Need a new soundtrack for your living room raves? Look no further; Jamie xx has just released his first single in over five years and it’s well worth the wait.
The British DJ (real name Jamie Smith) tested the waters last December by anonymously debuting the track during a live mix for NTS radio (below), and it has since seen heavy rotation in sets from Bicep, Four Tet, and Caribou. Only now has Smith taken credit for producing the song and revealed its title: “Idontknow“.
Despite a recent guest appearance on the Headie One and Fred again.. track “Smoke“, Smith hasn’t put out any new solo material since his 2015 debut In Colour. While “Idontknow” certainly puts a new spin on the producer’s signature sound, spend a few seconds in its stuttering breakbeats and you’ll feel his debut’s playful energy come flooding right back.
Alongside a short video posted on Instagram yesterday, Smith explained the song had come about by trying to “let go” from frustrations over his writing process. He followed up the statement with these words of encouragement: “Now, we can’t go out to dance and we need an outlet more than ever, I hope you dance to it at home and let go for a moment”.
Since the new song hasn’t been announced as a part of an album release, it might be a while longer before we see In Colour’s long-anticipated follow-up (though fans of his band The xx might not have to wait so long).
A 12-inch version of “Idontknow” will be released on 1st May via Young Turks. Stream the song’s official audio via YouTube below: