Quick Facts
Biography
Rodaidh McDonald is a Scottish music producer and record company executive. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His production and mixing credits include The xx, King Krule, How to Dress Well, Adele, Savages, Daughter, The Horrors, Bobby Womack, Vampire Weekend, Sampha, and Gil Scott-Heron.
Career
Since 2009, McDonald has worked for XL Recordings and runs XL Studios, the label's in-house recording studio. He has worked at XL Studios with a number of acts including The xx, Adele, The Horrors, Bobby Womack, Vampire Weekend, Gil Scott-Heron, and Giggs.
In 2009, McDonald recorded and mixed The xx's multi-platinum album xx which won the Mercury Music Prize in 2010.
In 2010, McDonald visited Ethiopia with Richard Russell and Nick Zinner. They subsequently released an EP together under the name Fresh Touch.
In 2011, McDonald participated as a producer in Damon Albarn DRC Music project. Collaborating with producers Dan the Automator, XL Recordings, Richard Russell, Jneiro Jarel, Actress, Marc Antoine, Alwest, Remi Kabaka Jr., Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Kwes, McDonald went to Kinshasa in DR Congo for one week to record an album called Kinshasa One Two. All proceeds will benefit Oxfam's work in the DRC. The album was released by Warp Records.
In 2012, McDonald continued his relationship with The xx, mixing the band's 2nd album Coexist with Jamie Smith. On 16 September 2012, Coexist entered the UK album chart at number one.
In 2013, McDonald contributed production to albums by Daughter, King Krule, Savages, and Willis Earl Beal amongst others. Savages album Silence Yourself was shortlisted for the 2013 Mercury Music Prize.
In an interview with Dazed and Confused in June 2014, McDonald confirmed he was working on a 3rd xx album in New York, Texas, and Iceland. He also confirmed he was working on the debut album for Sampha, as well as UK singer Denai Moore.
On January 20th 2017 I See You by The xx, which was co-produced by McDonald and Jamie Smith, entered the UK Official Charts at number one. I See You also entered at number one in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In the United States it gained the number 1 position in the sales chart and number 2 in the Billboard Top 200.
Discography
Production
- The xx - '’xx (2010, recorded by / mixed by)
- Adele - 'Hiding My Heart' and 'If It Hadn't Been For Love' (2010)
- King Krule - '’King Krule (2011, co-producer)
- DRC Music - '’Kinshasa One Two (2011)
- King Krule - King Krule EP (2011)
- The xx - '’Coexist (album) (2012, mixed by)
- How To Dress Well - '’Total Loss (2012)
- Savages - '’Silence Yourself (2013, co-producer)
- Daughter - '’If You Leave (2013, co-producer)
- King Krule - '’6 Feet Beneath The Moon (2013)
- Willis Earl Beal - '’Nobody Knows. (2013)
- How To Dress Well - '’What Is This Heart (2014)
- Denai Moore - ‘'Elsewhere (2015)
- Låpsley - ‘’Understudy EP (2015)
- Låpsley - 'Long Way Home' (2016)
- JONES - New Skin (2016)
- The xx - I See You (2017, co-producer)
- Sampha - "Process" (2017, co-producer)