At Mile End’s Cabaret Playhouse, Montreal’s Dark Matter played on a dimly lit stage as if cast into a fold of space itself. Dark matter comprises a quarter of the universe’s mass but it is invisible and in many ways, mysterious. Night sky patterns, galactic clusters, images of faraway galaxies – each offers evidence of this latent substance, invisible in appearance, merely calculable in its mass. Such evidence validates Dark Matter as an apt name for a band whose music escapes generic definition, rendering its sound an elusive and mysterious substance. Yet the effect—the appeal of their sound—is evidenced by the responsive, dancing bodies that assembled at Cabaret Playhouse before the band. Dark Matter’s sound is familiar yet foreign, a soup of universal influences that have been whisked into a dynamic, galactic sound.
A year ago, JahSun, founder of Montreal jazz collective Kalmunity, formed the instrumental band alongside fellow members Mark Haynes, Caulder Nash, Conn-Shawnery, Zach Frampton, and other Montreal-based musicians. JahSun calls the Dark Matter’s music a “fully collaborative” effort, informed by an extensive list of influences from Sun Ra and Parliament Funkadelic to contemporary producers—J Dilla, Madlib, and Flying Lotus. Dark Matter’s influences meld into what JahSun describes as a “cosmic funk stew”: a simmer of galactic sounds with airy, echoing electronics. Even their song titles point to a cosmic disposition – Neutrino Oscillation, Supercluster, Neptune’s Uranus. Dark Matter’s sound nonetheless escapes conventionality as it draws from jazz’s restless, improvisatory character with the incorporation of “Afro futuristic sounds”—commanding percussion, laced with electronic sounds. In addition, there are moments in Dark Matter’s sound that recall reggae’s slow and laidback rhythm, grounded in a steady, walking bass. An interesting characteristic of Dark Matter’s sound is the use of human voice samples that have been rendered strangely alien in the sea of instrumental and electronic echoes. The band uses words sparingly—but forcefully, adding a musical urgency to their otherwise free and nomadic sound.
While JahSun says that there is a degree of crossover between Kalmunity and Dark Matter fans, Dark Matter appeals more to instrumental and electronic fans. Dark Matter relies on “story telling with sample and instruments”, asking the listener to rediscover a specific rhythm in a novel way. When asked about playing in Montreal, JahSun insists that the city is integral to the outcome of the sound, saying it “informs it [their music] in so many ways. Living in Montreal informs it just by responding to what’s lacking in the Montreal music scene.” He continues to say, “The spirit of what’s behind art—sometimes, it’s lacking. It’s good to bring back home and attract likeminded spirits to push that energy.” Commending Montreal’s creative scope, JahSun says that “no one is trying to fit into a funnel,”—an effect aptly reflected in the band’s exhaustive use of crossover through various music genres and its projection of the innovative development rooted in Montreal’s dynamic identity.
Instrumental music often struggles with its accessibility, restricting its appeal to a small segment of music fans. However, Dark Matter’s amalgamation of familiar and innovate elements inspires curiosity and intrigue in its listeners. When asked about to whom Dark Matter appeals, JahSun says, “Music lovers in general, people who can like instrumental music but at the same time, we still keep something to hang onto during the ride.” Dark Matter thus responds to the issue of inaccessibility based on the basic characterization of instrumental music. By being both continental and cosmic, Dark Matter effectively illuminates how various music genres—jazz, reggae, funk, electronic—can work harmoniously and collectively, in order to capture an exceptional and appealing sound.
Dark Matter recently finished a live recording and intends on putting out an album this upcoming year. When asked if they intend to expand outside the Montreal community, JahSun insists that there is little choice but to do so, should the opportunity present itself. Until then, Dark Matter will continue to offer a transportive experience for its Montreal music lovers, as well as, encompass music lovers from other genres in a cosmic sound bubble. Dark Matter boasts a diverse set of influences that, despite innovation, stays grounded and decisively dance-inducing.
WRITTEN BY KATRYA BOLGER
IMAGE COURTESY OF JAHSUN
