Meditation Platform Open appoints James Blakes as sound director

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Inhale, exhale, and turn up the volume – mindfulness, meditation, and breathing platform Open has teamed up with Grammy winner James Blake for its latest guided class, just in time to kickstart your New Year’s resolutions.

To kick off the Open collaboration, Blake contributed sounds and music to the platform’s Nervous System Reset program as part of his new role as the brand’s Chief Sound Officer, rolling stone can exclusively report.

The Nervous System Reset is a 21-day guided meditation and breathing course that, according to the brand, is “designed to regulate emotions, calm the mind, and make room for what’s next.” Simply put, it’s a simple way to recharge and reset before the new year – immersive sounds included.

“After witnessing an open breathing experience, I was able to sense how important the role of music is in what one gets out of the practice,” Blake said in a statement from the Los Angeles-based studio , which also offers in-person classes. “The vibration of what we listen to is part of what we resonate with, and so for me, curating and creating for this medium is really exciting. »

If you haven’t yet taken an open class, the platform offers guided classes in breathing, movement and meditation on its app, practices that research has shown can help reduce stress and anxiety , among other health benefits. (Health and fitness brands like Therabody have even started incorporating breathing into their recovery tools.)

Unlike other wellness experiences, Open is a mindfulness app tailor-made for serious music lovers. Take one of her classes in person and you’ll leave refreshed — and wishing you could Shazammer everything.

Subscribers can also hear one of Blake’s original tracks at the end of the 21-day nervous system reset on the app, dubbed “See the Unseen.” The program launched on December 17 and is available to start with Open’s 30-day free trial. After the free trial, an Open subscription costs $20 per month, or $150 for an annual plan.

“James has a rare perspective that is invaluable to Open in a way that transcends the music we will create together,” says Raed Khawaja, co-founder and CEO of Open. “Our collaboration will increase the frequency of everything we do to create greater access to life-changing experiences. »

This isn’t the first time Blake has released sounds with a feel-good component. Singer-songwriter and producer dropped ambient project Relax in 2022, supplemented by an hour of 15 “soundscapes”. In 2023, Blake released his sixth full-length studio album Play robots all the way to heaven in 2023 and began a North American tour last fall. Most recently, Blake released the single “Like the End” in November.

Open’s Nervous System Reset with Blake’s Custom Sounds is now available for free on the Open app or in person at his Los Angeles studio.