Producer Rodaidh McDonald discusses follow up to 'Coexist' while also offering Jai Paul update
The xx are working on their third album between Texas and Iceland with the release said to have a "completely different concept" to the band's first two records.
Producer Rodaidh McDonald, who has worked with the band before as well as with Bobby Womack, Adele, King Krule, Sampha and Vampire Weekend as manager of XL Records in-house studio, spoke to Dazed about his recent time spent with the band as they work on a follow up to 2012 album 'Coexist.'
"It's a completely different concept, says McDonald. "just trying everything, trying to find new ways of working, new sounds."
He continues: "We're doing it in Texas and Iceland, and maybe France. So that's kind of starting in the middle of July, I’ve already spent a bit of time with them in Texas. There are songs which have come out of our experiences in New York and Texas that would never have come out in London; the colours and the ideas and the moods on some of these songs are just not things you would write in London. It's about opening things up a bit more. They are a London band, but they're also a band that’s spent a lot of time in different countries. So we’re trying to push that further with the Iceland trip, which is happening in July."
McDonald also touches briefly on the enigmatic artist Jai Paul, with whom he has recently worked. Confirming that Paul is still working on his debut album, the producer says: "I did something with him last week, some vocal production on a new song. We finished it, whether he wants to put it out or not I don’t know. It’s just a very long process for him I guess, he’s been working on (his album) for years. One of the things that I sort of identified was that he might benefit from some help using vocals. But his music sounds so good, he doesn’t need any help, I think he’s perfect."
Jamie xx previously spoke about recording a new album in Texas. During the musician and producer's BBC 6 Music 6 Mix residency on May 2, he played a song by Texan country musician Mickey Newbury and explained to listeners that his band were recently in the singer's home state, working on new music.
More information about the third album from The xx can be found on the Instagram page of the band's record label Young Turks, who last month posted pictures from Marfa, Texas, with the caption "LP3 Recording" as well footage of Oliver Sim of the band recording handclaps for the record. On Facebook the band said they were working at the Marfa Recording Company studio.
Writing on her Facebook page about her inclusion on the record, Bjork has said she is "thrilled" to be the band's "found object". She wrote: "i am proud to announce my vocals landed on the new death grips album ! i adore death grips and i am thrilled to be their "found object" ! i have been lucky enough to hang and exchange music loves w/ them and witness them grow !! epic : onwards !!".
Set for release on September 22 via the Infectious label, the album follows their Mercury Prize-winning 2012 debut 'An Awesome Wave'. Scroll down for a full tracklisting. The album artwork is pictured. 
In addition the band have recruited artists including MGMT and Tame Impala for the project, and Cyrus also features on 'A Day In The Life'. Steven Drozd of The Flaming Lips previously hinted that frontman Wayne Coyne is contacting Phantogram and Foxygen to contribute to the album.
Speaking about the album to NME, he commented: "The album is sounding incredible. The whole album is a standout. I don't care about individual songs, I'm trying to make a complete, classic project. I just do my music uninfluenced by anybody else, or current trends, and it comes together at the end. Nothing needs to have a fucking theme all the time. This is just rap. I'm not trying to make people think I'm some sort of scientific wizard or inspirational poet. Fuck that! It's just happy, funny, rugged, rough rap."
Close behind, The Black Keys have had their highest ever charting UK album with 'Turn Blue' in at Number Two. Other new entries in the Top 40 include Foxes' debut album 'Glorious', which is in at Number Five and Blondie's 'Blondie 4(0)-Ever' collection - which is a greatest hits and their new album 'Ghosts Of Download' combined - at Number 16. Swans have had their highest charting UK album with 'To Be Kind' at Number 38.
He made the comments whilst co-hosting XFM's Communion show, which will be broadcast this Sunday (March 2) at 10pm. 
The rapper, who earlier this year released the Kanye West produced 'My Name Is My Name', will reunite with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo in 2014, a duo he worked with extensively while a member of rap duo Clipse alongside his brother, Malice. 
In a recent NME interview, MIA said she had been determined that the album wouldn't jump on the dubstep bandwagon. "In the last two years it's been cool to do dark shit," she said. "Everyone's been slowing your shit down and making you slur. That's not 'Matangi'."
