Synopsis

Nicolas Jaar reflects on the problem of making music in an age saturated with technology. Framed as an underwater, dreamlike portrait, the film places his thoughtful interview against murky images and the unsettled textures of his music. Jaar discusses noise, broken technology, instinct, and the challenge of creating sounds that feel genuinely new. Rather than presenting a conventional performance, the video turns his ideas about sound into an atmospheric visual experience.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was created for The Avant/Garde Diaries, a cultural series that paired artist profiles with short-form films and interviews.

• Jaar's central idea is that "noise" can represent broken technology and the discomfort of living with increasingly pervasive digital systems.

• The production credits list Callie Barlow as producer and interviewer, Bennett Barbakow as producer and editor, and Ian Takahashi as director of photography.

• The Vimeo description identifies "Balance Her In Between Your Eyes," from Jaar's 2011 album "Space Is Only Noise," as the music featured in the film.

• The video appeared in April 2013, during the period when Jaar was moving beyond the profile of his debut album and developing the broader, more experimental ideas that would also inform his work with Darkside.