The contemporary electronic music scene may seem a little saturated at times, but when you seamlessly stir the pot with psychedelic rock, funk, a little Disco-Dead and mood-shifting soundscapes, your result is DARKSIDE. The combination duo of electronic producer Nicolas Jaar and guitarist Dave Harrington add a refreshing take on the somewhat blurry EDM scene in today’s age. DARKSIDE infuses smooth and psychedelic guitar rifts with contagiously funky baselines and a solid techno four by four drumbeat that makes it impossible for you to sit stand still while listening.
The stage was set with what looked like an extremely large vanity mirror set up behind the musicians. The audience fell to complete silence as they waited for the duo to hit the stage; when they did, the two received a welcome that echoed throughout the whole venue.
While many artists may start off with a bang, they slowly fell into their groove, building and transitioning melodies while taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster. Once the beat actually dropped everyone in the crowd was all too ready to break it down. After a while it seemed as if they were just jamming out in the comforts of their bedroom or studio because everything seemed so natural. The way they would communicate and transition to each song as if they had been playing together for decades.
As they continued to play, the mirror rotated at random to reflect light off itself onto the audience, which truly seemed to bring the DARKSIDE feeling to life. Many times when you attend a concert you may only remember one aspect of the event, but a DARKSIDE show will be forever be imprinted in your brain as one fluid, ever-flowing work of art.
These two young musicians have so much to offer a music scene that is all too often ambiguous and commonly repetitive. If find out that DARKSIDE is playing in a city near you, I suggest you drop what you’re doing and do whatever you can to attend the concert. DARKSIDE’s upcoming US appearances range from Phoenix to New Orleans, and then they go on a European tour that will them to Hong Kong. Following the slough of traveling shows around the world, the group will end it’s current tour at Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.