DARKSIDE
Psychedelic blues guitar drifting through a murky electronic haze. Hypnotic, slow-burning grooves for late nights and deep focus.
Psychedelic blues guitar drifting through a murky electronic haze. Hypnotic, slow-burning grooves for late nights and deep focus.
Darkside is the collaborative project of electronic producer Nicolas Jaar, multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington, and drummer Tlacael Esparza. Formed in 2011 while Jaar and Harrington were students at Brown University, the project emerged from a desire to bridge the gap between Jaar's minimalist techno roots and Harrington's background in jazz and rock.
Their 2013 debut, Psychic, was a critical landmark, blending Pink Floyd-esque psychedelia with modern downtempo and microhouse. After a significant hiatus, the duo returned with Spiral (2021) before officially expanding into a trio with Esparza for 2025's Nothing. Their sound identity is defined by high-fidelity production, heavy use of space and reverb, and a 'blues-tronica' aesthetic that emphasizes Harrington's expressive guitar work. They occupy a unique cultural position as a bridge between the underground electronic scene and the art-rock establishment, influenced equally by the Krautrock of Can and the modern minimalism of the Ghostly International roster. Critical consensus views them as one of the most successful examples of genre-fusion in the 21st century.
Shares downtempo, art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares downtempo, art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares downtempo, art rock, psychedelic rock (subgenres); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares reverb_heavy, minimalist, field_recordings (production style); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares reverb_heavy, minimalist, field_recordings (production style); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods); downtempo, ambient techno (subgenres)
Shares downtempo, psychedelic rock, ambient techno (subgenres); late_night, urban_night, fog (atmosphere)
Shares reverb_heavy, minimalist, field_recordings (production style); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares reverb_heavy, minimalist, field_recordings (production style); mysterious, brooding, contemplative (moods)
Shares tense, psychedelic rock, ambient techno, art rock (mood)
Shares submerged vocal processing, reverb_heavy, psychedelic rock, ambient techno (detail)
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