Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise (2011) (Electronic)

Space is only noise, but is noise only space? I would say yes, at least in this album. Through the manipulation of textures and soundscapes, Nicolas manages to play with this notion, conjuring vibrational, mysterious ambient and electronic passages, occasionally adding samples or his own voice to establish a firmer base while still remaining shrouded and distant. 


Best Tracks: Colomb, Sunflower, Too Many Kids Finding Rain In the Dust, Keep Me There*, Space Is Only Noise If You Can See*, Almost Fell, Balance Her In Between Your Eyes, Specters of the Future, Variations






Ambient Pop/ Downtempo/ Electronic

Nicolas Jaar: Cenizas (2020) (Ambient,Electronic)

Cenizas serves as detached spiritual odes. Never explicitly catchy or attention-grabbing, not immersing the listener but rather creating space to invite the listener to interpret this eerie, smoking work of art in their own introspective manner. Ambient yet the compositions are mostly jazz-inspired.



Best Tracks: Cenizas, Agosto, Mud, Hello, Chain *


B

Ambient/Avantgarde Jazz/Electronic

Against All Logic: 2017-2019 (2020) (Electronic, House)

Notably more meditative and deconstructed than his previous A.A.L project 2012-2017. Nicolas Jaar trades the warm summery house tunes for a more industrial approach. The textures are harsh and cold, sometimes a bit too high frequency for my liking (If You Can't Do It Good, Do It Hard) but his usage of samples and his broad selection of sounds still remains a highlight to his work. Most songs are not as safe for dancing as his last tape, save segments of the first song, Fantasy or the Tech House songs If You Can't Do It Good, Do It Hard and Deeeeeeefers, but the strength of this album comes in the subtle IDM songs If Loving You is Wrong and With an Addict. 

Best Tracks: Fantasy*, If Loving You Is Wrong*, With an Addict*, Alarm, Deeeeeeefers, Penny, You (forever) 

B+

Deconstructed House/IDM/Industrial House/Tech House