The xx's Jamie Smith has announced the release date of his Gil Scott-Heron remix album. First reported in March, the xx beatmaker has now confirmed the February release of We're New Here, which revisits Scott-Heron's 2010 comeback LP, I'm New Here.
The remix album will be Smith's first full-length effort since his crisp, bassy beats helped the xx win the Mercury prize earlier this year. On NY Is Killing Me (see video above), Ghostly samples rise around Scott-Heron's vocals, combining the poet's inner-city canvas with Smith's dubstep roots. It's as good as anything the DJ has produced, including his celebrated remix of Florence and the Machine.
Describing the collaboration this spring, Smith claimed Scott-Heron's label, XL Recordings, had let him "do whatever I want". "I'm am only using [Gil's] vocals ... [not] the original music from it, which is very freeing," he said. For We're New Here, Smith has remixed 13 of the 15 tracks from the original I'm New Here sessions, including four "interlude" cuts. Many were created on his laptop, while on tour with the xx.
Although Smith's bandmates, Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, have apparently taken a well-earned rest, the DJ has kept busy, playing club dates across the UK and Europe. It's not yet clear whether Smith and Scott-Heron will tour together.
We're New Here will be released on 21 February through XL Recordings.
