The Magic of Heartbeat in The xx

If beat is inclined to subject to the musical structure or form, it may fall into the additional allocation in the sense of composing music. Contrary to the beat, heartbeat marks the sense of uncertainty in musical allocation since it breaks the rule of the musical song in general. For me, Heartbeat is more like a force in movement aiming to create a possible space, and it also unearths a space under water as listening to it developing itself with sudden appearance and disappearance.

There are two parts attracting me in The xx's Coexist Brazil Live performance. Firstly, the procession of heartbeat from "Reunion" to "Sunset," which is supposed to be the linking in between, unfolds a sense of space in the live tour in Brazil. In Live, the heartbeat is beating from the middle to the end of "Reunion." This time it does not link the "Sunset" but "Far Nearer." The heartbeat is subtly increasing its intensity and ferocity step by step so as to spare "Far Nearer" instead while cutting the "Sunset" in the original version in the album. Here the crucial part lies in the sense of creation in terms of heartbeat since there are great intensity and ferocity pouring into heartbeat, making it beat violently by our listening. "Far Nearer" seems to be merged with "Reunion" because of their similar sound of steel drum. Meanwhile, the heartbeat literally plays a vital role for creating a space for "Far Nearer." As we can see Romy and Oliver dancing in this part, such space brooding "Far Nearer" also gives rise to the space of dancing ball. The second part is as well fascinating to me. It is at the part of The xx performing "Swept Away" intertwined with "Shelter." Here we can hear how the sense under the water ground emerges while we listen to Romy extends her voice in a great effort. The sound of heartbeat remains silent as if it has disappear without a trace. Nonetheless, the sound of heartbeat does not go away in my opinion. The heartbeat just hides itself in the sense of being in the water. For this reason, the beating of heartbeat literally will go slow and beat in a feeble movement. It is as if we can barely hear the sound of heartbeat is beating but it is still vibrating with such weak intensity. Romy sings slowly here with her great effort as if she is under the water ground by revealing the listening image of heartbeat at present. It is thus the space of underground of water is unveiled by listening the sound of Romy connecting to the current condition of the sound of heartbeat.