There was a certain mysticism in the air at the newly renovated UC Theater in Berkeley Friday night. Concert-goers dressed in Halloween costumes were soon engulfed in darkness as DJ Nicolas Jaar took the stage. The minimalist back lighting set the mood for the electronic show and shrouded Jaar in darkness, acting only to enhance to the cornucopia of sounds that would come.
Jaar opened his set with his signature spacey ambiguity demonstrating his ability to play with sounds in a manner that should seem only reserved for savants. It was a privilege to be close enough to Jaar to watch his face while he performed: while patrons in the back may have seen the silhouette of a man hunched over his keyboards and controllers like a mad scientist, those lucky few in the front were given a glimpse into the emotions of the man so typically shrouded in mystery.
As evidenced by his numerous EPs, remixes, and creative projects such as “Pomegranates,” an alternate soundtrack to the film The Colour of Pomegranates, Nicolas Jaar is a master of sound and quickly took the crowd from swaying in ambient space to shaking in bass-heavy groovy rhythmic lines. Jaar masterfully weaved throughout his discography from “Russian Dolls” to “Nymphs’ Fight,” leaving only a few seconds of silence in between tracks for fans to express their gratitude.
The show was something close to perfection, a result of Jaar’s maniacal attention to detail and wizardry of sound. While you may not achieve weightlessness, Nicolas Jaar will certainly take you to space leaving you questioning what music is and where we you going. Definitely check out his upcoming shows and DJ sets!
Jaar opened his set with his signature spacey ambiguity demonstrating his ability to play with sounds in a manner that should seem only reserved for savants. It was a privilege to be close enough to Jaar to watch his face while he performed: while patrons in the back may have seen the silhouette of a man hunched over his keyboards and controllers like a mad scientist, those lucky few in the front were given a glimpse into the emotions of the man so typically shrouded in mystery.
As evidenced by his numerous EPs, remixes, and creative projects such as “Pomegranates,” an alternate soundtrack to the film The Colour of Pomegranates, Nicolas Jaar is a master of sound and quickly took the crowd from swaying in ambient space to shaking in bass-heavy groovy rhythmic lines. Jaar masterfully weaved throughout his discography from “Russian Dolls” to “Nymphs’ Fight,” leaving only a few seconds of silence in between tracks for fans to express their gratitude.
The show was something close to perfection, a result of Jaar’s maniacal attention to detail and wizardry of sound. While you may not achieve weightlessness, Nicolas Jaar will certainly take you to space leaving you questioning what music is and where we you going. Definitely check out his upcoming shows and DJ sets!