Concept
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A sixteen year-old makes abstract future garage music, seeming like he has at least 3 more years of experience than that.
Distinctions
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Songs like “About You” demonstrate a profound eeriness and daze, but there’s still a fair amount of landfill to be found here.
Virtuoso
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Crisp quality and production are a given for this kind of music, but little will blow you away.
Imagery
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A tad bare thanks to the minimalist approach, but it compensates for having a ghostly, melodramatic atmosphere.
Accessibility
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Avid future garage/electronic fans will have no problems easing into this.
It’s interesting to know a 16-year old could make something this professional. Hell I’m not much older than XXYYXX’s Marcel Everett, it makes me wonder if I put aside other things I could have created something with this kind of potential. I’m not saying his situation is unheard of, but I undertake solo projects myself (in art), and all at once it makes me feel inspired and like I’ve been sitting on my laurels too much. Where do you find the time and technique to let ideas flow this well and seem so natural? Do we all just suck?
Whatever the case, Everett has a penchant for music making and it shows on
XXYYXX. One part Machinedrum, one part James Blake, his self-titled effort walks the tried and true path of ghastly sampling and wonky melodies like most contenders in the genre. While a few tracks wallow in mediocrity, there’s real potential lying in the framework of
XXYYXX. Synthesizers foam at the mouths of several songs here, while others get by on minimalist percussion, but the best songs, particularly “About You”, create the most chilling moments on the album because they efficiently do both. When you feel these songs’ magic, you can easily excuse the little bit of garbage that exists on this album, and you can also expect great things to come from this young producer in the future.
