Quentin Blake artwork for 'The Colour in Anything'
Friday 6th May 2016
Fans of musician James Blake saw tantalising glimpses of the new album in the music media before the release of 'The Colour in Anything' at midnight on 5 May.
Quentin Blake was commissioned to create new artworks for the album's cover and slipcase, and has provided lettering in his distinctive style for the titles. The artworks, showing the singer/songwriter walking in a moody watercolour landscape, were produced early in the album's creative life and kept under wraps until they appeared - without explanation - on billboards in East London at the end of April.
Though they share a surname, James is not even distantly related to Quentin. "I am so lucky to be able to work with him [Quentin] on this. I've always loved what he does," James commented on BBC's Newsbeat. As Quentin explained: 'I am not sure whether it is James having an effect on the landscape or the landscape having an effect on him but it was wonderful for me to draw those dark cloudy vistas and the strange trees ...At the time I produced the pictures James had not completed his work on the music and – it may just be fanciful – it would be nice to think that they had perhaps contributed in a small way to what we eventually hear.'
The album is currently available to download, and will be released on vinyl on 5 August 2016. For more info, visit James Blake's official website www.jamesblakemusic.com
Burgess Studio, who art directed the project, explain more about it on their blog on 6 May: http://burgess-studio.co.uk/news/