XOA (GB)

Sizzling with analogue synths, slicing guitars, warm bass lines and crisp drums, XOA’s compositions take influence from the sounds of London’s fervent electronic music scene, fusing Broken-beat and House music foundations with golden era 70s Afrobeat, Funk and Jazz. XOA is the solo / collaborative project from multi-instrumentalist Nick Tyson. Hailing from London, Tyson has immersed himself in the richness of the city’s music scene from a young age, experiencing and absorbing everything from classical orchestras to the underground clubs, alongside a relentless touring career with numerous bands. XOA’s debut Aiye Le was released on Dan Shake’s imprint in 2016 and featured vocals from Fela Kuti’s musical director Dele Sosimi. The record was premiered by Gilles Peterson, Boiler Room and received radio play around the globe. The follow up ONE_001 EP, demonstrated the breath of the project across 6 tracks with contributions from Anthony Joseph, Lea Lea and remixes from Orchards and rising house producer Byron The Aquarius. XOA’s upcoming releases on Soundway records demonstrate a growing maturity to Tyson’s productions, embracing more sophistication within both the compositional structures and textures. Collaboration has always been at the heart of the project, with an emphasis on live instrumentation and performance crucial to transmitting a live energy on the tracks. Some of London’s finest musicians are involved, in particular drummer Marijus Aleksa and saxophonist Josh Arcoleo. Eva Lazarus’ vocals are treated with care, at times lyrical and melodic, at times resampled and used as underlying textures. The remixes for the upcoming originals are handled expertly by Glenn Astro (Ninja Tune), Ben Hauke (Church), Laolu (Innervisions) and k2k (four heads) Offering up broken-beat goodness, lo-fi warmth, anthemic deep house and intricate electronica. Alongside a growing reputation as a DJ, XOA has developed a scintillating full live show incorporating both electronics and live instrumentation, recently performing at Brixton Electric, The Forum and a sold out headline show at the Jazz Café.