Tjaro, a rising talent in electronic music, released his debut EP in summer 2023. The two-track Discreet EP showcased his eclectic style, merging deep house, tech, and melodic techno elements, with the EP’s lead track securing a spin on Pete Tong’s renowned Radio 1 show, signalling Tjaro’s imminent ascent in the electronic scene.
The follow-up ‘What We’re Feeling’ was a garage-inflected deep house cut: gorgeously understated and evoking the early work of producers like Kings of Tomorrow and DJ Fudge. Now, following being named Tunecore’s Artist Of The Month in December, this seemingly boundlessly talented producer has left-turned once again with the gorgeous, atmospheric, melodic techno cut Forever U.
With the new single out now, we have the pleasure of hosting an exclusive mix and interview from this rising new talent.
Listen to the mix here
Reflecting on your journey, what was the pivotal moment that drew you into electronic music, and how has your creative process evolved since then?
For me, there was a period of time about three years ago where I was really starting to get into Daft Punk, and I remember after listening to their first album ‘Homework’ during lockdown just being blown away by the whole experience. It almost felt like a new start for me when approaching music production. Since then, over time, I have really tried to grasp and gain my influences from various places and genres stylistically.
Your work spans across different genres within electronic music. How do you balance maintaining a unique sound while exploring diverse styles?
My mentality around making tunes has always been about authenticity. When working on tracks, I’ve always been really driven by constantly evolving my sound and developing it in a way that I feel is unique to me. I’ve also always tried to make my production process as fun as possible, and a lot of the ideas that gel in my studio often stem from just messing around on a synth for a couple of hours or fiddling around in Massive creating some weird bass patches. These often become the ideas that I find most interesting.
Working with industry veterans like Tom Findlay and Andy Williams has shaped your sound. Can you share how these collaborations influenced your approach to music production?
When I started making my own tracks a couple of years back, I got in contact with Andy and had a couple of hours with him in his studio, essentially breaking down his production process. This was huge for me as at the time; I had no real sense of direction of where I wanted to take my productions. For the most part, I was just noodling around in Logic finding cool presets and putting together 16-bar loops which never really led to much.
By the time I met up with Tom however, I had been making music for a little while, and he helped guide me in the right direction, especially around the mix down. Both have been instrumental in developing my production process, so a massive shout out to them.
Your debut EP ‘Discreet’ features contrasting tracks. How do these songs represent the different facets of your artistic identity?
My production process has changed a lot since I made my first EP, along with my influences. There’s a lot of techniques that I’ve learned since then; now, I listen back to those tracks and think to myself, “why did I do that?!” I have always tried to be quite self-critical about my own tunes – I’m really passionate about constantly improving and outdoing myself with the tunes I make.
Your new single ‘Forever U’ is another left turn for your sound – is it fair to say you don’t like staying in a single lane?
Since I started recording as Tjaro, I’ve been keen on progressing and evolving my sound with every release, almost as a way to develop my own sonic world. My favourite artists always have this ability to flip and vary their sound stylistically whilst also putting their own stamp on things to keep everything fresh and exciting. I suppose that’s what I’ve always tried to embody in my music.
With a growing focus on DJing and live performances, how do you translate the energy of your studio work to live settings?
With my DJ sets, I’ve tried to convey the same open-minded ethos as my studio work by showcasing a variety of different sub-genres to try and keep things as compelling as possible. DJs like Ben UFO do this a lot and I have really tried to incorporate variety and unpredictability into my mixes.
Overmono has been a significant influence on your music. Can you elaborate on how their work has inspired your stylistic development?
In my opinion, they’re the best in the business regarding UK electronic music. Their production processes when it comes to sampling, vocal processing and the synth sounds they use on chords to pack so much emotion into their tunes has had a huge impact on the way I approach my own productions, so a massive shoutout to them both!
You’ve mentioned exploring UK Garage and Rave sounds. What attracts you to these genres, and how might they influence your future projects?
Delving into UK Garage and broken beat elements has given me more scope to experiment with my sound selection and sample choice. When I was more focused on house music, I felt at times that I was getting quite penned in and was limited in how far I could experiment stylistically. With a wider palette, there are endless possibilities and new directions to take.
Could you discuss your favorite piece of studio equipment and how it has impacted your production style?
I recently got hold of the Sequential Circuits Prophet Rev 2 and has been an absolute beast when it comes to writing chords and just starting tracks in general. It has quite a distinct sound and has definitely had the biggest impact on my music to date.
As a relatively new artist, what has been the most challenging aspect of breaking into the electronic music scene, and how have you addressed it?
It is very competitive and there are so many artists out there now in the electronic music scene so I think always trusting my own ear and striving for authenticity has been essential and the best way for me to try and differentiate myself from other producers. I want to make sure that every piece of music I put out is interesting and exciting.
With a single just released, what are your main goals for the future, both creatively and in terms of your career trajectory?
Over the next year or so, I want to try and reach more people with my music as well as progressing my DJing and live performing. In the long term, I’m really keen on putting out an album that will showcase a number of different styles and sub-genres of electronic music, ultimately to put together a body of work which will portray and summarise the journey so far.
Massive thanks to Magnetic Magazine for giving me a platform for my music!
Tjaro – Forever U is out now on Instruct
