Album "In Waves"

Jamie xx invites you to a hedonistic party night

Jamie xx, the first third of The xx to take on a life of its own, goes for a never-ending party on his second solo album.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/XL Recordings, Alasdair McLellan)

Electronic beats and spotlights: Jamie xx's second album feels like a club night. Nine years after his solo debut, the British DJ and producer, who made a name for himself worldwide as a member of the indie band The xx, is releasing his new album "In Waves". 

"I wanted it to feel like one of my DJ sets, like a party I'm throwing," Jamie Smith aka Jamie xx told dpa. And indeed it does. In twelve tracks, the record makes you feel as if you could just as well be on the dance floor to rave sounds instead of wearing headphones on the train. Jamie xx has collaborated with several artists, including pop singer Robyn and his band members Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim.

A colorful mixture
Jamie xx switches between rhythms, speeds and sub-genres with ease. The album begins quite softly with "Wanna", with gentle piano tones providing a prelude to the tracks to come. "Baddy On The Floor" literally screams for good energy and mixes funky vibes with electro beats.

"There are different kinds of influences," said Jamie xx about his music. He heard a lot of soul and jazz through his parents. Two of his uncles were DJs themselves and gave him decks when he was ten years old. "Then I just played those records and learned how to mix." He also listened to a lot of The Avalanches, he says. The Australian band is also represented on his album on the track "All You Children". The feeling of celebrating together is also palpable in this song. "All you children gather 'round, we will dance together" can be heard again and again.

Radical change of personality
His album was created during corona, at a time when exactly that was not possible. "Of course, a lot of bad things happened during the pandemic," said the 35-year-old DJ and producer. "But for me personally, it was a very good place to reflect, collect myself and recover from the teenager I was in my twenties." He now describes that time as crazy, always thinking about the next gig in the next city. "In the end, I don't really remember much of what happened in my twenties."

The xx released their debut in 2009. Since then, they have released more albums, both as a band and on their own. Jamie xx was the first to go solo, releasing his album "In Color" in 2015. He has also worked for musicians such as Adele and Drake. He was also involved in his bandmates' individual projects. Croft and Sim can also be heard on the track "Waited All Night" on his new album. "I can't imagine making my own record without having them on it," he said of the pair. "They're the reason I can do what I do." And there will also be new music with The xx again. "We're in the studio once a month for a week," he says, "every month."

The wave is right
Black and white waves adorn the cover of the album, matching the title "In Waves". This has several meanings, the DJ explains. The most basic one is sound waves. "But also because I discovered surfing for myself and it's a big part of my life." According to him, surfing has given him space to think about music in a positive way. The album was also created at a time when there were ups and downs for many - different waves of life, he says. His time at home during the pandemic has shown him that he considers himself very lucky to be able to do what he does. And: "I'm on a pretty good wave at the moment."