Jamie XX is setting the tone for summer's dance floors with the music from his forthcoming album "In waves", a record that features the Robyn collaboration "Life".
I knew it was going to be fantastic, since everything she does is fantastic, he says.
In the summer of 2015, the sound of oil drums was heard everywhere. Jamie "XX" Smith, a third of the band The XX, made his solo debut with the album "In colours". The kaleidoscopic dance party, with musical nods to both the Caribbean overtones of the Notting Hill Carnival and the UK garage scene, had music writers around the world competing in creative praise.
But then it didn't go quiet – on the contrary. Jamie XX remains a highly sought-after name as a songwriter, producer, and DJ. However, a proper follow-up to his debut album has been missing for nearly a decade.
I don't need to slow down, he says, referring to the long time interval between releases.
But I've learned that making music can be very difficult and boring at times. I never thought that before, but that insight has helped me to accept that it's okay if things take a very long time.
Field Studies
"In waves", Jamie XX's new album, is released on 20 September. One reason for the delay is the British producer's working method.
The final tracklist is the result of a long period of field studies. Smith has been testing the music in the environment where it is ultimately intended to be experienced – on the dance floor. Fans have witnessed him playing unreleased material in clubs, and the versions being released have been reworked so many times that he's lost count.
Polishing the material in front of an audience, long before it's released, is not entirely unfamiliar to Smith. He's tried working this way before, with his band The XX.
The idea was that we would dedicate a US tour to testing new songs. But we were so nervous when we played, and preoccupied with watching our hands, that we couldn't take in the audience's reactions. When I DJ, it's different. Then I have more control, he says.
"Gets Inspired"
"In waves" follows the dramaturgy of a rave. It's a nocturnal dance floor under the open sky, with all its peaks and troughs, condensed into a 50-minute album experience.
One of the singles, "Life", is a collaboration with Swedish artist Robyn. She's someone Jamie XX calls both friend and idol.
Robyn has been a pop star for as long as I can remember, and she's so ridiculously talented. I get inspired by her boundless energy, and by the fact that she reinvents herself all the time. It's clear that she really loves music, he says.
The long-awaited follow-up to Jamie XX's album "In colours" features a number of artist collaborations.
I see collaboration as a creative relief. That's probably why my new record features so many of them, says the producer.
Besides Robyn, the Australian band The Avalanches can be heard on one track.
I learned to produce music by listening to their first album and trying to figure out what was going on, says Jamie XX.
He has also enlisted the help of his friends and bandmates in The XX, Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, on one of the tracks.
I couldn't imagine making a record without them. They're the reason I get to do this, so I have them to thank for everything. And they're my best friends, he says.
