User:LolaMarieSaint/Clown & Sunset

DRAFT

Clown & Sunset is an international, independent record label based in New York City. It was founded by Nicolas Jaar in 2009, and has a roster featuring as Nicolas Jaar, Soul Keita, Nikita Quasim, Valentin Stip, and DARKSIDE.

History
2004-2009 Nikita Quasim, Soul Keita and Nicolas Jaar met in the summer of 2004 while traveling with their respective schools on a field trip to the Sonora desert. Nikita Quasim was a pianist of Russian and Afghan descent from St. Petersburg, Russia. Soul Keita’s father taught him traditional east African instruments growing up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. And Nicolas Jaar, a Chilean-American, began experimenting with electronic music production when he returned to New York after spending his childhood in Santiago, Chile. In Mexico, they determined to collaborate and grow together as artists. Nikita, Soul and Nico found it difficult to work together across such great distances. To help overcome the gap, they started sharing music over the Internet.

2009-2011 In January 2009 Nicolas Jaar decided to formalize his endeavors with Nikita Quasim and Soul Keita by founding Clown & Sunset. He created the label in order to share music that he deemed too personal to release through any other label. Clown & Sunset’s first two records were a series of EPs entitled Sunset of a Clown (released in February and October, 2009). Each EP contained a song from one of the three founding artists: Nikita Quasim, Soul Keita, and Nicolas Jaar. Clown and Sunset’s next EP, Russian Dolls, featured the song “Russian Dolls” by Jaar, and a remix from Detroit DJ and producer Ryan Crosson.

In December 2010, Clown & Sunset released Inés, a ten-track compilation from Quasim, Keita and Jaar. The LP was well received by fans and critics, receiving 7.7 out of 10 rating on Pitchfork. Tim Finney wrote that “once you're on the album's microscopic level of activity even the slightest developments feel immensely evocative.“

Following Inés, Clown & Sunset began to expand its original roster. As Nikita and Soul searched for musicians to incorporate into the label, Jaar continued the momentum of 2010 with a single, “WOUH,” and in February 2010, Nico released his debut album 'Space is Only Noise ' to critical acclaim, receiving "Best New Music" from Pitchfork. Journalist and music critic Andrew Gaerig wrote, "Space never feels like a showcase for Nicolas Jaar; it's just a modest and well-decorated gathering place for some things he loves, a place for them to interact."

In June 2011, Valentin Stip, a French-American, classically trained pianist and electronic musician became the first new artist to debut on Clown & Sunset, releasing his first EP in 2011. On November 2, 2011 Jaar released “Don’t Break My Love,” and "Why Don't You Save Me," again receiving "Best New Music" from Pitchfork.

Discography
cs001 // Sunset of a Clown Vol. 1 – Various Artists cs002 // Sunset of a Clown Vol. 2 – Various Artists cs003 // Russian Dolls- Nicolas Jaar cs004 // Inès LP – Various Artists cs005 // WOUH - Nicolas Jaar cs006 // Anytime Will Do – Valentin Stip cs007 // Don't Break My Love – Nicolas Jaar