Back in 2011, it seemed that a collaboration between the rural folk sound of Wisconsin native Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) and electronic dance sound of the English James Blake would be as unlikely as a Bob Dylan and Beyoncé duet. That notion was dispelled when Blake released his first single "Fall Creek Boys Choir" from his EP Enough Thunder, which featured Vernon and was met with critical acclaim for its "Frankenstein-style creation...that lives and breathes" (Horowitz - PopMatters) as a truly unique musical statement.

The friendship between Blake and Vernon remained strong, and in 2016, when Blake released his brooding, electronic masterpiece The Colour in Anything, Vernon was featured on the track "I Need a Forest Fire". Uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time, the beauty of the harmonies of the two friends is a highlight on the album, and when Blake performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2016, Vernon joined him on stage to perform it. Vernon's appearance and the surprise feature of LA rapper Vince Staples (also on this mix) on a remix of Blake's "Timeless" punctuated an incredible set by Blake and his trio.

These days, a collaboration between Vernon and Blake seems to make way more sense than it did 7 years ago. The two have explored musical territory that has brought their styles closer, with Blake introducing a focus on songwriting into his electronica and Vernon utilizing heavy pitch-shifting and auto-tune electronic effects on his recent release 22 A Million. Will there be another collaboration between the two close friends? Fans can only hope.