ajdzar.bandcamp.com/album/unfurl
ajdzar.bandcamp.com/album/unfurl
ajdzar.bandcamp.com/album/unfurl

London based multidisciplinary artist and DAYTIMERS internal team member Zar (Arun) is returning once again in 2023, this time on The Tabula Rasa Record Company, to release his second EP: “Unfurl”.

It is the next expression of progression in sound for Zar, a movement further into, above and beyond the foundations laid down from his debut EP “Practice Makes Miracles” - which was listed on Bandcamps’ “Best Electronic Music of March 2023” and described by DJ Mag as “a striking solo debut that sets Zar out as an exciting prospect in the sphere of electronic composition.”

It is safe to say that these next 4 tracks Zar is offering to the world prove DJ Mag’s excitement.

Sitting at that murky midpoint between UK Garage, Tech-House & Bass, the songs literally bloom outwardly, wrapping around the listener leaving trails of familiarity, and feature the tendrils of earworm worthy melodies that strike a balance between serene, uplifting, dense and thoughtful, all whilst resting upon deep thumping drums, clever vocal sampling and unconventional song structures. As a follow up to an already ambitious debut EP, Unfurl is an incredibly full-filling listen.

Expect bombastic breakdowns (Because You Are), wistful contemplative & psychedelic musings (Side Whispers), straight summery shimmery shufflers (Cloudy Drum Studying) and affirming angelic vocal sampling (Unfurl). The EP is the literal definition of an artist planting a seed and watching the bloom with a new found confidence in production and evocation of emotive atmospheres.

Written & produced throughout 2022, this was Arun’s attempt at going straight in at making club music. “On “Practice Makes Miracles" I was testing the waters, and incredibly nervous about putting it out, but on “Unfurl” I wanted to swim! I’ve since had a confidence boost, but I have (and always will) have so much more to learn in production, songwriting and song structure. I spent a fair amount of time in 2022 studying my favorite producers, how they built up and broke down songs that worked well in clubs. This EP was the result of my studies so to speak!”

Unlike its predecessor, this EP doesn’t flow as one singular piece. However, careful attention had been paid to sequencing the tracks, should the listener want to listen to all 4 tracks one after another. “I grew up listening to a lot of albums in full and I really appreciated the ones where you could tell a lot of time and effort had been put into how the songs flow. I wanted to retain that for this piece. There’s the recognisable gentle ebb and flow that I think comes with my music and how the tracks all fit together.”

On the artwork, Arun once again worked with extremely close collaborator fireheartsdesigns: “I keep on stealing my partners fabrics and making artwork out of them! This time we took one of her saris out to our local meadow and let it literally unfurl into the wind, snapping pictures of the result. Again, a stunning piece which fully encapsulates how the music sounds in my head. Bright, airy, hopeful, but still with some densities and heaviness.”

Since the release of “Practice Makes Miracles'' in March 2023, Arun has been taking part in the Rhythm Section Future Proof mentorship scheme, where he has been mentored by SUCHI. The programme culminated in a showcase performance at Peckham Audio. Arun also released a solo single “Suncat”, and began releasing music with close friend and rapper Mandeep. as “ZarDeep” - an alt/conscious hip hop project that explores deeper spiritual questions at the core of both of them. Arun continues to help run DAYTIMERS as part of the internal team, playing at Phonox with them for their debut club night in March 2023.

“Putting music out isn’t an easy thing for me, I tend to overthink the whole process. But when Tabula Rasa reached out to put these tracks out, I was overjoyed that they were willing to put their trust in me. I think the label is onto something super special and I am so proud to be on the roster!”

The Tabula Rasa Record Company (known colloquially as “Tabula Rasa Records”) is one of the fastest growing labels in dance and introspective music. Founded in San Francisco, its worldwide roster of artists like Kelbin, RamonPang, Gaszia and Boy In Nature specialize in bringing eclecticism to dancefloors, and direct songwriting to introspective listening. Tabula Rasa’s albums and singles have been receiving support from Skrillex, Four Tet, Ben UFO, Fred again.., Baauer, Jacques Greene, Nikki Nair, and more.

Practice Makes Miracles was, at its’ essence, club influenced music for pondering people. Unfurl probably is too, but the pondering people are dancing a bit harder now.