In Colour- Jamie xx

I used to have an unexplained bias against techno music; I had never really listened to a lot of techno music and I didn't have a real understanding of what it really was. As I got older, I realized that I liked a lot of techno music and just didn't call it that. I accredit how open I am to all kinds of music to techno music- and my older brother who LOVES techno. Artists like The xx, Robert DeLong, and Daftpunk have really helped me to be able to embrace the genre and realize that techno isn't just one guy playing annoying noises on a drum machine. 

The xx were the band that really got me to embrace techno, and their Jamie xx is the one that really makes their music happen. One day, I explained the band's structure in, what I felt was, a sort of engenius way: Jamie is the bones, he makes the structure of the songs and everything else is built on top of that; Romy is the heart and brain, she gives the songs emotions and brings it to life; and Oliver is like the muscles and soul, he fills out the song and makes it something you can feel. They all come together to make amazing music that is technically classified as indie pop, but I feel more like it's electronic rock or something; Jamie xx is just a techno artist. He plays music that has a lot of electronic elements, but it is more mellow so it doesn't give me a headache. He makes music you can move to, but you can also listen to it while you're going/ to sleep; it's the best of both worlds.

In Colour has 11 songs on it- three of which include his bandmates from The xx: two with Romy and one with Oliver. Most of the songs on this album don't really have lyrics, but there is a lot of sampling and mixing that adds character to each track. The album draws from a lot of genres and creates a new sound that is a lot different from the stuff that is playing on the radio. I admire and envy the amazing skill that Jamie has; he is able to find exactly what each and every song needs, then he mixes everything in a way that makes you feel like it was meant to sound that way and any other placement would be completely wrong.

There is a lot of soulful influence present on this album; it's a difficult task to find electronica that has emotion and soul. There is also one song, "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)", that has Young Thug (American Rapper) and Popcann (Jamaican Reggae Fusion and Dancehall artist) featured on it; it is a very interesting mix of R&B and electronica. The song features a lullaby-like backing beat with rapping and a sample repeated throughout the song assuring you that "there's gonna be good times" with a soul sounding voice. 

"The Rest Is Noise" is one of the most technologically influenced songs on the album. It reminds me a lot of Passion Pit and Robert DeLong with the way that he blends the drum beat in with all of the clapping, piano, and other noises. The song begins with a single high-pitched tone repeating at different frequencies, then it is joined by a clapping noise, and piano comes in after with one note being played every few beats. This song is kind of repettative, but it mixes up the tones and sounds about halfway through the song. It keeps the same basic beat throughout, giving the song continuity, but it everything else changes and that grabs your attention a little bit. Towards the very end of the song it gets louder and is joined by a police siren and the sound of people chatting. The song slowly fades out.

One of the songs that Romy is featured on is "Loud Places". This song begins with people chatting and has a beat throughout that sound like someone lightly hitting varying pieces glassware with silverware. Romy's voice gives the song emotion and substance; she is backed up by what seems to be a choir and they add to the song's feeling. It's a love song, but it is centered around music and emotions. Piano is present during a lot of the song and this also furthers the emotions felt in the song. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that "Loud Places" sounds a lot like something The xx would release, but there are still elements of it that are totally unique. Jamie does an amazing job of building around Romy's voice to create a beautiful song; every elements adds to the song and allows you to notice something new every time you listen.

As I mentioned before, I never enjoyed techno music and especially when there no words. I'm not sure if it is just the fact that I am maturing or if I have just found artists I enjoy, but I am growing to love some electronic music. Jamie xx is helping with that- a lot. I find myself being able to appreciate every kind of music- even songs and artists I used to loath- and I love that I am able to see the beauty in each and every piece of music I hear. To me, techno music is a lot like classical: the components are very basic, there isn't a lot of lyrics, and you can listen to it while you're doing other things- I mean all of this in the best possible way. Jamie xx is really good at what he does. 

Jamie xx's Website
Buy In Colour