Dark Matter
Studio album by
Moses Boyd
Released14 February 2020 (2020-02-14)
StudioMetropolis Studios, London
GenreJazz
Length50:16
LabelExodus
Producer
  • Moses Boyd (exec.)
  • Koyejo Oloko (also exec.)
Moses Boyd chronology
Displaced Diaspora
(2018)		 Dark Matter
(2020)
Singles from Dark Matter
  1. "Stranger Than Fiction"
    Released: 23 October 2019
  2. "Only You"
    Released: 27 November 2019
  3. "Shades of You"
    Released: 9 January 2020

Dark Matter is the debut solo studio album by British jazz musician Moses Boyd.[1][2] Boyd released it independently on 14 February 2020 under his own label, Exodus Records. The album was his third-ever solo project, following Absolute Zero (2017) and Displaced Diaspora (2018).[3] Dark Matter was met with widespread critical acclaim upon release and was later nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Background and recording

Boyd explained to Apple Music that the record "isn’t meant to be a negative record; it's meant to unify, to make people think.”[4] On the inspiration and motive behind the record's title, he told The Fader:[5]

I'm very into space. I remember watching a program and they were talking about dark matter and this invisible substance that no one really knows much about, but accounts for so much. They say they estimate 80 percent of our universe is dark matter. I was like, "Oh wow, there's this invisible thing that is so important, but no one can really explain or define it." And then in all that was going on around the world, it was like, "It's all this darkness, but in a weird way, if I pick a random person on the street and started talking to them, there's something that unifies us in this darkness." They equally think this is terrible, but there's some sort of positive in that, because there's two people now that think this is terrible. But there's hope.

Composition

Boyd (right) collaborates with Chelsea Charmichael (left) on saxophone and Theon Cross (middle) on tuba on Dark Matter

Musically, Dark Matter is a jazz record with elements of electronica,[6][7][8] dance,[9][6][10] jazz fusion,[11][12] grime,[6][9][1] and rock.[6][13] Piotr Orlov of Afropunk additionally highlighted the record's influences of afro-pop and afrobeats.[14] Elizabeth Aubrey of NME described the record as a "melting-pot of genres and styles where complex jazz rhythms sit alongside [the aforementioned genres]", stressing that "whilst its head leans towards the mathematical with its polymath rhythms and intricate structures, its heart is firmly on the dancefloor."[6] Bryan Hahn of The Fader confirmed that on the album, Boyd "ignored expectations and rules, blending genres, freshly recorded sounds, and emotions."[5]

Release and promotion

Despite releasing the album's lead single "Stranger Than Fiction" on 23 October 2019,[15] Boyd only announced the album with the release of the second single, "Only You" on 27 November 2019.[16] The album's third and final single, "Shades of You" was released on 9 January 2020.[17]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[18]
Metacritic83/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10[20]
Exclaim!7/10[21]
The Guardian[1]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[11]
NME[6]
The Observer[22]
Q[23]
Mojo[24]
Uncut[8]
The Wire[25]

Dark Matter received positive acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on 11 reviews.[19] Album of the Year collected 12 reviews and calculated an average of 79 out of 100.[26] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[18]

Elizabeth Aubrey of NME described Dark Matter as "an ambitious work full of scope, where Boyd continues to innovate and impress."[6] Andy Cowan of Mojo described the album as a "vivid, diverse debut", and described Boyd as "ridiculously gifted".[24] John Lewis of Uncut wrote, "This is not pastiche or revival — this is jazz created in a distinctly London accent; the sounds you hear in cars and minicabs, the fractured beats you hear pouring out of teenagers’ phones — refracted through the prism of jazz."[8] Dhruva Balram of DJ Mag wrote that Dark Matter possesses a "jazz-kissed effect", while noting that Boyd blends in elements of reggae, dub, dancehall, drum and bass, techno, house and garage "remarkably well". He concluded, "Deftly, it sounds like an ode to the various genres that the UK can claim and champion."[27] Crack Magazine wrote "Producer albums can often be noodly, navel-gazing affairs… this isn’t one of those."[2] Liam Martin of AllMusic concluded that Dark Matter "cements [Boyd] as one of the most exciting jazz musicians of his generation."[7]

Accolades

Rankings

Critics' rankings of Dark Matter
Publication List Rank Ref.
Clash The 25 Best Albums Of 2020 So Far —
NME NME’s Best Albums of 2020… So Far
14
NPR NPR Music's 25 Favorite Albums Of 2020 (So Far) —

Awards

Awards for Dark Matter
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2020
 AIM Independent Music Awards Best Independent Album Nominated [31]
Best Creative Packaging Nominated
Mercury Prize Album of the Year Nominated [32]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Moses Boyd, except where noted

Dark Matter track listing[33]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Stranger Than Fiction" 4:55
2."Hard Food (Interlude)" 0:59
3."B.T.B"
  • M. Boyd
  • Nathaniel Cross
6:00
4."Y.O.Y.O." 5:30
5."Shades Of You" (with Poppy Ajudha)
  • Boyd
  • Poppy Ajudha
4:20
6."Dancing In The Dark" (with Obongjayar)
4:47
7."Only You" 4:46
8."2 Far Gone" (with Joe Armon-Jones)
  • Boyd
  • Joe Armon-Jones
5:43
9."Nommos Descent" (with Nonku Phiri)
  • Boyd
  • Nonku Phiri
4:36
10."What Now?" 8:40

Personnel

Credits adapted from Discogs and the album's liner notes:[34][33]

Instrumentation and production

  • Moses Boyd – producer (all tracks), drums (1, 3-10), drum programming (1, 2), songwriter (all tracks)
  • Nathaniel Cross – arrangement (1, 3, 4, 10), trombone (1, 3, 4, 8, 10), songwriter (3)
  • Joe Armon-Jones – keyboards (5, 8), synthesizer (1), rhodes (4), songwriter (8)
  • Michael Underwood – tenor saxophone (1, 4, 10), flute (10)
  • Ife Ogunjobe – trumpet (1, 3, 4, 8, 10)
  • Theon Cross – tuba (1, 3, 4, 8)
  • Artie Zaitz – guitar (1, 3–6, 10)
  • Koyejo Oloko – executive producer (all tracks)
  • Nubya Garcia – tenor saxophone (1, 9)
  • Phillip Harper – percussion (3, 4)
  • Binker Golding – tenor saxophone (3, 6)
  • Poppy Ajudha – vocals, songwriter (5)
  • Arnaud Gichaud – alto saxophone (3)
  • Chelsea Carmichael – baritone saxophone (3)
  • Steven Umoh – vocals, songwriter (6)
  • Nonku Phiri – vocals, songwriter (9)
  • Klein – vocals (7)
  • Gary Crosby – vocals (2)

Technical and design

* David Dargahi – recording engineer

  • David Rodger – recording endineer
  • Gilles Barrett – recording engineer
  • Jay Thomas Heigl – recording engineer
  • Mia Bradley – recording engineer
  • Stella Murphy – designer
  • Metropolis Studios – mastering location

Charts

Chart performance for Dark Matter
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[35] 52
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[36] 2
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[37] 7
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[38] 1

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kalia, Ammar (14 February 2020). "Moses Boyd: Dark Matter review – dancefloor-friendly kaleidoscopic jazz from UK drummer". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 Pritchard, Will (14 February 2020). "Moses Boyd – 'Dark Matter' review". Crack Magazine. ISSN 2229-0397. Archived from the original on 12 May 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  3. ↑ Rugoff, Lazlo (27 November 2019). "Drummer and producer Moses Boyd unveils new LP, Dark Matter". The Vinyl Factory. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Bevan, William David; Boyd, Moses. "Track-by-Track guide to Dark Matter by Moses Boyd". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 Hahn, Bryan (20 February 2020). "Moses Boyd on the cross-genre wonder of Dark Matter". The Fader. ISSN 1533-5194. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Aubrey, Elizabeth (17 February 2020). "Moses Boyd – 'Dark Matter' review: dazzling jazz bangers built for the dancefloor". Nme. New Musical Express. NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  7. 1 2 Martin, Liam. "Dark Matter - Moses Boyd (AllMusic Review by Liam Martin)". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 Lewis, John (21 February 2020). "Moses Boyd – Dark Matter". Uncut. ISSN 1368-0722.
  9. 1 2 May, Chris (3 March 2020). "Moses Boyd: Dark Matter album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020. "[...] Dark Matter—an audacious deep-strata blend of jazz and dance music"{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  10. ↑ Kalia, Ammar (18 February 2020). "On "Dark Matter," Moses Boyd Proves Free Jazz's Dancefloor Potential". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  11. 1 2 Blais, Joseph (14 February 2020). "Moses Boyd blends tradition and modernity in exciting new ways on Dark Matter". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  12. ↑ Welsh, Evan (18 February 2020). "Moses Boyd: Dark Matter". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  13. ↑ Goggins, Joe (10 February 2020). "Reviews: Moses Boyd - Dark Matter". Loud and Quiet: The Alternative Music Tabloid. Loud and Quiet. ISSN 2049-9892. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  14. ↑ Orlov, Piotr (20 February 2020). "Moses Boyd: The Afropunk Interview". Afropunk. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  15. ↑ Murray, Robin (23 October 2019). "Moses Boyd Drops Fiery Jazz Stepper 'Stranger Than Fiction'". Clash. ISSN 1743-0801. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Keannelly, Cerys (27 November 2019). "Moses Boyd announces debut album with fiery lead single "Only You"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (9 January 2020). "Moses Boyd teams up with Poppy Ajudha on "Shades of You"". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  18. 1 2 "Dark Matter by Moses Boyd reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  19. 1 2 "Dark Matter by Moses Boyd Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  20. ↑ Roseblade, Nick (12 February 2020). "Moses Boyd - Dark Matter". Clash: Dedicated to Music and Fashion. Clash. ISSN 1743-0801. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  21. ↑ Hampson, Ashley (13 February 2020). "Moses Boyd - Dark Matter". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  22. ↑ Empire, Kitty (16 February 2020). "Moses Boyd: Dark Matter review – party-facing solo debut". Om: The Observer Magazine. The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  23. ↑ "New Albums". Q. No. 316. March 2020. p. 91. ISSN 0955-4955. (paywalled review)
  24. 1 2 Cowan, Andy (March 2020). "Filter Albums: Jazz". Mojo. No. 316. p. 91. ISSN 1351-0193. (archived source)
  25. ↑ "Soundcheck". The Wire. No. 432. February 2020. p. 42. ISSN 0952-0686. (paywalled review)
  26. ↑ "Moses Boyd - Dark Matter". Album of the Year. United States. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  27. ↑ Balram, Dhruva (February 2020). "Albums: Issue 602 (February 2020)". DJMag. ISSN 0951-5143. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  28. ↑ Roseblade, Nick; Finamore, Emma (31 March 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Clash. ISSN 1743-0801. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  29. ↑ "NME's best albums of 2020… so far". NME. 27 March 2020. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  30. ↑ Mohamed, Suraya (29 June 2020). "NPR Music's 25 Favorite Albums Of 2020 (So Far)". NPR. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  31. ↑ Moore, Sam (17 June 2020). "Tony Allen to be honoured posthumously at AIM Awards 2020 as nominations announced". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  32. ↑ Lewis, Isobel (23 July 2020). "Stormzy, Dua Lipa and Laura Marling lead Mercury Prize shortlist". The Independent. ISSN 0951-9467. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  33. 1 2 Dark Matter (CD liner notes). Moses Boyd. Exodus Records. 2020. 68466-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ↑ "Moses Boyd – Dark Matter". Discogs. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  35. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  36. ↑ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  37. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  38. ↑ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
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