- Nicolas Jaar is a man whose work divides opinion quite dramatically. Some herald him as a truly forward-thinking artist, others see him as a product of the "hype machine." For the sold-out Berlin debut of Darkside, his new side project with guitarist Dave Harrington, Jaar and his partner seemed to be demonstrating the art of the build, taking the stage late and then drawing out their introduction of quiet tones before finally releasing a kick drum several minutes in. They managed to stir the crowd with relatively downtempo material, all of which was stretched and released at such a slow pace that it always got a huge crowd reaction once it finally arrived. Considering most of the performance was made up of simple guitar riffs and textured vocals, it's little wonder Jaar's trademark drops made such an impact whenever they appeared, as they did sparingly throughout the night.
I found myself unable to be fully won over by the show. For me, Jaar works better live when he's playing material he created alone, even if it isn't performed solo. There were moments Darkside showed potential, but overall it felt like the collaboration has been pulled in slightly different directions by each party, resulting in something that sounds like a solid jam session instead of a fully formed piece of work. Perhaps I'm missing something, but it feels like these are some middle-of-the-road psychedelic sounds, which are hailed as much more simply because of Jaar's status. "Darkside's new clothes," joked someone standing nearby. That said, I was clearly in the minority, as almost every other person in attendance contorted and swayed to most of the show with closed eyes and delighted smiles as the warped falsetto tones rang out.