Artist Profile: Nicolas Jaar

in Music News by

In a world of infinite variety, Nicolas Jaar’s music has a distinct style of its own. Combining astonishing musical inventiveness with a magpie’s eye for new musical phrases and ideas, Jaar is one of those acts who make you feel how wide the horizons of music are.

The Chilean-American artist has, over the course of his career, worn many hats – singer, songwriter, composer, and recording expert – and he has excelled remarkably in each role. Known widely for his experimental style and his exploratory techniques, Jaar’s foray into his current niche – dance music – happened a decade ago, in 2007. He’s since made it his own.

Back in 2007, the seventeen-year-old Jaar sent one of his pieces of electronic music to Wolf + Lamb, a record label in Brooklyn. Gadi Mizrahi (who was associated with the label and was at the core of the popular Marcy Hotel parties) heard Jaar’s work, and offered him a tip that changed the course of his music – he suggested that Jaar should use a 4/4 kick drum to give some body to his compositions. This simple advice gave Jaar the foundation he needed to build his characteristic combination of surprising sounds. He performed his first EP at the Marcy Hotel in Williamsburg, and interestingly, his music was set to a speed that was nearly half of what the other DJs were using then. This, interspersed with unforgettable strains of the piano, turned many heads that night.

Wolf + Lamb released many of his compositions, and yet, Jaar kept making more music than they could release. So, at nineteen, he released his debut album Space Is Only Noise under the label Circus Company. This critically acclaimed album won accolades like the Best New Music title from Pitchfork, achieved a score of 8.4, and won four stars from The Guardian.

Along the way, Jaar and his guitarist Dave Harrington took to recording several open-ended sessions after their shows. And later, after hours of jamming together, chopping, tweaking, and distorting the music, Jaar would take a single guitar phrase to create a new song altogether. This creative partnership was what gave birth to their band Darkside – the band’s debut album Psychic was also critically acclaimed, and scored a 9.0 on Pitchfork.

Aside from his many releases, Jaar has also been a regular stage performer; his record includes numerous acts before a live audience at techno clubs, amphitheaters, museums, and music festivals spanning across Europe and the US. Part of what draws Jaar’s audience is his ability to always keep things fresh and intriguing; he rarely plays the same set twice. And that’s a commendable achievement for someone who frequently tours around the country and performs as many shows as Jaar does.

Nicolas Jaar is playing The Warfield this week – whether you’ve already heard (and fallen in love with) his music, or this is the first time you’ve heard of him, then it’s time to get involved. The show is at 9.30 PM on Wednesday, the 19th of July.

Having released albums under Digital Nations, a label founded by Steve Vai, music critic Louis Raphael has remained deeply connected to the pulse of the San Francisco music scene. Following his tenure as the San Francisco Music Examiner for Examiner.com and AXS.com, he embarked on creating Music in SF® to authentically highlight the vibrant offerings of the city's music scene.

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