He´s barely out of his teens, but Nicolas Jaar is hardly a fresh-faced newcomer. Bursting onto the music scene in 2004 at the tender age of 14 – his musical consciousness imbued with the sounds of Erik Satie, Nico or masters of jazz – Jaar released his diffidently titled The Student EP on New York-based staple Wolf + Lamb. His idiosyncratic take on electronic music has already scored him gigs at Berlin´s Club de Visionaire, New York´s Marcy and the Mutek Festival and his debut album is perhaps the one of the most anticipated releases in 2011. No wonder Electronic Beats included the Brown University student in our Best of 2010 countdown.
We caught up with the rising star of 21st century techno to talk about Bergson, Magritte and the Beatles.
1. What gets you going in the morning?
Waking up.
2. What five records would you take to a desert island and why?
Monastic Trio – Alice Coltrane
Songs From a Room – Leonard Cohen
La llorona – Llhasa
‘Cause they’re on fire!
3. What inspires you to create?
Other things that have been created.
4. What book or piece of literature are you reading at the moment?
5. Favorite piece of literature and why?
Too many – lately things by Bergson.
6. Favorite club?
To play – Compound in SF, Trouw in Amsterdam, Fabric in London and Bar 25 in Berlin.
7. What one historical figure inspires you or would you like to meet?
Aliens
8. List five movies that you couldn’t live without?
The Comformist
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Man in Black (I still haven’t watched it but according to all my friends, I will be obsessed with it..).
9. Favorite director or actor?
Bertolucci
10. Favorite piece of architecture or building?
Leonard Cohen [SIC]
11. Favorite combination of food or recipe?
Chicken and rice
12. Favorite musical genre in the last 100 years and what would you mix it with if you could?
Ethiopian jazz from the 60s and 70s – wouldn’t mix it. (though I do sometimes).
13. Favorite Internet site?
14. Who has had the biggest influence on you in your life?
That’s a crazy question.
15.What is one record you should never be seen dancing to in a club?
Anything made exclusively for the purpose of making a profit.
16. Favorite 5 music artists currently listening too?
The Coltranes
17. Favorite piece of art or artist?
18. Artist you’d most like to collaborate with?
Magritte
19. One obscure band you think should be more popular?
The Beatles
20. What’s your ringtone?
Old Telephone
21. Does Nicolas Jaar have a favorite sauce?
Every sauce my mother has ever made.
Nicolas Jaar´s album Space Is Only Noise is released at the end of January 2011 on Circus Company
top