Music — Consumed

2015 · Jamie xx

In Colour represents Jamie xx stepping out from The xx's minimal aesthetic into something more expansive and club-ready. The production throughout is immaculate, layering UK garage rhythms, house piano stabs, and steel drums with the kind of negative space that defined his band work. Tracks like "Gosh" build tension through repetition and texture, while "Loud Places" (featuring Romy) captures that specific feeling of seeking connection in crowded rooms.

The album works because it never abandons emotion for the dancefloor or vice versa. "Sleep Sound" floats on Etta Bond's vocals and ambient pads, while "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" brings Young Thug and Popcaan into Jamie's sonic world without compromising either artist's identity. The sequencing moves like a proper night out, complete with the come-down.

What makes In Colour resonate is its synthesis of UK dance music history with contemporary production clarity. Jamie xx draws from jungle, garage, and dubstep without making a retro statement. The album sounds like London, like the specific energy of warehouse spaces and after-hours clubs, but it's never parochial. It's personal electronic music that still functions as dance music, which is a difficult balance to strike.