a dance/electronic track rather than hip hop/R&B-oriented. The song was first premiered on her Twitter page and her official website in November 2009, and was released on February 23, 2010, as the lead single from the album.
Mount Kimbie is an English electronic music duo consisting of Dominic Maker and Kai Campos. Formed in 2008, the duo expanded on the musical template of the UK dubstep scene, releasing early EPs Maybes and Sketch on Glass to critical praise the following year. Their debut album Crooks & Lovers in 2010 received further acclaim and was listed as one of the defining albums of the decade by DJ Mag.
James Blake Litherland is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first received recognition for a series of 2010 EPs including CMYK and Klavierwerke, and he released his self-titled debut album in 2011 to critical praise. His second album Overgrown was released in 2013, bringing him to international attention, and later was awarded the Mercury Prize. He released his third album The Colour in Anything in 2016, his fourth Assume Form in 2019, his fifth Friends That Break Your Heart in 2021, and his sixth Playing Robots Into Heaven in 2023.
"Brave" is a song recorded by American recording artist Kelis for her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone (2010). She co-wrote the song with Jean Baptiste, James Fauntleroy, while production was handled by Benny Benassi, and his cousin Alle Benassi. It premiered on January 6, 2011, by Will.i.am Music Group and Interscope Records as the fourth and final single from the album.
James Blake is the debut studio album by English musician James Blake. It was released in both the United Kingdom and the United States on his own label, ATLAS, supported by A&M Records, on 4 February 2011. The release was supported with the release of its first single, "Limit to Your Love", on 28 November 2010.
"BTSTU" is a song by British songwriter and record producer Jai Paul. A demo recording of the song received widespread blog coverage throughout 2010 after having been uploaded to Paul's MySpace page, as well as receiving numerous plays on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. The BBC's Zane Lowe made "BTSTU (Demo)" his Hottest Record in the World. On the strength of this demo, Paul was long-listed for the BBC Sound of 2011 poll.
Klavierwerke is the third solo EP by English musician James Blake, who plays all the instruments and produced the record. It was released on R&S Records on 27 September 2010. The word "Klavierwerke" is German for "piano works", as the album is mostly built on piano.
An Empty Bliss Beyond This World is the ninth studio album by the Caretaker, an ambient music project of English musician Leyland Kirby, released on 1 June 2011 through History Always Favours the Winners.
The Bells Sketch is the debut EP of London-based producer James Blake. It was released on 8 March 2010 by Hessle Audio. The EP received very positive reviews from music critics.
Overgrown is the second studio album by English electronic musician James Blake. It was released on 5 April 2013 by Blake's Atlas Records, along with A&M Records and Polydor Records. The album features guest appearances from electronic music producer Brian Eno and Wu-Tang Clan member RZA. Overgrown debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart and at number one on the US Dance/Electronic chart. It was supported by lead single "Retrograde".
Future bass is a style of electronic dance music which developed in the 2010s that mixes elements of dubstep and trap with warmer, less abrasive rhythms. The genre was pioneered by producers such as Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Lido, San Holo and Cashmere Cat, and it was popularised in the mid to late-2010s by artists such as Flume, Martin Garrix, Illenium, Louis the Child and Mura Masa. 2016 was seen as the breakout year for the genre.
"If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead" is a song and non-album single by English electronic music producer and singer-songwriter James Blake. It was written by Blake and produced alongside Dominic Maker of electronic music duo Mount Kimbie. A music video directed by Alexander Brown was released on 25 January 2018 having premiered at his BBC Radio 1 residency and was released as a single the next day.