Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste
“Basic Space” isn’t just a song on The xx’s debut; it’s also a sonic philosophy. The goal seems to be clarity for all parts at all times, and a desire to accentuate the gaps as much as the music itself. It’s not unusual for bands to employ pointedly minimal instrumentation and production, but it’s another thing to start an album with your loudest sound, then spend the rest of the album picking up the pieces one at a time. The instrumental “Intro” couldn’t be leaner—fuzzy keyboard, a simple guitar riff, wordless chanting—but the double-tracked drums boom out, setting an appropriately magisterial tone. This is epic minimalism.