Jamie XX
Warehouse Project
29th October
2 stars
Presenting one of the quickest-selling nights of the final Warehouse Project calendar, beatmaker and one third of Mercury Prize winning trio The XX, Jamie XX , has received plenty of critical acclaim of his own, becoming one of the world’s most sought after producers following a string of remixes, and a complete rework of the late, great Gil Scott Heron’s album, We’re New Here. His headline set brought together elements of funk, electro and house, building visible waves of anticipation amongst the bopping heads of the sell out crowd, all of whom are waiting for a big set and some recognisable tunes. Regular interlacing of the intense New York Is Killing Me between tunes was the only real treat offered, despite the faithful faces egging him on for a big-drop finish. Whilst gaining a growing reputation for his producing talents, he is also creating an unpredictability regarding his set lists, becoming known as somewhat self-indulgent. Respectable in some aspects, artists sticking true to themselves instead of pandering to more ‘commercial’ crowds is admirable – but this has to be judged against the packed room of fans paying upwards of £20 to see the headliner and the tracks they know him for.
The impressive collection of other artists however did not disappoint. The main stage crowd gathering for Jamie XX witnessed a thumping set from rapper Jay Electronica, spewing his twisting rhymes with huge stage presence and interacting through chants of “Gunchester”. Meanwhile the magnificent Four Tet proved true to form, mesmerising his shape-shifting crowd with high energy house and electronica from start to finish. The culmination resulting in a huge success for the undercard – the crowd leaving not with negativity for the headliner, but a feeling of missed opportunity for the lack of a smashing set that the regulars at the WHP have come to expect.
