Darkside – ‘Nothing’ album review: Cosmic soundscapes and a lack of cohesion
THE SKINNY: Electronic music has come a long way from its early origins in the 1950s. Over the years, the landscape of electronic music has been used in countless new and increasingly experimental ways, allowing artists to convert their wildest ideas into otherworldly sounds. Darkside, the duo formed by Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington, has been flying the flag of unnerving experimental electronica since their formation back in 2011. Having now relocated to New York City and recruited a third member, Tlacael Esparza, the band has finally returned with a third album, Nothing.
It has been four years since the band’s previous effort, Spiral, and the intervening time has clearly been very busy for the band members. As a result, Nothing is packed with a huge range of ideas and influences. While this is certainly not a bad thing, and Darkside’s appeal has always been in the expansive nature of its sound, there are multiple moments on this album that feel sonically confused or where certain ideas are not given the time or space needed to fully develop them. There is often a sense that the record lacks cohesion, with each track occupying an entirely different atmosphere, sound, and tempo from the previous.
There is an argument that this lack of cohesion forms the appeal of Darkside, their unpredictability and expansive nature creating a wealth of organic and improvisational moments. While there is likely some truth in that argument, it does also mean that the listening experience of Nothing suffers. It is certainly not an album you can put on in the background, but it is also difficult to envision a listener sitting down to intently study the album, either. Moments on the song ‘Heavy Is Good For This’, in particular, seem to deliberately disrupt the listening experience by replicating vinyl skips and broken grooves.
Even the more enjoyable moments of the record, such as the samba-influenced dance beat of ‘Graucha Max’ or the captivating jazz sounds of ‘Hell Suite’ parts one and two, feel as though they are taken from entirely different records. ‘Hell Suite’ particularly feels as though it should have been a standalone release. Either way, the musical quality and innovative ideas at the heart of these works are undeniable, and Darkside have clearly poured a lot of inspiration into the album. Ultimately, though, its lack of cohesion makes for a sluggish listening experience.
For fans of: Going to a nightclub just to complain to the DJ that the music isn’t ‘original’ enough.
A concluding comment from an ageing New York resident: Great, another group of arthouse musicians creating discordant soundscapes move into the neighbourhood. That’ll be my rent going up by another third.
Nothing track by track:
Release date: February 28th | Producer: Nicolás Jaar | Label: Matador Records
‘Slau’: Expectedly, Darkside launch right into the album with an expansive five-minute soundscape that exists somewhere between underwater and outer space. While perhaps not their most engaging effort to date, it provides a good set-up for the rest of the tracklisting. [3/5]
‘S.N.C’: Luring listeners in with a funk-ridden bassline and seemingly accessible hook, this song goes through multiple vastly different phases, with the bassline being perhaps the only constant. While this does exemplify the trio’s sonic diversity, it is perhaps at risk of attempting to do too many things at once. [3/5]
‘Are You Tired? (Keep on Singing)’: Although the title of this track implies an upbeat ode to perseverance and joy in the face of adversity, the nearly seven-minute-long track is most often downbeat. Genuinely enjoyable moments come and go but tend to be strung together by random moments of sound that forgo any prevailing sense of narrative. [2.5/5]
‘Graucha Max’: Incorporating elements of samba and bossa nova-esque percussion, this is among the most engaging tracks on the album thus far. Its consistent groove commands the listener with ease, and the elements of electronic experimentalism add a flavour of abrasion and originality to proceedings. [4/5]
‘American References’: This intimate offering, which places focus almost entirely on vocals during the beginning, does eventually continue the cosmic groove of the previous track. The six-minute runtime flies by, and Darkside’s more danceable offerings continue to form highlights on this album. [3.5/5]
‘Heavy Is Good For This’: This gentle jaunt, built around a vocal sample and downbeat drums is certainly not the most noteworthy effort on this album. What’s more, the various jumps and clicks in the recording are sure to drive any vinyl listener insane figuring out how their album became scratched. Perhaps that is the point of this song, which is otherwise somewhat forgettable. [2.5/5]
‘Hell Suite (Part I)’: Evocative of the rest of the album in general, there are many different ideas contained within ‘Hell Suite’, but few of them seem fully realised or developed. By the standards of Darkside, this is a fairly conventional jazz-inspired offering, but it marks a stark departure from the rest of the tracklisting and culminates in an overall lack of cohesion. [3/5]
‘Hell Suite (Part II)’: Again, ‘Hell Suite’ proves to be an enjoyable exploration of the band’s jazz influences, but it seems to separate from the rest of the album that the two-part suite might have worked better as its own entity outside of Nothing. [3/5]
‘Sin El Sol Noy Hay Nada’: Rounding off the album, Darkside come full circle with an initially calm, unnoteworthy soundscape that eventually descends into an abrasive cacophony of sound. In truth, it is among the more enjoyable moments of the album, but it seems strange to bury it at the bottom of the tracklisting. [3.5/5]
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