XIXI – Boog (2022)
XIXI is taking listeners on an instrumental journey through his debut EP Boog. The instrumental concept EP tells the story of an up-and-coming artist who is living the fast life and pays a price for this. Blending diverse musical influences, XIXI brings rap movements to smooth RnB, only to shimmer into classical sounds with an underlying trap beat. Relaxing and slightly nostalgic, the tones of each track draw you into the story with no words.
While this is his debut EP, XIXI started his musical career at age 8, playing the drum with the go-go band, The Yunga Bucks. His musical work has been featured in the SHOWTIME sports documentary ‘Basketball County: In the Water’ and short film ‘Pizza People’. To further mark the release of the EP, there is an exclusive NFT drop on OpenSea.io for each of the tracks and a limited-edition cassette signed by the artist himself.
The EP starts with ‘Drive’ and the vocal sample that fills the opening. The vocal samples lead you perfectly to the instrumental tones of the song that chatter and plunge into the depths of the soundscape. There is an interesting mixture of electronic tones that layer and lead you out into the ether. At times, the deep beats disappear, leaving only the higher tones that before this swings into the opposite, and only the deep vibrations are left. This melodic arrangement is unbelievably engaging and keeps you hooked to the music. You never quite know what is going to happen, as later in the track staccato chatters rapidly tap into the back of your brain.
‘222’ brings a lighter feeling and features Elyscia whose humming vocal line rises into the high levels of the track. Her voice is met by rich keys in the lower layers of the melody. These keys have a really gentle vibe to them that is a great contrast to the drums that seem to come at you from all directions. The movement of Elyscia’s vocals are like an organic instrument that works with the rich mixture of tones that comprise the melody. This is a very intriguing track that has an almost orchestral vibe at times, while toeing the line of RnB. This moves into a light dusting of hip-hop and soul while bringing the best elements of each genre to life.
The opening of ‘8409 Hamlin St.’ grabs your attention with the stop-start movement. The track features DJ Alizay bringing a heavier hip-hop vibe to the track. The rebounding feeling to the tones is like elastic as it reaches out into the depths of the soundscape, only to vibrate back into your chest. The beats are all trip-hop that pause, only to start moving again. It is a fresh melody that fills you with a sense of tentatively moving forward but being nervous about what you might find. The vocal sample adds to this while adding a touch of texture to the music. This is potentially the most intriguing track on the EP, purely due to its unique arrangement.
‘HrtBrkR’ has a touch of heat to the warbling and slightly off-kilter electronic tones. There is a vintage vibe to some of the notes as they draw you into a decadent setting that could turn to heartbreak at any moment. There is a building feeling of affection woven into the music, while the pulsing of the middle layers carries a warning. The vocal samples bring a touch of neo-soul to the track, adding to the overall groove of the track. There are a lot of melodic elements meandering their way down the soundscape, adding to the rich setting while telling their own story. Through all of this, you do feel like you are waiting for the other shoe to drop in an affectionate situation.
The EP comes to a close with ‘PG County’ which draws you in with a wonderful contrast of electronic and organic tones. The piano line brings the richness of organic instrumentation to the electronic-tinged vocal sample that echoes with autotune. The beats get you bopping to them as they bring a hip-hop touch to the classical movement of the piano. There is a fresh blending of genres and styles in this track that perfectly encapsulates everything XIXI has been doing throughout the entire EP. As the track progresses, there are sweeping flows of orchestral tones that shimmer and rise with an almost cinematic flair. The hip-hop tones do take over later in the track with a stadium feeling to the vocal sample, before everything slows down, leading you to a pause. The cinematic tones rise after the pause and meet groovy beats that work so well with them.
XIXI uses a blend of electronic and organic instrumentation, sprinkled with vocal samples, to draw you into the concept EP Boog. Each track has a completely unique movement that highlights the diversity and versatility of electronic tones and organic instrumentation. Through the movement of the music, you are pulled into the story and emotions of the EP.
