Fresh off the release of her critically acclaimed debut album, “Mid Air,”(Young) which saw the artist revisiting her nightlife experiences in the queer clubs of London, The XX’s Romy has collaborated with Montreal-based trance and rave producer Geneviève Ryan-Martel, professionally known as TDJ. Geneviève last released her “BACK TO 123” (Collection Disques Durs) EP in March, featuring a diverse range of tracks spanning house, trance, and even punk elements. Together, they have crafted an electrifying remix of the final single from “Mid Air,” titled “The Sea.”
Produced alongside the house music wonder boy at the moment, Fred Again, the original album version is a slow-tempo dance-pop ballad with Romy singing wistfully about a lost love she encountered “by the sea.” Despite its mellow and straightforward nature, it retains a danceable quality. However, what TDJ has accomplished is increasing the speed at which the people will dance, though manipulating the vocals, gently echoing them into the background, and infusing the beat with elements of bassline, trance, house, and ambient sounds. This transformation is sure to evoke nostalgia among clubgoers, both from the past and present, harkening back to the early days of 90s rave culture.
This song checks all the boxes for what makes a great club tune. It features cleanly chopped-up vocals that seamlessly integrate with the instrumental, lyrics that explore themes of love (whether it’s finding it or losing it, both perspectives work in dance music), and a relentless four-to-the-floor drum rhythm. The revival of bassline music in the UK has been dominating the charts lately, from the energetic tracks of Bad Boy Chiller Crew to the more understated and softer variations exemplified by Eliza Rose, whose “B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)” spent two consecutive weeks at the top of the UK singles charts. Although “The Sea” hasn’t achieved the same level of commercial success as “B.O.T.A.,” it doesn’t really matter. These songs are meant for the club scene, where lost souls seek companionship and connection. Tracks like “The Sea” thrive in the right environments, and with the current resurgence of dance music, it’s bound to find its audience.
Romy has also recently unveiled a series of tour dates in support of her debut album, spanning across Europe, the UK, and North America, aptly named “Club Mid Air.” The tour is set to kick off in Paris on November 9th and will culminate in New York on December 7th with her London date at Electric Brixton sitting at the end of the first leg on November 18th .