Nicolas Jaar’s Prism: The Digital Edition

When Nicolas Jaar’s publicist handed me Don't Break My Love, a compilation featuring Nicolas Jaar and his Clown & Sunset labelmates, I didn't know what to do with it. It came in the form of a small cube, with no playlist and minimal instructions. It was designed to be listened to straight through, or started at random. It felt simultaneously ancient and completely new, like the most accurate representation of Jaar's music, which is warm, its architecture exposed but still mysterious. It's music as a world unto itself. Jaar's now made a digital version of the prism, which is great for everyone that hasn't heard these songs (though many are uploaded to YouTube already) or didn't want to be subjected to the unfortunate, potentially inevitable "is that a square in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" jokes. That said, the magic of the original was trying to figure out its possibility, how it worked, what was inside it? Was it breakable? (answers: I don't know, probably some wires, yes). Down below, listen to Jaar's collaboration with Sasha Spielberg as Just Friends. It's slick and warm and smooth even though it's coming from a YouTube link and not from a magic prism. Get the digital version right here. (via Gorilla vs. Bear)