James Blake

Spotted at 40:35. James says: "...I been using this drum machine, which I love..."

At 0:21 in this video, it is possible to see one member of James Blake band playing a Roland SP-404SX.

In an interview on Mixonline, James Blake is noted for using the Meris Mercury7 Reverb in his live performances.

This interview says James Blake uses the Empirical Labs Distressor for his live show

Used for Blake's vocals on Beyoncé's "Forward", as stated by producer Stuart White in this this September 24, 2016 AudioTechnology interview.

In the case of James Blake, White recorded him at Conway Studios. White: “He came in, heard the track (Forward), walked up to Bey’s Elam 251 with the same vocal chain (Avalon 737 into Tube Tech CL1B) and sang his vocal pretty much right off the bat. Then he tried some chords on the piano and I recorded him soon after using two older Schoeps W-221 small diaphragm microphones going into Neve 1073 mic pres."

In this podcast called Tape Notes - "TN:122 James Blake", James Blake mentions running the song "Life Around Here" though the "Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard MKII" at 00:14:10

Worth mentioning is that the correct version of this gear is a green limited edition version called Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard II LE.

Around 1:50, James mentioned the Pulsar 23 as being one of his favorite drum machines.

This photo is from a Hypebeast article, James Blake: Instruments of Control.

The article talks about this being James Blake's studio, and on top of the piano his PreSonus HP4 Discrete 4-Channel Headphone Amp can be seen. The article is regarding his 2026 album release, Trying Times:

Tucked away in the basement of a studio in Central London’s Soho neighborhood is a 10 by 20 room where big ideas escape its small confines. Wires snake across the floor. Synths and keyboards are stacked one on top of another like books in a messy study. At the center of it all is dubstep innovator turned Grammy-winning producer and vocalist James Blake: tall, thoughtful, and quietly in command. Four keyboards surround him in a semicircle, with two more resting nearby.

In a post on Vault.fm titled "James Blake - Alpha base/pulsar, https://vault.fm/jamesblake/drop/alpha-basepulsar" James Blake is documented working in the studio with a Jomox Alpha Base drum machine.

In this Vault.fm post (https://vault.fm/jamesblake/drop/just-a-little-higher), James Blake is seen using an Elektron Analog Rytm MKII drum machine and sampler. The unit’s distinctive layout with pads, knobs, and screen matches the Analog Rytm MKII design

see photo above via instagram.