'Just trying to break free of the algorithm gods': James Blake says its 'scary' after quitting record label and becoming independent artist

British musician James Blake has declared his transition to becoming an independent artist after more than a decade of collaboration with major record labels. Blake, known for his ethereal soundscapes and heartfelt lyrics, communicated this significant change via his Instagram page on April 10, 2024.

In the video, he expressed both excitement and apprehension about his new path. The caption read,

"After over a decade on a label it feels scary to go independent but here we are. As someone who hates spam, I promise not to send you annoying emails. Just trying to break free of the algorithm gods gatekeeping art."

This move marks a pivotal shift in his career, following his time with A&M Records and Republic Records, where he released several albums including Overgrown (2013), 'The Colour In Anything' (2016), and 'Playing Robots Into Heaven' (2023).

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James Blake's journey towards independent artist

James Blake signed with A+M Record for his self-titled debut album which was released in 2011. Later he signed with Republic Records, to release his second album Overgrown in 2013, along with his following albums, ‘The Colour In Anything’ (2016), ‘Assume Form’ (2019), ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’ (2021), and ‘Playing Robots Into Heaven’ (2023).

Now, he has decided to leave Republic Records looking forward to working directly with his fans. In the video, he further mentioned that it felt good to be independent because he has always wanted to take things into his own hands for a very long time.

This announcement came after James Blake recently advocated for record labels to set aside funds for therapy to help musicians deal with the pressures and anxieties that come with working in the music business.

In accordance with this, he tweeted on X last month:

Previously James Blake has also opened up about the time when he had very spiralled mental health and had to try to maintain a cool persona on stage.

In his video posted on X on March 20, he mentioned:

“I wanted to find a way for musicians to make money directly from the music they make … Music is not cheap to make, and I wanted to help incentivise musicians to actually spend more time making music. Also, I’ve spoken to a lot of artists that feel frustrated that so much great music goes unreleased because it doesn’t meet certain requirements or trends.”

Moreover, James Blake revealed a solution to streaming issues, debuting Vault, a platform offering exclusive access to unreleased music for a monthly fee. This innovative move came after his viral criticism of streaming's low artist royalties. Vault aims to empower musicians by providing a space to share their work freely without constraints, signaling a potential shift in the industry's landscape.

Blake announced on X on March 20, 2024, that he will be sharing information regarding tickets, albums, and other new announcements on Vault, where he will also be charging $5 a month for fans to access his unreleased songs. More features are to be announced later.