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It seems the dance scene has been revived and we have The Dare to thank for that. The New York-based DJ may be new to our eyes, but he’s been on the scene crafting for some time now. For those of us that were revelling in the Brat summer, just know that The Dare helped cultivate this summer alongside Charli XCX, producing fan favourite ‘Guess’ A song that also involved a remix by Billie Eilish in later months. Now if The Dare has been part of the underground New York scene for some time now,the question is – what took us so long to catch up?
Harrison Patrick Smith previously released music under the name of Turtlenecked with his first album Pure Plush Bone Cage being released back in 2016. Safe to say the music released under his previous moniker does differ slightly to the music stylings he now releases under the guise of The Dare. But, his personality and humour shine through the same. He shows time and time again that he is unapologetically himself, and we love him even more for that.
His 2017 project ‘Vulture’ showcased the punk-rock vibe he brought to the underground New York scene. Now he mixes this with techno dance music, for a more modern approach. It’s easy for tech music producers to allow the machine to rule them and the way the music is arranged, but Smith consistently manages to utilise his authenticity and add his own artistry to the genre. Speaking in an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music he stated, “It’s kind of easy to let the car drive itself” when discussing the use of technology in music. This is something some tech artists fall victim to by not contributing their own flare and style to the genre, letting the technology make the music instead. Something Smith clearly does not wish to happen in his music.
Earlier this month, The Dare put out his latest album, What’s Wrong With New York? Under Republic Records, who he signed with in March 2023. The album again follows a dance-punk aesthetic that sounds reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem, yet with an authentic and new edge. From the ironic album title and lyrics to the overall subject matter on the album, we can’t help but appreciate The Dare’s humour which is prevalent throughout the record. It’s clear here, that his time raised in Portland has greatly influenced his approach to music. Portland does have a large indie/alternative music scene with acts like Modest Mouse and others hailing from there and the community-driven music may be why The Dare was so ready to build on this and create an album based around another one like New York.
All in all, The Dare and his new visibility on the scene have us all excited for what’s to come. And perhaps we might be in for another indie dance funk summer in the near future?
The Dare UK and EU tour dates:
Nov 13th Berlin, Germany
Nov 15th Paris, France
Nov 18th Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nov 20th London, UK
Nov 21st Leeds, UK
Nov 23rd Brighton, UK
Words By Jessica Sansoa