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.[3]
Composition
James Blake changed his style on the EP from gospel and R&B influenced dubstep on CMYK to more piano-based music.[3][4] According to Blake, the EP is "more personal" than CMYK, and its lyrics are more focused on emotion.[3] The EP has been described as "sadder and more intimate" than his previous releases,[5] and as similar to Mount Kimbie's songs.[6] The title track features some vocal static due to it being recorded on a laptop microphone. The static contrasts with the clear hand claps and bass notes.[3] The next track, "Tell Her Safe" has Blake singing over percussion, with additional light pops and clicks, and a muffled refrain.[5] The song "I Only Know (What I Know Now)" features "twisted" vocals that the BBC likened to the work of Radiohead.[6] "Don't You Think I Do", the final track, has "scattershot keys" and "cascading static" and contains some synthesizer.[5]
The album received positive reviews from music critics. In a favourable review, Mike Diver of the BBC wrote "every click beneath another click, every swoosh or sweep from computer keys through programmes and into production, is a fascinating facet of a whole that never once seems unduly overpopulated by elements that others might pronounce with greater emphasis."[6] Joe Colly of Pitchfork named "I Only Know (What I Know Now)" one of the "EP's finest moments" and gave the album a score of 8.1 out of 10.[3]
Resident Advisor gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and stated that "Blake's ingenious move is to seemingly dance around the truth, leaving the listener to figure things out."[5] In 2010, Pitchfork placed the EP and two other Blake EPs, The Bells Sketch and CMYK, collectively at number 8 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".[7]
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