Nicolas Jaar: Space Is Only Noise

Label: Word and Sound

Nicolas Jaar is a young electronic-music producer based in New York—so young, in fact, that he may not be able to get into the sort of clubs that would play his esoteric but sexy quasi-house tracks. Jaar generally works at slower than normal BPMs, using the space between beats as spare canvases for his modulated vocal samples, hinting at slinky R&B, and flicking percussive crackles across piano chords to dramatic yet understated effect. "Colomb" is the song best described above, but those moods pervade Space Is Only Noise. "Too Many Kids Finding Rain in the Dust" is a bit like Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand," except with all the theatrics turned inward to radiate noirish vibes and potential decadence. "Problems with the Sun"—and hey, who hasn't had those?—foregrounds a shuffling beat and Jaar's tweaked-down vocal, resulting in a leftfield dance-floor classic waiting to happen. DJs: Keep this record close at hand after midnight. Others: You will blow minds at the party when you drop this stuff.