7 Comments
Nov 14Liked by Ben Cardew

I know what you mean about Jamie XX’s music - I kinda sorta like it, and that's been the case for a long time, but it seems to be the sort of affection where I forget it exists until it pops back up on shuffle.

I'm always a bit surprised at how massive he is, while at the same time realising it makes total sense given what he offers to the modern world - if you know what I mean? A kind of uncommital, accessible, highly palatable facsimile of the underground. I don't doubt that he's authentic in his love for the music he's inspired by, but I've never quite connected with anything he's put out, despite trying to.

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I think "kinda sorta like it" is quite a common reaction to his music. And that's fine. I imagine that I probably like a lot of the same records as Jamie XX, which makes me wonder why don't like his music more. I don't particularly like The xx either, although people do seem really devoted to them.

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Sep 25Liked by Ben Cardew

Can I be basic and ask what this means? "a like-gate giveaway"

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oh sure, sorry. It's a (rather outdated) music marketing idea, whereby you give someone a reward (often an MP3) in return for liking a post.

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huh, thank you. Surprised I've never heard of it.

Anyway - totally agree - the album has no grit whatsover, like too much prosecco

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A great post this week, Ben! Also interesting that you have Hodge's "Free" in there -- I couldn't quite get with that song (never been a fan of diva-house vocals, I'm afraid), but I love the B-side, "Right There" (which, interestingly, has an absolutely ICONIC hip-hop sample in it).

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thank you! Right There is a great song - but I LOVE diva-house vocals and I think Free is one of my songs of the year. He just nails the underground / overground thing for me.

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