The xx
ListenCrystalised · 2009
The xx — “Crystalised,” official video.
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2009 · Young Turks
Crystalised / Hot Like Fire
“Crystalised” began with Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim playing acoustic guitars into a laptop’s camera. Its finished sound grew from that intimate beginning and from Jamie Smith’s experiments with a sampler. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0057 |
|---|---|
| Artist | The xx |
| Release | 2009 · United Kingdom |
| Label | Young Turks · YT023 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | Limited UK issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | NM |
Release history and significance
The lyrics developed through an exchange of separately written lines. Sim remembered a newspaper story his mother had shown him about turning human ashes into diamonds; Madley Croft responded to the images and patterns in his words. What can sound like a conversation between lovers was also a conversation between young songwriters finding a shared language. [1]
Smith transformed a sustained vocal sound from Sim into the pitched figure at the opening. The experiment survived into the finished recording. The band wanted the space and character of their demos preserved, and worked with engineer Rodaidh McDonald rather than building a more crowded arrangement. [1]
Young Turks released the single on 27 April 2009. “Hot Like Fire,” written by Missy Elliott and Timothy Mosley, appears on the reverse in the band’s arrangement. Discogs records the seven-inch edition as limited to 500 copies. [2]
Market context
Discogs reports sales for YT023 from US$2.70 to US$38.00, with a median of US$20.00, as recorded on 14 September 2026. [2]
Physical Description
Black-vinyl seven-inch with printed sleeve. “Crystalised” occupies side A; the reverse contains “Hot Like Fire.” The release credits the xx as producers, McDonald as engineer, and Jamie Smith and McDonald for mixing. [2]
Condition
The disc and sleeve were graded Near Mint at acquisition.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller blakey. on 26 November 2025.
Sources
- Song Exploder, The xx — Crystalised. May 2026. The musicians explain the demo, lyrics and production. Transcript available with the episode.
- Discogs, The xx — Crystalised, release 1750238. Release reference and sales statistics consulted 14 September 2026.
Catalogue text reviewed 14 September 2026.