the xx were one of my favourite iTunes additions from 2010; their muted, low-key sound filled a gap in my auditory library, and i found myself letting the album play on loop for inordinate amounts of time, just to enjoy having it around. for the longest time i couldn't quite put a finger on what made their sound what it is, but over time i think the answer's pretty clear - jamie xx. while a lot of the hype around the band has focused on drummer baria qureshi's departure, and the intoxicating lead vocals of romy madley croft (for the record, deservedly so), it's pretty clear that jamie's the source of the band's unique mix. since the release of xx, he's been somewhat all over the place - working on a collaboration album with gil scott-heron and contributing to drake's upcoming sophomore release, to name a few projects - but has found the time to lend his genius to a few remixed tracks, and they're all gold. deceptively simple, these songs contain multitudes; sometime i catch an influence only to get lost when the next verse hits (that off-step snare sounds very hip-hop... but the bassline sounds almost dubstep-y?). they're coyly addictive, giving you just enough to keep listening, and leaving you wanting for more when it's over.
eliza doolittle - money box (jamie xx remix)
there's something very meta about remixing a song on which you were responsible for the original mix, but i'm just not up to the task of diving that far into it.
the xx - islands (jamie xx remix)
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