xOxford

Colorado’s xOxford release the perfect ‘booty call’ track in ‘Mezcal’.

xOxford is the collaboration of RHIMMS and Eric Lake. With their second single release ‘Mezcal’, they have blurred the lines between dreary indie dream pop and indie guitar pop. There is simply a bit more to it than meets the ears. It opens with an electronic beat with an accompanying whale-song style guitar line that is reminiscent of Manic Street Preachers’ softer and slower tracks (somewhere between ‘If This Is My Truth’ and ‘Lifeblood’). xOxford are experts at layering and creating moods and dynamics. The verse is stripped back to vocals and an electronic beat, but builds to fuzzy guitars in the chorus. The tempo doesn’t lift, but if you need something dreamlike with a bit more grit then ‘Mezcal’ is perfect for that mood.

There’s nothing new in writing a ‘booty call’ track, lyrically anyway. However, what xOxford have done hear is turn the subject on its head. Musically, the slow tempo and smooth guitar lead melody add a little bit of sexy to it (think AM). It’s almost as if you can find some solace and ecstasy despite the song subject.

xOxford are in the process of recording and releasing a stream of singles and an EP, so if this is right up your alley, make sure you become a fan of this band. They have a lot to offer. - When the Horn Blows

Kind of atmospheric and great guitar tones and panning. It reminds me a bit of Massive Attacks style with how atmospheric “Mezcal” is. Do I see a partnership coming up? Maybe not with a tequila company but perhaps with something that speaks to drunk dialing your ex at 3am before all the bars close in NYC. The layering in the production really allows the listener to be submerged fully in the song and while it works both ways as a focal point and as a background tune I think you’ll be hitting repeat to hear the choruses hook over and over again.

Written by xOxford
Lyrics by Rhema Srihartiti
Produced by xOxford & Tyler Imbrogno
Mixed and Mastered by Tyler Imbrogno at Daymoon Studio
Art by @HoratioFresh
xOxford is Rhema Srihartiti & Eric Lake

This is a tequila night in Hollywood being dumb with your friends but also blacking out and making a mistake. The half time beat reminds me of that key moment when you’re so fucked up things are going in slow motion and your emotions start to run high because you’re crazy tired and it’s like 1 in the morning and oh my god you just miss them so bad. Of course you’ll regret calling the next day. This song would be a good fit on an alternative rock playlist or indie playlist. I love the way the guitarist uses his pick as a percussive element scratching on the strings.

LOL PRESS NOTES:

A laid back booty call track about who we reach out to when we’ve had one too many. - Hot Lunch Music

Dreamy synth-pop band xOxford is based out of Englewood, Colorado. And the duo makes it their mission to keep love at the forefront with ‘Be Yours’. Everyday can be Valentines day in memory. And when two lovers match in that same sentiment, the heavens are the limit. Every color of things around you change with the shimmer of a long lost movie with melancholic vibes and exquisite love scenes. Will you be her’s? Will you be his? Only your mind, body, and soul can tell the other. So, let’s get the communication right up front and center. It’s the perfect solution to a question that will ever linger in the ether. Fab pop bop from xOxford for the lover in you. No matter where you may be. - comeherefloyd

The dazzling, infectious “Be Yours” is the striking debut of synth-pop duo xOxford, based in Englewood, Colorado. Suave verses featuring melodic vocals and a bass-driven swell are gradually accompanied by effervescent synths, leading into a contagious chorus, where the vocals admit “I just wanna be yours,” over a starry-eyed synth-led soundscape. With sharp production and an obvious ear for melodic hooks, xOxford are an immensely promising duo that hopefully continues churning out infectious synth-pop gems like “Be Yours.”

“”Be Yours” is a fun & playful synth pop anthem about the insecurity & excitement in the moments that pass while you navigate whether a relationship is just a fling or something more serious,” member Eric Lake says. “This felt like the perfect debut single because we’re feeling the same mix insecurity & excitement as we share our project with the world.” - Obscure Sound