Jamie xx’s Samples from ‘In Colour’ in One Technicolor Video

Jamie xx, the reigning king of samples, released his debut studio album In Colour in May 2015. Jamie xx, formerly of the brooding indie band The xx, can sniff a sample out from a mile away.

Now, the Brazilian Donutsample have collected all the samples used in In Colour for your listening pleasure.

Jamie xx’s unique mix of jazz, soul, r&b, and even documentary samples, fit flawlessly into his album. Jamie is a recycler of sound. Who would have known the tracks had been chopped, isolated, and repurposed!

So let’s break it down. Donutsample identified Jamie’s inspirations as coming from:

Lyn Collins‘ 1972 soul track “Think About It” (on “Gosh”)
Alicia Keys’ 2003 r&b track “Karma” (on “Sleep Sound)
Mary Buffet’s 1984 anthem “See Saw” (on “See Saw”)
Idris Muhammad’s 1977 funk/soul jam “Could Heaven Ever Be Like This” (on “Loud Places”)
The Persuasion’s 1972 acapella”Good Times” ( on “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” feat Young Thug and Popcaan)

…to name a few. “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” was the most popular, or radio-friendly, song from In Colour. Jamie xx, Popcaan, and Young Thug are the dream team — “Pop quiz, it’s a pop quiz.”

The relatively new phenomenon of the full electronic album is becoming wildly successful. For example, Kaytranada’s recent electronic album 99.9% that follows suite, with its unique Haitian-Canadian influences.

What can we learn from this breakdown? Each song appears to be made up of multiple samples, with layered elements from different tracks and eras. Somehow, magically, this created the sound of 2015 (to Jamie and his listeners, anyway).

Check the video out below to hear the songs’ development! All hail the power of the sample: