Darkside combines jazz, industrial and electronic muisc to construct a fluctuating mood that attracts the listener throughout Psychic.
Nicolas Jaar has always been a name to watch in the indie sphere. His LP Space Is Only Noise surprised critics with its unique combination of vocals, synthesizers and classical instruments — one listener even called it the best album of its kind since Burial’s Untrue.
Now, Jaar has teamed up with instrumentalist Dave Harrington to form Darkside. The band released an acclaimed EP in 2011 and then remixed the entirety of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories earlier this year. Though this style of music is not for everybody, Darkside created plenty of buzz from the band’s target fan group. Its first LP, Psychic, released Tuesday, was one of the most anticipated of the year — and it did not disappoint.
A dark, minimalistic and unexpectedly groovy beast of an album, Psychic one-ups everything either component of Darkside has done previously. This album dabbles in everything from jazz to industrial to new and uncharted territories. The common thread is haunting minimalism as Jaar and Harrington strip down the elements of each genre they tackle to form something original.
Jaar’s vocals take on many different forms throughout the album, from the dark, soulful wallow in “Paper Trails” to the high-pitched crooning in “The Only Shrine I’ve Seen.” Harrington’s guitar also continually morphs as the album progresses, starting with his brooding, muted groove in “Golden Arrow” and evolving into his bluesy guitar licks in “Paper Trails.”
The album’s songs run into one another, creating more of an experience than simply a collection of songs. “Metatron,” the best song on the album, features a groovy baseline that immediately gives the song momentum and energy. The song diverges into celestial tangents with ethereal vocals and flittering guitar work, slowly building up before synthesizing a chorus of synths and distorted guitar along with Jaar’s powerful vocals. It’s the avant-garde equivalent of dropping the bass.
“Freak, Go Home,” another highlight of the album, starts with filtered drums and unusual vocal samples before centering on a distorted synth riff. That riff acts as a backbone that keeps the song moving as otherworldly sounds fade in and out behind it. It sends chills down the spine. Like the album as a whole, the music is constantly changing, but there’s always something distorted and sinister that pervades the entire experience and sticks with the listener long afterward.
Jaar and Harrington craft a dark and constantly changing atmosphere that draws the listener in and doesn’t let go. Psychic’s 45 minutes fly by before you realize.
