The Bells Sketch

The Bells Sketch is the debut EP of London-based producer James Blake. It was released on 8 March 2010 by Hessle Audio.[1] The EP received very positive reviews from music critics.

The Bells Sketch
EP by James Blake
Released	8 March 2010
Genre	Dubstep, post-dubstep
Length	14:37
Label	Hessle Audio (HES011)
Producer	James Blake
James Blake chronology
"Air & Lack Thereof" (single) (2009) The Bells Sketch (2010) CMYK (2010)

Composition

The songs on The Bells Sketch have a speed of around 72 beats per minute, which is considered slow for dance music.[2] The title track of the EP features "playful" vocals, "erratic jazz piano basslines", and synthesizers.[3] The song's vocals are a mix of samples and Blake's own voice. It opens with a violin-like sound, after which Blake starts singing. After each phrase, a "video-game noise" covers up the vocals. Halfway through the track, Blake's voice is drowned out by bass.[2]

The next track, "Buzzard and Kestrel", starts with a mixture of muffled vocals and dog whistle melodies. The song stays this way for half its duration, until a cowbell is played. The song then fades out as it ends.[3][4] It is influenced by lounge piano and Outkast snare patterns, and features some synthesizer.[3] The final track of the album is "Give a Man a Rod". The song is driven by claps sounding like drums, and vocals akin to Flying Lotus.[3][4] A version of the song without a drop was released in 2011, entitled "Give a Man a Rod (Second Version)".[5]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Fact	4.5/5[4]
Resident Advisor	4.5/5[3]

The EP received critical acclaim from music critics. Mike Coleman of Fact gave The Bells Sketch 4 and a half "records" out of 5, saying "The Bells Sketch is a complex thing – beautiful and difficult, its glitch-peppered oddities are addictive, but bursting at the seams with a desire to experiment and a complete lack of compromise."[4] Mike Powell of Pitchfork said of the EP: "I think it's both [brilliant and a high-concept mess], but I really like high-concept messes."[2]

Resident Advisor also gave the album 4 and a half stars out of 5. Speaking of the EP, critic Oli Marlow said: "Deliciously weird, off-key and superbly layered, James Blake's debut outing on Hessle Audio manages to succinctly justify the hype his work is now receiving."[3] In 2010, Pitchfork named The Bells Sketch the eighth best album of the year, along with fellow EPs CMYK and Klavierwerke; the website was "amazed" at how Blake released three EPs in one year, all of different styles.[6]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Bells Sketch"	4:18
2.	"Buzzard & Kestrel"	5:43
3.	"Give a Man a Rod"	4:36

References

1. "The Bells Sketch – EP by James Blake". iTunes. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
2. Powell, Mike (25 February 2010). "James Blake: "The Bells Sketch"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
3. Marlow, Oli (17 March 2010). "James Blake – The Bells Sketch". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
4. Coleman, Mike (8 March 2010). "James Blake: The Bells Sketch EP". Fact. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
5. Bevan, David (12 May 2011). "James Blake: "Give A Man A Rod (Second Version)"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
6. Powell, Mike (16 December 2010). "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 February 2012.