2012–2017: Difference between revisions – Wikipedia

 

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== Music ==

== Music ==

”2012–2017” is an album of eleven songs produced by Jaar during the titular years.<ref name=”:0″ /><ref name=”:3″ /> Some of the tracks publicly debuted with its release, while the rest were part of a [[DJ mix|mix]] he put out under the Against All Logic name in 2016.”<ref name=”:0″ />” Some outlets thus consider the album to be a [[Compilation album|compilation]].<ref name=”:0″ /><ref name=”:6″ /> Unlike Jaar’s releases (such as ”Sirens”) that came shortly prior to it, ”2012–2017” has a mostly upbeat atmosphere—similar to his material under Wolf + Lamb.<ref name=”:1″ /><ref name=”:0″ /> The album is a work of [[house music]], with dance, [[techno]], [[soul music|soul]], and [[funk]] influences.<ref name=”:0″ /><ref name=”:2″ /><ref name=”:3″ /><ref name=”:7″>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-06 |title=Top 50 Albums of 2018 |url=https://www.treblezine.com/top-50-best-albums-of-2018/ |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=Treble |language=en-US}}</ref> The songs’ musical elements are built around [[Sampling (music)|samples]] of various artists’ works, usually those in the soul and funk genres.<ref name=”:1″ /><ref name=”:5″ /> They have consistently quick [[tempo|tempos]], and are decorated with strong [[Acoustics|sonic]] “textures”—like sudden bursts of noise—that make them “crackle and munch in the [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mix]]”.<ref name=”:3″ /> All were produced by Jaar, while their [[Mastering (audio)|mastering]] was done by Mike Bozzi.<ref name=”:10″>{{Cite web |title=”2012 – 2017″ by Against All Logic on Bandcamp |url=https://against-all-logic.bandcamp.com/album/2012-2017 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-12-13 |website=[[Bandcamp]] |language=en}}</ref>

”2012–2017” is of eleven songs produced by Jaar during the titular years.<ref name=”:0″ /><ref name=”:3″ /> Some of the tracks publicly debuted with release, while the rest were part of a [[DJ mix|mix]] he put out under the Against All Logic name in 2016.”<ref name=”:0″ />” Some outlets thus consider the album to be a [[Compilation album|compilation]].<ref name=”:0″ /><ref name=”:6″ /> Unlike Jaar’s releases (such as ”Sirens”) that came shortly prior to it, ”2012–2017” has a mostly upbeat atmosphere—similar to his material under Wolf + Lamb.<ref name=”:1″ /><ref name=”:0″ /> The album is a work of [[house music]], with dance, [[techno]], [[soul music|soul]], and [[funk]] influences.<ref name=”:0″ /><ref name=”:2″ /><ref name=”:3″ /><ref name=”:7″>{{Cite web |date=2018-12-06 |title=Top 50 Albums of 2018 |url=https://www.treblezine.com/top-50-best-albums-of-2018/ |access-date=2025-12-11 |website=Treble |language=en-US}}</ref> The songs’ musical elements are built around [[Sampling (music)|samples]] of various artists’ works, usually those in the soul and funk genres.<ref name=”:1″ /><ref name=”:5″ /> They have consistently quick [[tempo|tempos]], and are decorated with strong [[Acoustics|sonic]] “textures”—like sudden bursts of noise—that make them “crackle and munch in the [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mix]]”.<ref name=”:3″ /> All were produced by Jaar, while their [[Mastering (audio)|mastering]] was done by Mike Bozzi.<ref name=”:10″>{{Cite web |title=”2012 – 2017″ by Against All Logic on Bandcamp |url=https://against-all-logic.bandcamp.com/album/2012-2017 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-12-13 |website=[[Bandcamp]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== Tracks 1-5 ===

=== Tracks 1-5 ===

2018 studio album by Against All Logic

2012–2017 is an album by Against All Logic, an alias sometimes used by Chilean American electronic music artist Nicolás Jaar, which was released on February 17, 2018. Considered by some to be a compilation, it is Jaar’s third studio album, and the first under the Against All Logic name. It was published under his own label Other People.

The album is a collection of house tracks Jaar had produced within the titular years, and were either previously unreleased, or songs he included on a 2016 mix. The compositions are generally built around chopped soul and funk samples, to which Jaar applied strong audio effects like clipping, filters, and fades.

2012–2017 was released with almost no warning or promotion from the artist or label. Pitchfork publicized the album’s existence a week later, writing that “almost nobody” had noticed it existed. It then received critical acclaim, being listed by many outlets as one of the best albums of 2018. The following year, Jaar released a follow-up under the Against All Logic name, 2017-2019.

Electronic musician Nicolas Jaar had developed a reputation for “stormy, fractured dance music” prior to his 2018 album 2012–2017.^[1] That year, Billboard writer Andy Cush said that Jaar has an “omnivorous musical appetite” that makes him frequently change the influences behind his music. Jaar released two studio albums under his own name prior to 2018: Space Is Only Noise (2011), a sound collage of microhouse beats and recordings of nature; and Sirens (2016), which features elements of synth-punk and avant-garde classical music.^[2]

At the start of Jaar’s career, his music was published by the Wolf + Lamb label, but he later began releasing under his own label, Other People.^[1][3] He has performed or released works not just under his own name, but also under certain aliases, such as “Iva Gocheva”.^[1] “Darkside“, his band, used the alias “Daftside” for their remix of Daft Punk‘s album Random Access Memories (2013).^[1][4] Jaar has stated that this causes music outlets to make mistakes in summarizing his discography: “I always find it funny when announcements say something is ‘the first Nicolas Jaar single in three years,’ as I’ve put out work under many different names”.^[1] Since 2013, he has also released music as “Against All Logic”, but the alias’ discography was “[not] known to most casual fans” of Jaar until 2012–2017.^[5][6]

2012–2017 is made up of eleven songs produced by Jaar during the titular years.^[2][5] Some of the tracks publicly debuted with the album’s release, while the rest were part of a mix he put out under the Against All Logic name in 2016.^[2] Some outlets thus consider the album to be a compilation.^[2][7] Unlike Jaar’s releases (such as Sirens) that came shortly prior to it, 2012–2017 has a mostly upbeat atmosphere—similar to his material under Wolf + Lamb.^[1][2] The album is a work of house music, with dance, techno, soul, and funk influences.^[2][4][5][8] The songs’ musical elements are built around samples of various artists’ works, usually those in the soul and funk genres.^[1][9] They have consistently quick tempos, and are decorated with strong sonic “textures”—like sudden bursts of noise—that make them “crackle and munch in the mix“.^[5] All were produced by Jaar, while their mastering was done by Mike Bozzi.^[10]

The first song, “This Old House Is All I Have”, is a “hypnotic strut” that samples David Axelrod‘s 1970 song “The Warning Talk (Part II)”—used in many hip-hop and dance tracks—and a song by Mike James Kirkland.^[7] Its opening notes have intentional clipping, which goes away when it “opens up” into a soul groove.^[5] Jaar eventually introduces his own vocals.^[8] KEXP-FM writer Dusty Henry describes the song’s atmosphere as being “like the opening scroll to a [1970s] cop flick mixed with a sweaty, underground dance party.”^[5] Some outlets describe the next track, “I Never Dream”, as one of the happiest songs in Jaar’s discography.^[5][11] It has a run time of six minutes, throughout which he loops funk breakbeats and joyous synths. These are built around filtered and chopped vocal samples that fade in and out, sometimes “twisting and turning in on themselves”.^[5][6] The third track, “Some Kind of Game”, has a looping soul sample and heavy kicks.^[7] A “brooding” atmosphere is introduced to the song “Hopeless”.^[5] It is followed by “Know You”, which has a repetitive soul instrumental like “Some Kind of Game”.^[7] It features intense electronic drums, and an aura of “silliness” stemming from a “wildly chirpy” refrain of Jaar’s own vocals.^[8][11][12]

“Such a Bad Way”, a disco track, is sixth on the album. On it, Jaar samples Kanye West‘s screaming on the 2013 song “I Am a God“, which contrasts with the instrumental’s joyous tone.^[9][7] The seventh track, “Cityfade”, has a long run time, and features vocal refrains over repeating piano chords. Similar refrains are found on the following “Now U Got Me Hooked”.^[7][11][13] They play in between the song’s rhythmic sections, and the composition alternates between minimalist and maximalist styles.^[12] It samples a song by The Dramatics.^[14] “Flash in the Pan”, the ninth song, features hard-hitting funk drums, a powerful bassline, “queasy” synths, and is produced with a “banged up”, low-fidelity style. The penultimate track is “You’re Going to Love Me and Scream”. It features a “digital” sound that Jaar eventually “tears open” to introduce a more intense atmosphere. “Rave on U” is the album’s closer, and has a run time of ten minutes. During the song, Jaar emotionally builds upon a repeating melody by introducing other musical elements, such as punchy synths and a “shaking” audio effect applied to the production.^{[5][7][11][15]}

2012–2017‘s cover and packaging were designed by Jena Myung.^[10] Jaar uploaded the album to Other People’s website on February 17, 2018, and notably, this was done with almost no warning or promotion from him or the label.^[1][14][9] Andy Cush theorized this was intentional, noting that Jaar’s name does not appear on the album’s cover, and that its entry on Other People’s online store did not have a description.^[2] On February 23, Pitchfork writers Matthew Strauss and Amanda Wicks reported on 2012–2017‘s existence, writing: “Nicolas Jaar quietly dropped an album last week, and almost nobody noticed”.^[9] The article brought the album to people’s attention.^[1][14] It was eventually released by Other People as a double album on vinyl.^[10]

Multiple outlets described 2012–2017 as more accessible to general audiences than Jaar’s other, more experimental works.^[2][18][14] Hunter Church writes for The Young Folks: “For all of the experimentation inside of it, every track has at least one section that could easily play at a club.”^[19] The back of the album’s vinyl release also says: “If you don’t know jack about house, you’ll love this!”^[10]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, 2012–2017 received an average score of 82, based on 5 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim”.^[16] Writing for Pitchfork, Andrew Gaerig wrote that “Jaar lets loose a surprise release of sample-heavy cuts both bolder and more refined than his early club tracks”, giving the album the site’s “Best New Music” designation.^[11] Clash‘s Matthew Cooper positively reviewed 2012–2017, describing it as “[having] an instant impact as Jaar substitutes avant-garde dystopian techno with the most off kilter time signatures for something much more predictable”.^[15] Fred Thomas of AllMusic compared it to Jaar’s previous work, stating “it’s easily the most carefree and inviting of his work. No previous knowledge of his catalog is necessary to get happily lost in the blissful layers of 2012/2017.”^[12]

Pitchfork and Treble listed 2012–2017 as one of the best electronic albums of 2018.^[13][20] It was also listed as one of the best albums in any genre that year by Treble and Rolling Stone.^[14][21]

All tracks written by Nicolas Jaar.

1. “This Old House Is All I Have” – 3:39
2. “I Never Dream” – 6:46
3. “Some Kind of Game” – 6:47
4. “Hopeless” – 5:41
5. “Know You” – 4:25
6. “Such a Bad Way” – 4:53
7. “Cityfade” – 5:41
8. “Now U Got Me Hooked” – 5:51
9. “Flash in the Pan” – 7:28
10. “You Are Going to Love Me and Scream” – 5:35
11. “Rave on U” – 9:56