James Blake has shared a new ambient album called Wind Down, which was made with the intention of aiding and supporting healthy sleep.
The record is the first functional music album constructed using AI technology to be released by a label within the Universal Music Group. It was crafted in collaboration with sound wellness company Endel, using the AI tech and sounds found in its adaptive experience and apps.
“The Wind Down soundscape I created with Endel lets me explore the more ambient side of my music and create a project to support people in a new way,” James Blake said in a press release. “It’s mesmerizing to hear how my music blends with the science-based sounds of Endel’s AI and I think we’ve invented something not just beautiful or even meaningful, but truly practical.”
Co-founder and CEO of Endel Oleg Stavitsky added: “Artists are learning that there are new tech- and science-enabled formats for expressing their creativity, new ways to engage listeners and play a role in their lives. They can draw on their same sounds and ideas to make a variety of experiences, and Endel’s functional sound can serve specific wellness and mental health purposes, enhancing focus, relaxation, and sleep.”
Wind Down is comprised of 15 soundscapes and was inspired by the science of sound and sleep. Over the course of its run time, it shifts gradually from the activity of the day to the calm of night.
The new album follows previous projects from Blake that aim to promote a sense of calm. In 2019, he wrote “Lullaby For My Insomniac,” a song for people who suffer from sleep struggles. In 2020, meanwhile, he created a “secret” ambient album that received approval from the founding father of the genre, Brian Eno.
Wind Down isn’t Blake’s first release of the year. In January, he teamed up with Labrinth on “Pick Me Up,” a track taken from the soundtrack for the second season of HBO’s Euphoria. The track features minimal layers of piano and strings, as Blake sings over them, sometimes in falsetto. “When you think it’s love and you’re all caught up/Need to escape,” he sings. “Am I gonna get in the way of sweet relief?”
Stream Wind Down.