“In Waves,” the second studio album by acclaimed British producer Jamie xx, released on Sept. 20, nearly 10 years after the release of his seminal debut, “In Colour.”
Subtle yet soulful, the album demonstrates how beautiful electronic music can be thanks to Jamie xx’s iconic production style.
Consisting of 12 tracks with a total runtime just under 45 minutes, “In Waves” is an incredibly produced album of dance tracks combining elements of indie rock and pop with thumping beats and catchy melodies.
Centered around the syncopated rhythms popular in British dance music, Jamie xx combined a myriad of influences and genres to create a record that is entirely unique. His creative vision fuels an album that is simultaneously complex and danceable like it was made by Daft Punk if they were one British person instead of two French ones.
What makes “In Waves” special is its simplicity and amazing technical production, which makes it accessible and enjoyable to any open-minded listener, regardless of their understanding of electronic music.
The album’s foundation is its rhythms, which take influence from all kinds of electronica from across the pond, most notably UK garage, grime, drum and bass, and pre-Skrillex dubstep. Jamie xx combines the hard-hitting percussion and deep basslines of popular British dance music with masterfully produced melodies inspired by the disco and soul hits of yesteryear.
“Baddy on the Floor,” the album’s lead single, is an amazing example of how Jamie xx is able to amalgamate an eclectic blend of styles into a beautifully groovy club banger. Featuring a collaboration with American artists Honey Dijon, the song combines soulful production, similar to artists like Masters at Work and Kaytranda, with eerie keys reminiscent of more experimental electronic musicians like Boards of Canada.
The album’s first track, “Wanna,” opens with a sample of Kelly G’s Bump-N-Go Vocal remix of “Never Gonna Let You Go” by Tina Moore, immediately reminding me of Phiney’s famous bassline remix of Stormzy’s “Wiley Flow.” However, “Wanna” defies expectations by building to a mellow, reverb-heavy piano riff, not an intense bass drop like the Stormzy remix.
Fans of PinkPantheress will enjoy “Waited All Night,” another track using the intense rhythms of British dance music to drive a spacey, upbeat pop song. “Waited All Night” features contributions from Jamie xx’s bandmates from his innovative indie rock group The xx.
For those of you still mourning the end of “Brat” summer, the track “Life,” a collaboration with Swedish singer Robyn, features blaring instrumentals and lyrics about “giving” various things, albeit without Charli XCX’s signature snark.
Unlike the irony-drenched dance hits that dominated the charts this summer, “In Waves” is self-aware without being pretentious. Its obvious and sometimes jarring nods to classic electronica are not punchlines but rather homages celebrating dance music as an art form.
As a whole, “In Waves” represents much of what makes electronic music wonderful, a synthesis of diverse influences resulting in a single, unapologetically unique record of experimental dance music with the broad appeal of pop music.
