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Jamie xx - In Colour

Kaleidoscopic, genre-defying electronic music

Fact title Fact data
Release date
29 May 2015
Label
Young Turks

Background

Jamie xx, AKA Jamie Smith, is well-regarded for his work as member and producer of indie band . His solo output has seen him take a distinctly more electronic direction, having crafted dancefloor-friendly remixes for the likes of and .

In Colour represents the culmination of five years' work. Throughout the record Smith is able to flex his electronic music nous, skipping deftly, and often playfully, through whole eras of club culture without ever settling too long in one single place. The result is a seemingly retrospective piece of work that marks him as a keen observer of the British scene. Whether channelling elements of house, techno, jungle or garage, his use of samples feels exacting, his beats crisp and his melodies emotionally expressive.

Previously shortlisted?

No, but did appear on 2010 Mercury Prize winning album xx by .

What the critics say

"Each song grows richer the more you explore its open space. Its minimalism breathes buckets of color." - Consequence of Sound

"What Joni Mitchell's 'Woodstock' was to the hippie era, Jamie xx's solo debut is to British club culture: a wistful valentine conjuring a more innocent time." - Rolling Stone

For fans of

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Clips

Gilles Peterson on Jamie xx: "one of the best things to come out of UK club culture in many years"

Gilles Peterson discusses Jamie xx's Mercury Prize 2015 shortlisted album, In Colour.

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