Dark Matter

Dark Matter is the debut solo studio album by British jazz musician Moses Boyd. 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). 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.” On the inspiration and motive behind the record's title, he told The Fader: Composition Musically, Dark Matter is a jazz record with elements of electronica, dance, jazz fusion, grime, and rock. Piotr Orlov of Afropunk additionally highlighted the record's influences of afro-pop and afrobeats. 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." Bryan Hahn of The Fader confirmed that on the album, Boyd "ignored expectations and rules, blending genres, freshly recorded sounds, and emotions."