SEVEN NOISES

This is already my third post about The XX. I discovered them when a guy at Rough Trade West was listening to their demo, I was impressed with the originality of their sound and have been following them since then. This is their second single, again with Young Turks, and the last anticipation of the album to be released next week which I have already heard and I highly recommend. It's been a surprise that they chose this track as a single instead of other more instant songs as VCR or Islands or the exclusion of Blood Red Moon, appearing here as the B side in the original demo version, from the album. But it is also a great track and one of their most soulful. If you still haven't listen to them imagine how an RnB song would be delivered by a group of depressed teenagers with a minimal production and you can have the idea. Or you can just listen to the track and buy the record, of course. It has also been released as a 12 inch including remixes of the likes of Pariah or Diskjokke. They are currently playing some dates in New York and coming back to tour the UK and Europe.

Released 10/08/09

The XX - Basic Space.mp3

This is the first time I repeat and artist in a post but it's justified by the publication of their first single. A couple of months ago I talked about The XX as one of the most interesting bands appearing in the London scene; four 19 year old kids with a love for RnB and the capacity of swallowing their influences to assimilate them and then eject them transformed into something completely new and different. The final version of Crystalised is better and more dynamic than the demo version I uploaded here and the B side is a cover of Aaliyah's Hot Like Fire you wouldn't recognise if you didn't read the credits saying the lyrics are by M. Elliot.

The XX are a band of four 19 year old people who has just been signed by Young Turks, imprint of Beggars Banquet. They kind of sound of 1989, like many bands do nowadays, but without the fuzz and distortion. They are slow and particularly minimalistic, using just the instruments and arrangements that are necessary to go with the voices of Romy (seductive and low as the most quiet PJ Harvey) and Oliver. I'm talking about the demos that have been circulating freely on line as they have not pubblished anything yet, but are currently recording their first record to be published in September but there are some rumours a single is about to come in the following weeks. The record is meant to be produced by them so I supose it's going to keep the spirit of these demos. While we wait you can listen to the rendition they make of Womack and Womack's Teardrops and their own Crystalized.