A few weeks ago, I wrote a decently meta column on discovering ways to find new music. Virtually all of the sites I referenced highlighted a massive range of new and classic releases, but are by no means all-encompassing. The rise in popularity of legal, artist-spearheaded online music platforms like Bandcamp, Soundcloud, DatPiff and others has created a revolution in the way artists release their material.
I usually prefer listening to more widely recognized, critically acclaimed releases to navigating the massive amount of music on the web, but every once in awhile, a little-known release definitely catches my attention. Most recently, I have been playing Noir Disco’s “Noir Disco” EP around the clock.
Noir Disco is the moniker of L.A.-based singer songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nolan Dickson. Nolan is by no means a veteran of the music world, but recently decided to focus his creative energies and musical talent into creating a solo music career. Dickson invested in Roland Juno 106 — a killer analog synthesizer — and a Fender P-Bass, a Fender Stratocaster and plenty of recording equipment, then began devoting huge amounts of time to writing and recording.
This self-titled EP fuses psychedelic electronica with groovy basslines, up-tempo drums and accents of atmospheric sounds. The synths take center stage and are often arpeggiated, with varying levels of intensity and modulation, to create a very percussive feel. The chord progressions always feel bright and colorful and the instrumentation blends so well. Nolan’s voice beautifully matches the goofy vibe the lyrics bring.
I’d pin Noir Disco’s sound somewhere between Animal Collective circa 2009 and Ariel Pink circa 2014. Nolan’s other influences (Tame Impala, La Femme, Arcade Fire, David Bowie) also shine bright, but never shadow Dickson’s genuine originality. His self-titled EP is fun, humorous and uplifting. I’d recommend it to any listener with a taste for the semi-weird.
The “Noir Disco EP” is undeniably a self-made project, but sounds completely professional. To me, this was the most exciting aspect. The songwriting and instrumentation can definitely stand on their own, but the recording and production quality is an even more obvious differentiation point among other self-made, self-released projects.
Almost miraculously, Dickson yielded studio-quality sounds with just Ableton Live software, a tube amp and a compressor. Also worth noting, Nolan received technical help from his brother Carter, who records under the name Father Large.
Dickson also added that he wrote and recorded his EP with the intent of it being low-key.
“My strategy isn’t to market myself via the Internet,” Dickson told me in conclusion. “My ideas feel endless now.”
Even as a skeptic towards self-released DIY music, I found this statement particularly thrilling.
As an amateur undergraduate music columnist, I might not have a great deal of predictive validity with respect to rising musicians, but I bet that Noir Disco will soon become an important name in independent music. So give the EP a listen and make sure you follow Noir Disco on Soundcloud.