In Colour (Remastered)＜Black Vinyl＞

Jamie xxソロ1st発売5周年記念!
あの圧倒的マスターピースがリマスター再発決定!!

本隊The xxとしての世界的活躍はもちろん、ソロ・アーティストとしてもプロデューサー/DJとしてトップ・レベルの実力と人気を誇るJamie xxのソロ・デビュー作アナログ盤が発売5周年を記念してリマスター再発決定!
2015年にリリースされた本作『In Colour』はUKチャートで初登場3位をマーク、収録曲「I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times) (featuring Young Thug & Popcaan)」が欧米をはじめ世界中で大ヒットを記録し、グラミー、マーキュリー、ブリット・アワードにもノミネートされたテン年代を代表する作品のひとつ。
バンド・メンバーのRomyとOliverも参加し、DrakeからRadioheadにまでフックアップされるポップ・センスとクラブ・オリエンテッドなサウンドはThe xxの大傑作サード・アルバム『I See You』での大胆でアッパーなエレクトロニクスの導入への布石にもなった。

Compared to Jamie xxs impact on music, its easy to forget that he hasnt released much on his own. The distinctive yet surprisingly versatile blend of indie, R&B, and dance in his work with the xx, Gil Scott-Heron, and his remixes helped shape the sound of the late 2000s and 2010s, but his solo discography was limited to a handful of singles, many of which appear on his first full-length, In Colour. While one of his best singles, All Under One Roof Raving, doesnt appear on the album, its balance of the kinetic and the atmospheric -- as well as its reverence for classic U.K. dance music -- is reflected on some of In Colours brightest highlights. Gosh is hard-edged yet radiant, its juddering drumnbass rhythms and shouted samples adding heft and movement before swelling synths overtake the track like a sunrise after a long night out. For most of the album, Jamie xx uses his considerable gifts for atmosphere to make listeners remember the euphoria of dance music rather than immerse them in it. Despite its brassy flourishes, Girls filtered house is haunting and aloof instead of driving, while its former B-side Sleep Sound fades in and out like a dream. Given his skills as a collaborator, its not surprising that some of In Colours best moments occur when he shares the spotlight. While his reunion with xx bandmate Oliver Sim on the implosive Stranger in a Room is almost too reminiscent of their previous work, Romy Madley Croft remains one of his most inspiring muses. She gives In Colours nostalgia more humanity on the beautifully blurred Seesaw and Loud Places, where a sample of Idris Muhammads joyous Could Heaven Ever Be Like This makes the contrast between then and now, and alone and together, all the more poignant. However, the albums most immediate moment belongs to Young Thug and Popcaan. Inspired by a drive from Manhattan to Brooklyn while listening to Hot 97, the summery I Know Theres Gonna Be (Good Times) embraces pop, hip-hop, and dancehall in a way that feels evocative and forward-looking. As it moves from reflective to engaging and back again, In Colour covers the entire spectrum of Jamie xxs music, delivering flashes of brilliance along the way. ~ Heather Phares

XXの頭脳による初のソロ作。DJ/リミキサーとしての経験がダイレクトに反映されており、冒頭曲はアタック感の強いジャングルに。以降もダブステップ、UKガラージ、アンビエントなどさまざまな音楽要素を組み込んでいるが(得意のスティールパンを使用したナンバーもあり!)、注目はやはりヴォーカル・トラックだろう。バンドメイトも尽力していて、ゴスペル的なムードに雪崩れ込むロミー客演曲は圧巻の出来だし、オリヴァーの歌声が絡みつく"Stranger In A Room"での官能的なUKニューウェイヴ風情も心地良い。また、ヤング・サグとポップカーンを迎えたレゲエ・チューンはあきらかに新機軸。現時点での集大成であると同時に、まだまだ攻めの手を緩めないジェイミーの姿勢が窺える一枚だ。
bounce (C)上野功平