Verge; The Lyrical Funny Man

Johny Dar’s new single ‘Gigi’ has been announced and it’s a masterpiece.

An artist, designer and a musician, Dar has collaborated with a slew of artists including Sir Elton John, Sam Smith and more. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Johny Dar moved to Los Angeles in 1997 to study fashion, launching his first fashion label in 1999, and has been producing timeless collections ever since.

Even though Johny Dar prefers to keep his ears and mind free in order to create entirely original artistic expressions, his music has similarities with Daft Punk, Moby, Chemical Brothers, Infected Mushroom, KLM, and others.

This new single is a kaleidoscopic journey through texture and sound, which weaves muscular percussion, boisterous beats and bold melodies with Dar’s popping, bubbling vocal instrumentation and captivating alien-rap. An opportunity for movers and shakers to break beyond their four to the floor comfort zones, ‘Gigi’s’ mesmeric hooks, dirty drops and serpentine rhythms engage ears and then bodies in a sonic unexpected and even euphoric seduction that can’t be denied.

Why is the picture of the new single you dressed and painted up as a clown?

It’s my new look! I’m preparing for the Dardelica live shows which involve bringing out a different side of me on stage. That picture is just a preview of my musical character that will be fully revealed in the live show- part clown and part alien… Actually, not so much clown, more ring-master because the live show is going to be a cosmic circus among other things.

What relationship does this have to the music you make?

Dardelica music is next generation music, designed to stimulate parts of your ears you didn’t know existed and make you move like you never moved before, so it needs a context that is extraordinary. The nature of alien-rap is a new sonic language that is more understandable through feeling, rather than translatable into words. It just feels really good! That’s because it cuts through the conscious mind and speaks directly to the body and the subconscious, so it can have quite a psychedelic impact. My intention is to create music that delivers the kind of experience that people often seek through psychedelics or other supplements, without the need for anything additional to facilitate the journey. So part of enhancing that experience in the live show involves creating a space and place that takes people out of the ordinary and into an alternative universe. To do that we will be bringing together many forms of art, mine and other people’s, to generate an experience that is truly out of this world.

Can you tell us about the ultimate Dardelica live show as master of ceremonies/ring master extraordinaire?

The Dardelica live show is designed to take you to another reality altogether, through a transformative journey involving sound, visuals and all the senses. It will feature cutting-edge technology in art, lighting, and sound design, but will also be a tribal dance experience – a platform where people can come together to journey beyond the mundane and be themselves, without the pressures of day-to-day reality. That’s why we will really be taking people to outer space, in that sense, to empower them to experience life and themselves in a way that they usually don’t. And I will also be revealing another side of myself as director of the show and ‘ringmaster’ character – not to mention alien-rapper! I believe this show can’t really be understood until it’s experienced – even afterward perhaps – so I look forward to sharing it with the world and taking some intergalactic rides with the crowd. Just expect the unexpected and be ready to dance like you never danced before!

Is there anything about clown music that inspires what you do??

Honestly, I don’t know much about clown music! But I believe it invokes that childlike aspect in people, like the circus in general, which can be a positive thing. Anything that allows people to connect with the playful, joyful side of themselves naturally supports creativity and growth, and I believe that’s what we need more of in the world. The music video for my new single Gigi is all about letting that playful wild side express itself, no matter where you are and no matter who’s looking. It was a pretty crazy shoot – we were filming people dancing on the tube and in the streets all over London, inspired and empowered by this new sound that they just can’t resist. By the end, random people who were just passing by were joining in, even though it was snowing! In any context, music can be a key to unlocking new avenues of expression, and something that inspires people. That’s one of the reasons I’m inspired to be making it!