Tag Archives: The xx

[17 To End ’17] Ninja Ash’s Best of the Year

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 31, 2017

Listen to the playlist on Spotify // Apple Music.

Nite Jewel‘s Real High, full of lush instrumentation and flawless percussion, is meant for late night listening–“Obsession” captivates with its sensual atmosphere.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano‘s unique take on soul made for one of the most captivating albums of the year. “Fruitflies” is an earworm of a track that tells a heartbreaking, deeply human story that needed to be heard in 2017.

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“Baybee” captures everything I love so much about Jay Som‘s 2017 debut Everybody Works–dreamy, expansive and larger-than-life.

Slowdive‘s first album back in over 2 decades is a transformative masterpiece and “Star Roving” exemplifies its beautiful vastness.

We might be a bit biased since we premiered his first track on TMN Radio earlier this year, but Still Woozy may be the artist I’m most excited for in 2017. “Cooks” displays just how much emotion and soul he pack into a quirky, playful tune. Continue reading →

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[Music Ninja Radio] Episode 97: Ash’s Best of 2017

Posted by Ash El Gamal - December 25, 2017

Music Ninja Radio is a weekly podcast recorded and broadcast live on San Francisco’s BFF.fm from 4-6PM PST every Friday.

Music Ninja Radio
Episode #97: Ash's Best of 2017

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We had a very rare episode to close out 2017 featuring all my favorite tunes of the year and a special guest appearance from former co-host Ninja Dom, in town from London. I started this playlist with about 12 hours worth of music and ended up focusing on tracks from my favorite albums of the year. To round it all out, I mixed together 11 of my favorite 2017 house tracks. We have some even more comprehensive end of year lists from our staff coming to the website later this week so stay locked. Thanks to everyone and anyone who rocked with Music Ninja Radio in 2017! – Ash

[NEW] The xx – On Hold

Posted by Ash El Gamal - November 10, 2016

After teasing fans with mysterious clips on their Spotify page, The xx have officially returned today with a stunning new single and an album on the way. During their 3 year hiatus, die-hard fans (myself included) could take solace in In Colour, the debut solo outing from Jamie xx, the trio’s masterful producer. On that project, Jamie got a chance to depart from the somber sound of his band delving deeper into the elements of dance music he had already subtly showcased on The xx’s first two albums. With the help of an incredible Idris Muhammad sample, Jamie xx and bandmate Romy Croft crafted one of 2015’s best songs with “Loud Places,” which held a triumphant, uplifting vibe unlike anything we’d heard from the group.

As I speculated and waited for new music, I couldn’t help but wonder how Jamie’s ‘colour’ might impact The xx’s 3rd album. Today we get the answer with “On Hold”–the perfect marriage between The xx’s heart-wrenching aura and Jamie’s matured sound. While the song features complex, 4×4 percussion, Jamie employs filters and dramatic pads to make room for his bandmates’ signature reverb-ed guitar and heart breaking vocals. As the song approaches its most stark moment, the chorus erupts with an irresistible Hall & Oates sample that oozes pure joy.

At it’s core “On Hold” tells the tale of letting someone go and the disappointment of them moving on, but its potent chorus offers a light at the end of the tunnel–one that was just flickering on their last album, Coexist.

I See You, the third studio album from The xx, is out on January 13th via Young Turks–you can pre-order it here. We’ll have this one on repeat while we wait.

[Electronic] Jamie xx, Romy & Four Tet – Seesaw (Club Version)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - February 4, 2016

Jamie xx + Four Tet + Romy
Seesaw (club version)

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Jamie xx‘s 2015 album In Colour hasn’t even been out for a year yet and it’s already clear that it’ll have some serious staying power. I don’t think a week has passed since it’s release that I haven’t given it a cover-to-cover listen. Although it’s impossible to pick a favorite, “Seesaw,” one of two songs featuring The xx-collaborator Romy Croft, possesses a particularly hypnotizing aesthetic. The combination of a house sensibility, UK garage-influenced percussion and Romy’s soaring vocals creates a texture signature to Jamie xx.

Unsurprisingly, Four Tet, a pioneer in his own right, also contributed to the production of “Seesaw,” which apparently stemmed from sessions all the way back in 2013. This year, Four Tet slightly re-tooled the song with, in his own words, “different drums and mix and arrangement.” The result, as its suffix suggests, is a dance floor-ready version of the track released today that manages to bring a new energy without losing a touch of the original’s magic. This one will definitely be a regular in the weekend mix. It’s also rumored that Justin Martin has a remix of “Seesaw” in the works. We won’t hold our breathe but this should do just fine to hold us over regardless.

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[NEW] Jamie xx – I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - May 20, 2015

Jamie xx
There's Gonna Be (Good Times) (feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)

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When looking over the tracklist for Jamie xx‘s upcoming album, the Young Thug and Popcaan feature was by far the most intriguing, unexpected inclusion. A little over a week ago, a leak of the far-out collab, featuring only Thug’s contribution, hit the Interwebs and it had all the makings of a summer anthem. The leak was swiftly removed from most major websites, but today we’re blessed with the final version of the song.

Jamie xx crafts an incredibly bright, and uncharacteristic, backdrop for Young Thug and Popcaan utilizing his signature steel drums and yet another masterfully placed soul sample echoing “I know there’s gonna be good times.” Popcaan’s perfected dancehall crooning opens things before Thugger’s playful, melodic flow takes over flawlessly, matching the instrumental’s overwhelmingly positive, bright energy. Popcaan seamlessly takes back over between Thug’s verses and handles the outro before it fades into the infectious sample. This is, in our minds, one of the best songs to come out this year and we’ll be jamming out to it as we wait for the release of In Colour on June 2nd–pre order here.

Although this collaboration might come as a surprise to many, Jamie alluded to becoming a big fan of Young Thug while he was living in New York in a recent interview with XXL and, based on how perfect the combo sounds, he seems to have a true grasp of exactly what it is that makes Thug’s music so strangely addicting. It’s yet another testament not only to Jamie xx’s production abilities, but also his keen ear as a DJ developed through his immense, diverse musical knowledge.

[NEW] Jamie xx – Loud Places (feat. Romy of The xx)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - March 25, 2015

Jamie xx
Loud Places (ft. Romy Croft)

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Jamie xx stopped by Annie Mac‘s BBC Radio 1 show earlier this week to premiere a single from his upcoming debut solo album, In Colour, and it truly lives up to the title of “Hottest Record In the World.” Calling on The xx bandmate, Romy Craft, Jamie crafts a beautifully anthemic number with “Loud Places.” Combining Romy’s signature somber vocals and ambient guitar licks with Jamie’s organic percussion and ear for a quality soul-sample, the track builds into an addicting, groovy chorus creating a perfect hybrid between The xx and Jamie’s solo work. In Colour is slated for release on June 1st and the iTunes pre-order comes with 4 instant downloads, including “Loud Places.” UPDATE: Watch Jamie and Romy relive their childhood below as they skate through London in the official video, which elevates the vibes of the track even further. Continue reading →

[Electronic] Jamie xx – Alba

Posted by Ash El Gamal - March 20, 2015

Jamie xx
Alba (Radio Rip)

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard from The xx and their mastermind producer, Jamie xx, but with a new record on the way from both, hopefully all of that will change soon. Yesterday, on BBC Radio 1, Jon Hopkins shared a tune from Jamie xx, which was released a few months back on Nowness as part of the Continuum experimental video project, and as always it’s a uniquely beautiful and intricate composition. “Alba” carries a similarly tranquility as “Sleep Sound,” feeling like a hazy lullaby powered solely by an electronic instrumental. Little info is known about the release schedule for Jamie’s highly anticipated debut solo album, but if the releases thus far are any indication, it has the potential to be a game changer. Enjoy this short but sweet joint above and look out for new music from The xx, who are set to release their third album this year, soon. “Alba” will be released as a limited edition vinyl on April 18th for Record Store Day.

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