Nicolas Jaar Is El Bandido

May 18, 2009 Ninu Nina

I believe this was one of Nico Jaar’s first interviews ever.

This past weekend, I experienced one of the most intimate events at The Marcy Hotel by Wolf + Lamb where we heard Nicolas Jaar and the Shooters Club Live. I got chills, right away. From the moment he played no one could stop dancing or talking about this incredible talent and I suspect this is someone who is going to make a big impact on Electronic Music. Nico who was born in 1990, started to make organic electronic music in 2004 at the impressive young age of 14. At 17, he debuted with “The Student EP” on Wolf and Lamb Music with remixes by Seth Troxler and Kasper.

Now 18, studying music cognition and philosophy at Brown University, Nico has releases coming up, including some remixes by Ryan Crosson.

How did you get into music Nico?

I was at a fashion photographer's studio in Santiago, Chile during Christmas of 04. I was 14 and We started talking about music., so he gave me the Tiga dj kicks. I was young and I Loved it. Told my dad that I liked electronic music. He went to a record store and asked the guy at the counter; "give me the best forward thinking electronic music album out there"

So, Christmas came and I got "Thé au harem d'Archimède" by Ricardo Villalobos as a gift. Playing it more out of frustration than love, I quickly got interested in texture and groove.

During fall of 2008, while I was a senior in high school, I made a track called "the student" and it got signed to Wolf + Lamb. Gadi said; do the same thing but put a kick underneath. That's how it all began.

Your greatest inspirations?

Nikita Quasim and Soul Keita have been very important for me.
Ricardo Villalobos also.

Your other favorite artists?

Kalabrese.
Noze.
Smirk.
DOP
Guillaume.
Right now I'm really getting into this band called Iva Gocheva. (Apparently they only have two songs, but they're both unbelievable).

Best events you've played at and why was it so memorable?

I once played Portishead covers with an accordion and my buddy Mike Nelson on doublebass in the subway that goes to coney island.

Plans for the rest of the year?

Making enough money to buy plane tickets from Ethiopia and St. Petersburg to bring Soul Keita and Nikita Quasim to Brooklyn. Second release on my label Clown and Sunset.
Playing around Europe.
Preparing full length for Circus Company.
Sophomore year at Brown University.

Tracks you have collaborated on?

Seth (Troxler) and I tried making some music together but a few hours in we got hungry and he cooked some chicken.

What makes you different and unique Nico?

Well, I don't dj. Production wise, what differentiates me is that I really don't wanna make tracks for djs. I've never made a dance-floor-only track.

How do you define your music, and/style?

Before I sit down and make music, I listen to a lot of Ethiopian Jazz, and try to imagine what Mulatu Astatke would have done if he had an 808.