The xx
Melancholic minimalism in the misty mountains
The xx are no strangers to Fuji Rock, with this being their third time. From a slot on the Red Marquee in 2010 to finally earning a place on the Green Stage, their journey at the festival has matched their development as artists. The gathered crowd is huge with the followers they have developed over the course of 8 years here and they roar as the three members come onto stage in darkness.
The band starts with their earlier material such as “Crystalised” and “Islands”. The minimalist melancholy pop washes over the audience, the instruments melding together beautfiully. Romy and Oliver’s voices murmur through this, their sultry call and response matching and yet somehow despondently separate. “I Dare You” gets the crowd bopping along to the chorus and rhythm, mirrored on stage by Sam’s suave slinking around the stage.
It’s with the next song, “Performance”, that the set starts to lift. Delivered by Romy solo, she’s exposed and alone on the staged with only ringing reverb and her fragile voice. It’s clear it takes a toll on her, as Sam immediately rushes over to hug her as it finishes and the lights dim. The shared melancholy between the two is the foundation of the band, reflected in their movements on stage, how they duet together and how their instruments interact. Jamie does an admirable job of setting the scene with electronic percussion and not imposing himself on the delicate balance between the two.
The set follows a roughly chronological order, with newer material appearing more heavily towards the end. This really allows listeners to see the evolution of the band. Initial songs follow a fairly similar formula but later songs ditch this. Examples of this are removing the bass guitar lines entirely, having songs with solo singing from each person and Jamie using more diverse percussion and electronica. This extends to even using Jamie’s solo song “Loud Places” in their set, proving a powerful addition to their repertoire.
The band finishes with “Angels”, its dreamy start cast aside by wailing guitar and building drums before the song fragments into shattered choruses and echoes. All too soon its over, and the band waves a truly fond goodbye. The minimalist, rhythm-heavy pop band from London had once again captivated Naeba and managed it on its biggest stage. If the pattern continues, we will be welcoming them back as headliners in three years time and I look forward to that day wholeheartedly.
