Endel has collaborated with James Blake to create an album version of Wind Down, the everchanging AI-driven, science-powered soundscape to enhance healthy sleep. The album, out May 23, 2022 on Polydor/Republic Records/UMG, will be available in stereo and spatial audio formats. It uses the same AI technology and sounds found in the adaptive experience, available exclusively in Endel apps for iOS, Android, Mac, Apple TV, and Amazon Alexa.
“The Wind Down soundscape I created with Endel lets me explore the more ambient side of my music and create a project to support people in a new way,” James Blake reflects. “It’s mesmerizing to hear how my music blends with the science-based sounds of Endel’s AI and I think we’ve invented something not just beautiful or even meaningful, but truly practical.”
This album marks a quiet watershed: It’s the first functional music album constructed via AI to be released by a Universal label. “Artists are learning that there are new tech- and science-enabled formats for expressing their creativity, new ways to engage listeners and play a role in their lives,” explains Oleg Stavitsky, co-founder and CEO of Endel. “They can draw on their same sounds and ideas to make a variety of experiences, and Endel’s functional sound can serve specific wellness and mental health purposes, enhancing focus, relaxation, and sleep.”
Inspired by the science of sound and sleep, the adaptive, personalized Wind Down is a prelude to bedtime, helping the Endel users shift gradually from the activity of day to the calm of night. The static album traces a similar arc.
The Endel collaboration is not Blake’s first foray into music that guides the listener toward calm and release. In 2019, he wrote “Lullaby for My Insomniac,” a song for those who have sleep struggles. In 2020, he created a “secret” ambient album that got Blake a nod from the founding father of the genre, Brian Eno. Eno’s generative approach to composition inspired both Blake’s work and Endel’s own technology, making for a powerful collaboration.
“It’s important to us that we collaborate with artists who are genuinely interested in what we do. From the first call with James, he was clearly passionate about ambient music and excited to experiment with our AI engine,” notes Konstantin Elchev, Endel’s Head of Artist Relations. “I’m really proud of how the soundscape turned out and happy we’re bringing an adapted version to streaming platforms.”
Wind Down the album is the latest in a series of static releases that expand Endel’s functional music offerings outside of its app ecosystem. For those who want a taste of Endel via their favorite music streaming service, projects like Wind Down let them explore and enjoy the interplay of AI and artist in a more standard album format.
For the full personalized and adaptive Endel experience, including Wind Down, Grimes’ AI Lullaby, Plastikman’s Deeper Focus, and Miguel’s Clarity Trip, listeners can go to the Endel apps on iOS, Android, macOS, Amazon Alexa, and wearables. Using the Endel app allows you to create an unending soundscape that responds to your environment and supports your mind and body during daily activities.
Listen to James Blake’s Wind Down soundscape on your favorite streaming platform here.
Experience the adaptive, personalized Wind Down Soundscape in the Endel App free here.
Explore more Endel static releases, such as the recent collaborations with anaiis, ANNA, FACESOUL, Green-House, Ian Isiah, monte booker, Nailah Hunter, Simon on the Moon, and Ta-Ku, here.