Acclaimed London newcomers The xx are set to open 2010 with a new sculpture inspired by their album.
The xx are part of a new wave of young talent from London. The city seems to be teeming with musicians, producers, artists and film makers eager to strike out on their own and carve out a unique identity.
In fact the band are well named - 'xx' is Roman numerals for 20, their average age. Banding together at school The xx rehearsed in each other's homes at night, turning down their equipment to avoid disturbing neighbours.
The group's sparse sound combined with a knowledge of dance music to create something very special. Live, The xx have been known to burst into cover versions of garage classics injecting some soul into their moonlit indie rock.
Releasing their debut album earlier this year The xx stunned critics with a remarkably self-assured effort. Closing the year with a number of tour dates, The xx recently lost a member but seem to have managed the transition to a trio fairly effortlessly.
Now the band have confirmed plans to produce an artwork inspired by their album. xx: a sculpture of the album by Saam Farahmand opens on January 8th in London's Vinyl Factory.
In Saam's own words:
Music videos are a 2D visual interpretation of a song. We are interested in creating spaces that exist as a 3D physical interpretation of a song or an album, and that is what we have created for the album xx. It shares sensibilities with art installations but it should not be considered in this context - it is in essence a physical music video, a looping shrine to the album that you cannot compress, send or turn off. We have to understand that these pop up 'rooms' and 'spaces' should and will become as commonplace as music videos, bridging the gap until we have the technology to 'stream' a 3D experience through our home computer as if it was a Youtube clip. The xx are the perfect ambassadors for the medium. Their music is mesmerising, and deeply physically affecting.
To coincide with the event The xx are set to issue a special edition vinyl version of their debut album. The gallery runs between January 8th - 12th.
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