Based in East London, Tjaro creates chunky, bass-heavy music for dancefloors laced with infectious hooks and riffs. He has honed his skills through working with some of the great names in contemporary club music from Tom Findlay (Groove Armada) to Andy Williams (Yam Who / Midnight Riot).Ā Tjaro talks to SIX AM just as he drops his debut EP entitled “Discreet” on Instruct records.
Hi Tjaro! Thanks for taking the time to talk to SIX AM. How are you doing?
Iām doing great. Iām very excited to get my first set of releases out in āSerule / Discreetā, and besides that, Iāve been working hard in the studio getting new music done for the future!
Congrats on your debut release on Instruct! As an artist making your debut, can you share the creative journey that led you to the style of music thatās featured on the EP?
Lockdown was when I really started to listen to electronic music. Ever since then, Iāve gravitated towards it even more, listening to the likes of: Armand Van Helden, Daft Punk, and Groove Armada. It wasnāt until about two years ago I really started to take producing seriously, and slowly I feel Iāve found my feet, attempting to veer off in different directions to try and make something true and unique to me.
How did the experiences of collaborating with artists like Tom Findlay and Andy Williams shape your approach to music-making and contribute to the sound we hear on your debut EP?
Andy and Tom have helped so much since I first started making music. I first met up with Andy at the start of last year, and he broke down one of his tracks he was working on at the time. He really helped me when I was just starting out, and went over the key fundamentals of building a dance record that I still very much use to this day. Tom I met up with earlier this year, and that was a real special moment for me as Groove Armada has always been one of my heroes. I played him some of the tunes I was working on at that time and he gave me some really great guidance about how to progress my sound from a mix-down point of view, as well as stylistically. Both have helped me an unimaginable amount, so a huge shout out to them!
“Discreet” and “Serule” offer contrasting musical experiences. Could you delve into the inspiration behind these two distinct tracks and how they represent different facets of your artistic identity?
Much of the EP was made early this year, but both tunes came from quite different places creatively. When I was making Serule, I was gravitating towards the more ambient club tunes, listening to a lot of DJ Python at the time, and I really liked the idea of having a variety of different synth sounds and melodies playing off each other, which was the blueprint for the track. Discreet however was slightly different. I remember me and my Dad went to see Groove Armada at Printworks earlier this year and they had the whole place rockinā, playing quite old school, clubby house tunes – and it really inspired me to pursue a similar kind of track. The next day I wrote out the bass line for Discreet, and the track came together quite quickly after that.
What do you hope listeners will take away from experiencing both sides of your musical spectrum on your EP?
I hope listeners will come away feeling better than they were before. I suppose I intend that when making all of my tunes, music that connects and resonates with other people.
Debut releases often set the tone for an artist’s trajectory. With your EP making a strong mark, what aspirations and plans do you have for the future, both in terms of evolving your musical style and engaging with your growing audience?
Over the last couple of months, Iāve been delving into the UK Garage and Rave sound, taking a slightly different approach stylistically than what you hear on āSerule / Discreetā. Expect to hear a variety of different rhythms and textures for the future, incorporating elements that arenāt too typical of an original house tune, experimenting with different tones in the bass and the beats.
Thanks so much for talking with SIX AM, is there anything else youād like to add?
Just wanted to say a massive Thank you for giving me a platform to speak out about my music, it really is much appreciated!
