What’s This Playlist About: Post-everything It boy Nico Jaar releases a playlist of fluttering lo-fi, Indian-inflected jazz, sound collages and SFX recordings. Occasionally, a recognizable name will pop up——Leonard Cohen, Actress, Dirty Beaches——but most of this is exalted esoterica, perfect for a morning coffee with mysterious deities. It would also feel at home in the more psych-oriented valleys of Jaars own meandering DJ sets. Overall, the playlist answers the question: If music is background noise, why not make background noise music?Biggest Surprise: How Jaar weaves Eastern music into the mix. The rhythms have always been present in his own tracks, but the sounds here are foregrounded and unfiltered.Greatest Discovery: "Ein Wort" by 70s multimedia electronic collective Monton, who skirt the boundaries of Krautrock, dub, and ambient.Hmmm, I’m Not So Sure About: The numerous sound effect tracks that make up a majority of the playlists last portion.
