Live Review: LISTEN: Jamie XX @ I Love Techno 2012 (Ghent, Belgium)
Jamie XX always seems to kick all the right goals. He's outdone himself again with his rad slow jam set at Belgium's I Love Techno Festival. Have a listen!
If you're a techno fan and you haven't heard of Belgium's I Love Techno Festival, this probably isn't a bad thing. Why? Because you'll most probably either a) Die or b) Board a plane to Belgium. Even if you did choose b, I'm sorry to be the one who tells you that you've missed it by just over a week.
Don't be completely bummed though! We've got Jamie XX's set for you to cry yourself to sleep to! The producer played a set at the Green Stage of the festival, sharing the overall bill with a bunch of iconic and emerging tech-heads. Here's just a handful of names off the roster: Erol Alkan, Tiga, Flux Pavillion, A-Trak and Flying Lotus.
The member from The XX perfectly compiled a bunch of slow jam beats that manage to flow innocuously for the entire set. Predominantly instrumental, parts of the set also offer vocals as Jamie has clearly included some remixed tracks to fit nice and snug in his half hour set.
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The set kicks off with a fade in of a soft beat and female vocals; the lyrics completely focused on making lurrrve. Within the first few seconds, this set has already ticked the sex appeal box. From here on in, you experience a series of mood shifts, patterns and tempos. However, all under the bracket of chill wave. It's bursting at the seams with it's deluxe suite of slow jams and soft beats, yet still manages to be super edgy.
Although the tracks fit together and flow really well, you'll notice that the set is actually quite diverse. Try pairing the squabbling, devolving instrumentation and repetitive, reverberated vocals at the 24th minute with the dreamy, progressive harp that fills the void just ten minutes prior; leading patches and samples that lay underneath its heavenly execution.
You'll notice this keeps happening in quite a charming way all the way through until the end. It is here where the set closes on a serious, broken beat, subtly fading out. Jamie XX has pieced this set together in such an attractive manner. It's tasteful, edgy and satisfying for any hungry techno fan.
Words by Hannah Galvin, check out her street on POSSE.COM
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