The XX

Sexy time music, baby making music... everyone has their name for it, but what is it about this type of music that makes us associate it with the act of sex? Why is it that when we hear it we immediately imagine it as background to our bedroom escapades?

I didn't wonder about this until I happened to read Sound and Thought the same week I was introduced to The XX. One of the most notable things about this band is that the vocals take precedence over the instruments. Yet, the vocals are soft, often fading in an out unexpectedly.

This reminded me of a quote from Sound and Thought when Barenboim said, "Sound is a physical reality. Sound does not remain in this world; it evaporates into silence." Barenboim used this idea to support why we strove to create sound by saying it was a kind of defiance. However, in the case of sensual music, I propose that unexpected fading that The XX has mastered could also be interpreted as reassurance.

For the purposes of clarity I wouldn't necessarily relate this type of music to the sole physical act of sex, but rather I would associate it with steady sex or sex in a relationship. My reason for this is because the music is emotional in that there is an aspect of closeness established by the vocals. There is a sense of trust that is built into the overall sound of the song just like the act of sex. It is sensitive to the slightest disruption, but those disruptions are also exhilarating at the same time because you know you will be brought back to safety and comfort.