The xx
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The xx arrive with their brilliant debut single 'Crystalised' – released on 20th April 2009 on Young Turks.
The xx are a London quartet, featuring the dual lead vocals of Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim (who also play lead and bass guitar respectively), Baria Quereshi (keyboards and guitar) and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC sampler).
All 19 years old, The xx are childhood friends who formed while attending the Elliot School – the south west London comp whose alumni also includes such acclaimed boundary-pushers as Burial, Four Tet and Hot Chip.
Bonding over a shared love of stripped back anti-folk and mid-90s R&B, The xx's unique sound befits a wide range of influences that include everything from Aaliyaah to Cocorosie, Rhianna to The Cure, Missy Elliot to the Chromatics, The Kills to Ginuwine, The Pixies to Mariah Carey and Justin Timberlake to Tracey & The Plastics.
These influences combine via beautiful, hushed vocal duets and a brilliantly inventive use of samplers and low-end frequencies to produce the stark, sweet melancholic pop of this debut single. Available on 7" vinyl, 'Crystalised' also features a cover of band favourite Aaliyah’s 'Hot Like Fire' on the b-side that further expands The xx's hauntingly soulful sound. Both tracks are produced by the band themselves and engineered by Cocadisco's Rodaidh McDonald.
Meanwhile, The xx are currently putting the finishing touches to their debut album, due for release later in 2009. Due for release on XL Recordings imprint Young Turks (Holy Fuck, Young Turks), this will be the first ever album to be recorded in XL's in house studio.
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jj
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coming soon!
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Nosaj Thing
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After cutting his teeth by making music on various archaic computers and programs in his early years, Nosaj Thing is now, without a doubt, among L.A.'s finest musical modulators. His electronic soundscapes and wild beat tectonics play like vignettes that affect the listener's mind as deeply as he hits their soul. Nosaj Thing creates nothing less than the sound mastery of beat driven, experimental electronics from a gifted noise constructor.
His debut album Drift was released by Alpha Pup in June 2009 to unanimous global acclaim. Pitchfork awarded an excellent 7.9 rating, calling the album "gorgeously haunted... sonic Easter Eggs for a thousand listens." The album peaked at 5 on the iTunes Electronic chart, and went all the way to 1 on Bleep and Boomkat. The success of Drift led to Nosaj Thing being featured in magazines such as Spin, Fader, XLR8R, The New Yorker, Nylon and URB. He has received regular airplay on BBC Radio 1 and Los Angeles' KCRW, while his engaging live set has made him a staple of the worldwide underground touring circuit.
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