Live Review: WATCH: James Blake 'Retrograde' (Official Video)

JAMES BLAKE has teamed up with producer Martin De Thurah to create an aptly meditative videoclip that reflects the darker, sombre themes found in his latest single Retrograde.

De Thurah is selective with the artists he choses to work with (previously working with the David Byrne/St. Vincent collaboration and Feist), yet he never bites off more than he can chew. His previous videoclips add visuals to the tracks with a precise subtlety that doesn’t try too hard to give an overt meaning to the songs, but rather sets a mood and uses tantalising visual scenes to mesmerise audiences whilst keeping the music at the foreground.

The clip itself recounts the journey of a lone motorcyclist journeying through a damp and dreary country side before stumbling across a house. Inside, he finds what appear to be memories of yore isolated and frozen in time. Isolation is a recurring motif throughout the clip, whether it be from the scenic visuals or BLAKE's lyrics.

The only threat to this notion of isolation is the UFO that blazes overhead before crashing in the dimly lit forrest, which begs the audience to ask themselves; are we really alone in the universe?

Retrograde is the first track from BLAKE's sophomore album, Overgrown, which is due to be released  April 8^th/9^th on Republic Records.

Words by Sam Warburton

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