Gil Scott-Heron Pairs Up With Jamie xx for Remix Album

At 61, Gil Scott-Heron continues his welcomed comeback to music by branching out with Jamie Smith of alt-electro act The xx. Smith, aka Jamie xx, has sonically revamped thirteen tracks from Scott-Heron's thirteenth studio album, 'I'm New Here.' The end result is the joint-collaboration, aptly-titled 'We're New Here,' which will drop on Feb. 21, 2011.

Scott-Heron released 'I'm New Here' on XL Recordings this past February, following a 16-year recording hiatus blamed loosely on drugs. The album was originally produced by XL owner Richard Russell, who explained via Twitter the new, yet unusual partnership between rap pioneer and emerging indie rocker. "We didn't want lots of remixes by different people," Russell wrote. "That can be confusing. Gil was open to Jamie re-interpreting the whole album."

The remix to 'New York Is Killing Me' is currently surfing the 'net and delves a little further into the electronic nuances that first appeared alongside Scott-Heron's soulful spoken word on 'I'm New Here.' A limited edition vinyl box set that includes both a standard and instrumental version of the album is available for pre-order here. Take a listen to the 'New York Is Killing Me' remix below.