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| | Arts Calendar / October 30 / Concerts |
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 Working with and without his Mercury Music Prize-winning group the xx, Jamie xx established himself as a forward-thinking beatmaker and producer. Born Jamie Smith in Putney, London, he began his musical career playing the drums, but after realizing he couldn't use his innovation skills on the instrument, he instead turned to the '80s Media Production Centre, which programmed his computer-based sounds onto electronic percussion pads, allowing him to play both live and in the studio. In 2008, he teamed up with former school friends Oliver Sim, Romy Madley Croft, and Baria Qureshi to form the xx, who signed to XL subsidiary Young Turks a year later and went on to record one of the most well-received albums of the decade with their self-titled debut. As well as reworking his own band's tracks, he also became a sought-after remixer for a number of pop artists including Adele, Jack Peñate, and Florence + the Machine. His atmospheric version of the latter's "You've Got the Love" sparked the interest of XL boss Richard Russell, who asked him to remix rap pioneer Gil Scott-Heron's I'm New Here, which was retitled We're New Here upon its release in 2011. That year, Smith also released a solo single, "Far Nearer/Beat For," which won critical acclaim and made it to number 128 on the U.K. singles chart. Also in 2011, Smith worked on Drake's album Take Care, producing the Rihanna-featuring title track, and also worked on remixes of Radiohead's "Bloom" and co-produced Alicia Keys' "When It's All Over" for her Girl on Fire album. The following year, the xx returned with the even more polished and subdued Coexist, and Smith's remixes of "Reconsider," "Sunset," and "Missing" followed in its wake. In 2014, he returned to his solo career with "Girl/Sleep Sound," a sleek, propulsive single released by Young Turks. That year, he also released the "All Under One Roof Raving" single, an homage to rave's heydays of the '90s. In March 2015, Smith issued two singles on the same day: "Loud Places," a smoldering track featuring his xx bandmate Madley Croft, and "Gosh," a hard-hitting instrumental. Both appeared on his debut album, In Colour, which also featured Sim, Four Tet, Young Thug, and Popcaan and arrived in June 2015. Compared to Jamie xx's impact on music, it's easy to forget that he hasn't released much on his own. The distinctive yet surprisingly versatile blend of indie, R&B, and dance in his work with the xx, Gil Scott-Heron, and his remixes helped shape the sound of the late 2000s and 2010s, but his solo discography was limited to a handful of singles, many of which appear on his first full-length, In Colour. While one of his best singles, "All Under One Roof Raving," doesn't appear on the album, its balance of the kinetic and the atmospheric - as well as its reverence for classic U.K. dance music - is reflected on some of In Colour's brightest highlights. "Gosh" is hard-edged yet radiant, its juddering drum'n'bass rhythms and shouted samples adding heft and movement before swelling synths overtake the track like a sunrise after a long night out. Indeed, for most of the album, Jamie xx uses his considerable gifts for atmosphere to make listeners remember the euphoria of dance music rather than immerse them in it. Despite its brassy flourishes, "Girl"'s filtered house is haunting and aloof instead of driving, while its former B-side "Sleep Sound" fades in and out like a dream. Given his skills as a collaborator, it's not surprising that some of In Colour's best moments occur when he shares the spotlight. While his reunion with xx bandmate Oliver Sim on the implosive "Stranger in a Room" is almost too reminiscent of their previous work, Romy Madley Croft remains one of his most inspiring muses. She gives In Colour's nostalgia more humanity on the beautifully blurred "Seesaw" and "Loud Places," where a sample of Idris Muhammad's joyous "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" makes the contrast between then and now, and alone and together, all the more poignant. However, the album's most immediate moment belongs to Young Thug and Popcaan. Inspired by a drive from Manhattan to Brooklyn while listening to Hot 97, the summery "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" embraces pop, hip-hop, and dancehall in a way that feels evocative and forward-looking. As it moves from reflective to engaging and back again, In Colour covers the entire spectrum of Jamie xx's music, delivering flashes of brilliance along the way. More info
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