Contributing Writer
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).
Tjaro announced his arrival this summer with the release of the ‘Discreet’ EP, a two-track release that highlighted his musical versatility and incorporated aspects of deep house, tech and melodic techno, the title track from which was supported by Pete Tong on his Radio 1 show. Refusing to stay in one lane, Tjaro left turns once again for his next single, the garage-inflected deep house cut ‘What We’re Feeling’.
Evoking a classic ‘90s sound of UK house and US garage, ‘What We’re Feeling’ is a dusty, deep cut that sounds like a previously undiscovered classic. The silky, mellow vocal glides effortlessly over a groove that’s both smooth and edgy, conjuring an atmosphere of late-night, smoke-filled venues and intimate dancefloors. Gorgeously understated, it evokes the early work of producers like Kings of Tomorrow and DJ Fudge, and demonstrates yet another aspect of Tjaro’s impressive production portfolio.
Hey Tjaro, welcome to Music is 4 Lovers! Where are you currently and how has your year been?
Thanks so much! I’m based out in East London, and have been all my life. My year has been really great, I’ve released my first project as Tjaro – which has been special. Besides working on tunes, I have been developing my studio space to build up a nice bank of hardware, ultimately to have more options to draw upon. I have also been very focused on DJ-ing this year, making mixes and becoming much more comfortable in a live situation.
You only recently started putting out music as Tjaro, did you have other aliases prior to this?
No, this is my first time releasing music. It has been a really interesting and enjoyable experience for me as I have learnt tons about building momentum and making sure everything is in place across all of the big streaming platforms, while also gaining some really great feedback on how to progress my sound.
Your debut was picked up by Pete Tong – that must have been a vote of confidence!
It was a bit of a dream come true for me as, growing up, I always listened to Radio 1, tuning in to the big weekly shows hoping one day I’d hear one of my tunes. So hearing Pete Tong announce my debut release was pretty special.
Who is someone within your scene that is a real inspiration to your work?
The biggest inspiration on my music has always been Overmono. When I first heard one of their tracks, I was blown away by the sonic clarity of their productions, and the way they recontextualise vocal samples to create a completely unique sound. The more I listened to their tunes, it rapidly marked a turning point for me stylistically as it opened my mind to a whole other side of making music which has led me to incorporate more broken-beat ideas (for example) into my production process – ultimately to try and progress my own sound and search for something that is unique to me. So a massive shout out to them!!
Your next release What We’re Feeling is a pretty different vibe – what inspired this one?
‘What We’re Feeling’ features a wide range of ideas which came from quite different places creatively. Once I had constructed the drums, I started to explore different ideas in the bassline – with the intention of creating something fairly club-based. However, I started to try out different chord patches over the top of this, and it gave the track a different, more poignant tone, which really changed the meaning of the whole idea. Once I added in the vocal, it fit so well that it sounded like it was made for the track!
With the UK being a hub for pioneering electronic music subgenres, what would you say distinguishes the UK house scene from its international counterparts in terms of style, culture, and influence?
The UK house music scene is quite unique in the sense of how diverse it is. There is so much variation within the genre now, with more old-school house tracks being combined with techno, or UK garage (for example) – and you very rarely hear the same thing each time. I think this depth to the genre is what distinguishes it from its international counterparts and its ability to surprise you.
With a real range in your releases so far, is there a specific element or feeling that characterises a Tjaro production?
I tend to get my influences from various different places. Often what you’ll find in my tracks is a mixture of subgenres of primarily UK electronic music. I’ve always been really drawn to artists who don’t just stay in one lane, and explore various styles within dance music, and for me, that’s often how the best and most unque music is made.
How do you see the rise of AI affecting electronic music production in the future? Is it a technology that you would consider using in your own productions?
Personally, I don’t see it having a huge impact on electronic music production for a while. I think where electronic music is at now, especially within the UK, is really strong, and I think it’ll take a lot for producers to start tampering with their sampling process. But you never know, if the technology keeps on improving, we may start to see more producers incorporate it into their productions.
What’s a track from this year that you’ve loved but that might have been unfairly slept on?
Throughout the last few months, I’ve been obsessed with the new Burial record ‘Unknown Summer’. I haven’t heard a lot of people speaking about it but he absolutely nailed it on this one. I’ve always been really fascinated by the amount of emotion he can achieve within his tracks, and this is another example of that. Truly one of the greats of contemporary electronic music!
What’s next for Tjaro?
I have a two-track EP coming out towards the end of next month, which is quite club-based featuring elements of two-step garage and late night warehouse.
Big Love to Music Is 4 Lovers for giving me a platform for my music!
Tjaro – What We’re Feeling is out now on all platforms