(Via The Fader)

London four piece The XX will release their debut album “XX” on August 17th (on Young Turks Records). The XX is definetely one of the bands to watch in 2009 with their tender and melancholic pop filled with soft sung boy/girl vocals.

This mix for Fact Magazine was mixed by Jamie Smith, who produces as well as plays in the band, and it features CocoRosie, Sticky and Ms Dynamite, Four Tet, Zomby, Burial + plenty of the band’s songs alongside exclusive edits and solo material.

Fact Mix 70: The XX (direct link)

BONUS: A remix that Jamie did of a track called “Space Bass” can be found at Mad Decent + the track “Basic Space” off the upcoming album over at The Fader.

Tracklist after the jump.

Ytinifni – Jamie xx
Hot Like Fire (Jamie xx edit) – The xx
Sub Island – Skream
Wolf Cub – Fourtet/Burial
Test Me For A Reason – Zomby
Booo! – Sticky feat. Ms Dynamite
Blood Red Moon (Jamie xx Bootleg) – The xx
Raphael – CocoRosie
Young Rabbits – The Crusaders
Stardance – John Forde
Blindfolded – Theophilus London
Skips A Beat – Mayana
Heart Skipped A Beat – The xx
Basic Space (Jamie xx Space Bass Mix) – The xx

XXXChange (noted for his work with Spank Rock et al) gives the Dance Area smash track “AA 24/7″ a breath of fresh air with his edit that beefs it up, slipping in a b-more like beat + adds some sweet synth action.

Dance Area – AA 24/7 (XXXChange edit) (YSI)

Dance Area – AA 24/7 (XXXChange edit) (Sharebee)

BONUS: A mix XXXchange did for Red Bull Academy, the set was recorded live at the Sónar Festival in Barcelona. Listen to it over at The Fader.

Here is the latest mix in the We Make It Good remix series:

“If you are a one legged zombie dragging yourself through the jungle with a boombox strapped to your back, trying to get to the next latin oldies party at the bottom of a waterfall, then this mix is for you. Paul has been a dear friend of WMIG for a long time and we have too many stories involving werewolf masks, rabbit tacos, Andy Milonakis, breaking into pools at 5am, and late checkouts to fit into this post, so we’ll let the zombie anthem speak for itself. Little bit of Salem, little bit of Kelis, little bit of Mad Decent faves, Major Lazer; it’s all here just in time to sweat it out for summer!”

We Make It Good Volume 9: Paul Devro (direct link)

Check out the tracklist + descriptons over at We Make It Good.

(Via The Fader)

(Via The Fader)

New kuduro straight out of Luanda, Angola (courtesy of The Fader via Akwaaba)

“As the rest of the world starts to pay attention to Luanda’s kuduro scene, there are still very limited outlets for kudurists in Angola. It’s changing fast though, just 3 years ago the national TV stations still wouldn’t play kuduro, and as a result kuduro videos were rare. As were places to buy CDs or even venues doing kuduro shows. Now, there are more shows, music videos play and as a result more and more kudurists are investing in making music videos. Singers usually pay 2 to $5,000 to make a video, which typically plays first on TV Marçal, Angola’s first and only community TV. It preceded all of Angola’s private channels, and to this day it is considered the voice of the ghetto: it is based in the Marçal barrio of Rangel, a working class musseque of Luanda, and it broadcasts to a most of this musseque’s homes. TV Marçal plays a LOT of kuduro, as well as other styles of music, and broadcast a number of more socially-driven programs.

Now Os Mais Potentes are from the Cassenda barrio of Luanda, another working class musseque near the airport. They spit a more conscious type of kuduro, not as aggressive as say Os Lambas, more ATCQ than Tupac… Vem Ca has been one of the most played songs in Luanda this year, and will be released very soon on Akwaaba.”

(Thank you The Fader)

Here is the latest mix in the We Make It Good remix series:

“In the spirit of our occasional “non-dj” twist on the WMIG mix series, our buddy John from Brooklyn’s FREE BLOOD was kind enough to make us this awesome mixtape of influences, inspirations, and springtime newyorkness. Eddie Kendricks, Kid Creole, Freddie Mas; this “tape” harkens back to the high school days of yore when our mixtapes were top to bottom all full of awesome! Embrace the roughly polished sheen of FREE BLOOD and get to listenin at the listenin place!”

We Make It Good Volume 8: Free Blood (direct link)

Check out the tracklist + descriptons over at We Make It Good.

Pretty awesome mix from Brooklyn dancepop duo Telepathe of some slow party tunes and also some sadder slow tunes. (Via The Fader)

Telepathe mixtape (Sendspace)

Tracklist after the jump.

Bone Thugs and Harmony – Thuggish Ruggish Bone
Oppenheimer Analysis – Cold War
Salem – Dirt
The Chills – Pink Frost
Juvenile – Ha
Lisa Lisa and The Cult Jam – I wonder if I take you home
Bloc Party(Burial Remix) – Where is Home
Warrior Queen – Things Change
GZA – Liquid Swords
J Dilla – Two Can Win