Using social media to showcase thoughts, ideas and creative works is one of the many fantastic tools our generation has to promote ourselves. However, for those who are already famous, broadcasting cryptic messages over Twitter is all in a day’s work.
On August 17, James Blake tweeted, “24th August 2011 — James Blake & Bon Iver ‘Fall Creek Boys Choir.’” No one knew if this “Fall Creek Boys Choir” was a new album, a new collaboration band or simply a joke to excite diehard fans.
A week later, we all learned the answer was much simpler than that. “Fall Creek Boys Choir” is a roughly four and a half minute song by the unlikely duo.
James Blake is a young, up-and-coming electro-dubstep master from London. He released his first album earlier this year, gaining international recognition and praise almost immediately.
Bon Iver, who released a critically acclaimed album earlier this year, provides the vocals and some instrumentals for the synthed-up new song. Justin Vernon, the mastermind and creator of Bon Iver, belts out his unmistakable falsetto on the new track.
Vernon’s use of autotune for the melody of “Fall Creek Boys Choir” isn’t exactly uncharted territory, either. Vernon had previously used the vocal effect on his work in Kanye West’s “Lost In The World,” an adaptation of his own autotuned symphony “Woods.” The rest of Blake’s editing is fairly minimalistic with a few animal noises here and some simple drum patterns there.
“Fall Creek Boys Choir” is, like most tracks featuring Bon Iver, that makes you want to do nothing more than lie in the middle of an isolated field while thinking about the complexities and beauty life holds. Luckily for the deep thinkers and indie music lovers among us, it’s already available on iTunes for download.
During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Blake said he and Vernon came together after meeting at the SXSW music festival in Austin this past spring.
We have no word on what might be next concerning the James Blake / Bon Iver love affair. There’s another vague hint of something to come on Blake’s YouTube account, but we’ll likely have to wait until mid-October before any more information is released.
Be sure to catch Bon Iver on tour with Fleet Foxes and The Walkmen at Comerica Theatre on Sept. 15.
Reach the reporter at kmstark1@asu.edu
