Nicolas Jaar

Nicolás Jaar is a Chilean-American composer and musician known for his boundary-pushing approach to electronic music. He has built a career marked by innovation, collaboration and a refusal to be confined to any single genre. Among his notable works are the albums “Space Is Only Noise” (2011), “Sirens” (2016) and “Cenizas” (2020). As one half of the band Darkside, Jaar has released “Psychic” (2013), “Spiral” (2021) and “Nothing” (2025). He has also explored a more dance-oriented style under the alias Against All Logic, releasing two albums under the moniker.

After folding his record label Clown & Sunset in 2013, Jaar founded Other People, a New York-based imprint that has served as a platform for experimental recordings. Through Other People, he has released works by artists including Lydia Lunch, Pierre Bastien, John Wall and Lucrecia Dalt. The label has also showcased visual and audio projects by Africanus Okokon and Maziyar Pahlevan, as well as THE NETWORK, a collaborative project with Jena Myung and Pahlevan featuring 111 fictional radio stations, later published as a book in 2017.

Jaar’s work in film scoring includes composing the soundtrack for Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or-winning “Dheepan” (2015) and Pablo Larraín’s 2019 film “Ema.” In 2018, he released “2012–2017” as Against All Logic with little prior announcement or reference to his name. The album earned widespread acclaim, including a “Best New Music” designation from Pitchfork. He co-produced much of FKA Twigs’ 2019 album “Magdalene,” further cementing his reputation as a versatile collaborator.

In 2020, Jaar released three albums: “2017–2019” in February as Against All Logic, “Cenizas” in March and “Telas” in July. Darkside returned in 2021 with their second album, “Spiral,” which was met with favorable reviews. In 2024, Jaar released “Piedras 1” and “Piedras 2,” collections of tracks from his 17-episode radio play “Archivos de Radio Piedras.”

Jaar has also been vocal on political issues. In November 2023, he signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and an end to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. In July 2024, he performed at the Artists for Aid Benefit Concert in London, raising funds for humanitarian relief in Gaza and Sudan.