Hiya Jamie xx

The guy responsible for all those super hot remixes from The xx, is of course, the aptly named Jamie xx, who's served up a mix for Parisian landmark of taste, Colette. This mix is precisely one hour long, and it's quite deep; something to lose yourself in late at night, but with plenty of buoyant moments enough throughout to stagger and sway into less basic spaces (HA see what I tried to do there?) inbetween.

Grab it and the tracklist after the jump >>

Hiya Yacht, looking slick

Even though The xx are everywhere, and in the last hours, the whole of the interwebs seems to have been flooded by the release of their latest vid, for some reason I never feel saturated by them. Anyhooz, this post is actually about Yacht's single, 'The Afterlife' (remember the video?) which is out today, with remixes from DAT Politics, Andrew WK, Joy Electric, a version from May Ling and, bringing me to my point, The xx.

It's a perfectly Jamie xx (I'm supposing?) remix; taking a slow motion, but jerkily hard hitting amble into the Afterlife. Check it HERE

The xx by Louise Pomeroy

The xx have released a brilliant video for track 'Islands' directed by Saam Farahmand; with awesomely articulated dance moves and the seeming repetition of the same few frames over and over but actually yields subtle differences in each repeat - the concept for this giving me a real kick. It's the kind of video you'll watch casually at first before it draws you in to observe ever more closely, bringing a slow smile to your face as it goes on, all the way to the burning exes. X's and O's for this effortlessly cool video.

And we must take this opportunity to mention the artist who was commissioned to do the wicked portrait of The xx above, Louise Pomeroy, is going to be common ground between the talented trio and IM//UR - because Louise is in fact going to be our next artist of the month, designing May's background and logo! How lucky are we! So keep an eye for that in a couple of week's time...

The xx & These New Puritans on tour

For all those outside - as well as inside - of Europe crying blood tears about not being able to catch this most heartbreakingly amazing double header of both The xx and These New Puritans TOGETHER on their absolutely gruelling tour schedule around Europe, the best consolation we can offer you right now is that Domino are giving away 'Orion' as a tissue to dab your eyes with.

And from The xx, here's their cover (somewhat ironically) of Womack and Womack's 'Teardrops' that I dug up.

If it will make you feel any better, just think: everytime a fan has a *CRY* (all together now y'all), DAWSON CRIES TOO.

Full tour schedule after the jump

Jack

The xx's Jamie puts the swerve on Jack Penate's epic break up choon 'Pull My Heart Away', transforming it into a truly sexy and swaggeringly mellow rendition. Remember how sentimental and warm the video for the single was? So warm in fact, that it was actually filmed in a hot sandy desert.

The xx (ironically, Jamie is missing in this collection of polaroids)

Jamie puts Jack on ice; killing the instrumental of the original track, stripping it down to it's bare bones and resuscitating it with a dubby heartbeat. The result is an aloof, far less emotional and ever so nonchalant atmosphere for Jack's heartfelt vocals and lyrics. This remix is beyond cool in every sense, and is the musical embodiment of the kind of front I'd like to be able have when trying to leave someone (*internal cry*).

We're in love with The xx's album right now. Below is the new video directed by Anthony Dickenson for single 'Basic Space' - all shadowy faces, ghostly layers and stuttering glacial lights that swoop in abstract icy patterns. Plenty of close ups of instruments being played, focussing in and out nostalgically makes it feel very intimate despite the general impersonality of the video; in that we don't get to really know the band at all here. It's a perfect match for 'Basic Space'; the epitome of underplayed restraint without altogether being too cold or po-faced.

It's like watching the band through the weirdest warped indie mirror ball ever invented. Nice.

There is something about The XX that is building up such an excitement in me that I can't even describe. They are a foursome from London that sound like The Kills making love to the Howling Bells whilst playing CocoRosie as a soundtrack. Beautiful, small and fragile songs based uniquely in melodies. Their debut album will be released via Young Turks and is already one of the best releases of the year.

If you want to grab a taste of what to expect of The XX, the album, the band is giving away the song 'Basic Space'. Minimal percussion is laid down to a male/female vocal duo with velvet voices and crystallized guitars. So soft and pretty. I still haven't get over the fact they are English, they sound like the cool side of NYC's Brooklyn.

The band did a mixtape for the Fact Magazine in which they not only mixed in some unreleased tracks of their own along with some that are about-to-be-released, but also sealed it with dubstep, minimal disco and alternative rock gems. This mix is brilliant for cold black days. Download it below and check the tracklist after the jump. 

The XX - FACT MIX (JULY / 09)