Jamie xx Scored Doug Aitken’s ‘Lightscape’ at The Shed

Jamie xx’s set at The Shed on Thursday 17 September was not part of the ‘In Waves’ tour cycle. Instead, the producer performed a live score for Doug Aitken’s ‘Lightscape’, a 65-minute, seven-screen film installation that had closed its run in the Darla Moore Gallery earlier that week. It was a one-off appearance at the venue’s invitation-only annual gala.

The work follows figures moving through American deserts, mountains, factories, and highways, with Natasha Lyonne, Beck, and members of the Los Angeles Dance Project among its participants. Aitken has framed it as a reflection on isolation and disconnection. Jamie xx worked from a console behind the audience, letting guests watch the sound being assembled in real time. His accompaniment leaned atmospheric rather than song-led, though the set closed with Freur’s 1983 track ‘Doot Doot’.

The performance lands within a broader series of improvised scores for Aitken’s presentation; earlier this year, the installation featured the Los Angeles Master Chorale, William Basinski, Suzanne Ciani, and the Sun Ra Arkestra. Jamie xx told Variety the music he prepared has been recorded, but there is no confirmation of a release. For now, ‘Lightscape’ stays a live context, not a standalone project, and his contribution remains distinct from ‘In Waves’ and its offshoots.