Artist of the Day: Nicolas Jaar

In the wake of a complete (and tragic) lack of recent formal Nicolas Jaar releases (as nice as the Brian Eno remix was), the release of the Trust compilation from his subscription-based label Other People is more exciting than it probably should be. The compilation features a small group of affiliated artists with a similar quirk to the man himself, with the results ranging all the way from "meh" to holy s*8%!

On the latter end of the spectrum (which, in the end, is the only bit we care about), "Gravity" by Benjha serves as a surprisingly catchy reflection on the drudgery of life. The track includes some very inventive layering and some killer vocal samples, so the hope is for a whole Benjha album from the label soon. Likewise, Will Epstein supplies an excellent opener and finale, both of which set the scene with a jazzy, smoky, late-night piano sound. "Trust II," especially, is incredibly captivating.

Overall it's looking pretty good for the new label, though it remains to be seen whether pay-per-week labels can really work in the long term. Now the complicated set up process is out the way for Jaar we might actually be able to look forward to some new material, though it seems to be a bit much to hope for when I'm booked to see him in just three weeks time.