A small update for xx fans: the band’s much-discussed second album is in the final mixing stages.

Rodaidh McDonald, who produced the xx’s Mercury Prize winning debut album and manages XL Recordings’ in-house studio, is again behind the boards. the xx have gained a lot of plaudits in their time for the minimalist, spacious approach they have to their songs, and McDonald’s approach to production appears to be key. Talking to Sound on Sound last year, the London producer – who also has credits on recent records by Giggs, DRC Music and more – explained that “[the xx] had worked with about four other producers before [me] that had — and no discredit to them — I guess they’d seen a lot of space to add a kind of stamp on.”

“There was a lot of empty space in the xx’s music, even then, in the ‘Early Demos'”, McDonald continues. “But we just found that the best stuff was the most sparse. The intimacy of the early demos was the important thing.”

The xx recently played a run of three (relatively) small London gigs, debuting several new songs that may or may not feature on album number two. You can watch clips of those here.