Virginia-based French composer Nicolas Laget has released his captivating new EP Dark — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Inspired by the likes of Johann Johannson, Max Richter, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Nils Frahm and Olafur Arnalds, Nicolas draws from his combined influences to create his own unique brand of neo-classical compositions. Fusing modern classical with electronic beats, Nicolas thrives on being able to experiment with his music and the concepts and emotions he’s able to portray.
Speaking of the EP, Nicolas says, “This is a collection of pieces created over many years. Some were created for films, some are pure musical pursuits. They are tied together by their emotional content. This music explores various states of discomfort, disorientation, angst, oppression, sadness, and tragedy.”
The EP’s opening track Threat and Sanctuary laments humanity’s inability to respect and protect the natural habitats of millions of species. Last Night is the bittersweet farewell of a loving wife faced with a terminal disease while Payback! and Time Thied are from the soundtrack to Dear Walmart, which documents the corporate giant’s history of unfair treatment of its workforce. Vis Mens Lux Rex is about war, domination, and hubris, Hypnosis explores losing perspective and a sense of reality.
Sensorium 2220 ponders the future of humanity as machines and software reshape the world we live in, Broken Mosaic narrates the fits and starts, ups and downs, small victories and setbacks of the long process that is recovery, and finally, the EP’s closing track The Riots is from the documentary Struggle & Hope and is about the Tulsa massacre on May 31, 1921.
African by birth, European by upbringing, Asian spiritually and American at heart, Nicolas Laget has been a musician since childhood. His early years were spent singing in choirs and playing Baroque chamber music on the alto recorder. In his teens Nicolas expanded his musical horizons by studying the flute, the tenor saxophone and the keyboard. After obtaining a masters degree in composition from the University of Virginia with a specialization in orchestral music, he seized the first professional opportunity he came across and settled in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
In the last decade Nicolas — aka Kolai — has become a noted producer. His first album, released by the London-based jazz/soul/dance label Chillifunk, was nominated best jazz album of 2003 by London’s Jazz FM. He has performed in Europe, Asia, and the Americas with various bands as a flutist and tenor saxophonist. In 2003 Nicolas founded the Sweet Spot Studio in response to the many engineering requests he received since releasing his first records. He has helped craft jazz, rock, ska, neo-soul, gospel, and dance records heard across the world.
Listen to the Dark EP above and below and learn more about Nicolas Laget on his website.
