In conversation with Tjaro

Tjaro's journey through electronic music has been one of constant evolution and exploration. Starting from a young age, he transitioned from experimenting with loops in Garageband to crafting a unique sound that straddles various genres. His latest single, "Forever U," marks another significant shift in his musical style, showcasing his commitment to diversity in his work. Tjaro's approach to music is deeply rooted in exploration, allowing him to maintain a fresh and distinctive identity. This drive for innovation extends to his live performances, where he skillfully translates his studio work's energy and dynamics. With an eye on future projects, Tjaro continues to push the boundaries of electronic music, integrating new sounds and influences, like UK Garage and rave, to enrich his sonic palette. His journey is a testament to the power of experimentation and growth in music. We caught up with him recently to learn more about his artistic process and what lies ahead.

Talk to us a bit about your music-making journey. When did you begin to “get the hang of it”? When did you start to take it seriously?

From an early age, I always found myself messing around with loops. I remember sitting at home about ten years ago, managing to persuade my Mum to allow me to use her laptop for a couple of hours at the weekend, and just messing around in Garageband with stock loops. But it wasn’t until I was about 15 that I really started to engage with electronic music, slowly trying to develop a strong body of work that I’m really into, and hopefully other people are too.

'Forever U,' your latest single, represents another departure in your sound. Can you elaborate on your inclination towards exploring diverse musical lanes and how this approach contributes to your artistic growth?

I’ve always been a big fan of artists who can delve into other people’s sound world while also staying true and unique to themselves. I feel that every release I put out is an extension of my sound world as Tjaro; I never want to be held in one lane, and really want be able to look back in five to ten years’ time at a fairly diverse discography that I can be proud of, and that new listeners can always dip into.

How do you adapt the energy and dynamics of your studio work into your live performances and DJ sets? Are there specific techniques or strategies you employ to maintain a compelling experience for your audience?

With my DJ sets, I’ve always tried to create a flow that brings in influences, styles and particular tracks that have impacted my own productions but threaded together for the dancefloor. So, the sets are varied but definitely pure to the music I love and hopefully a unique journey for club-goers too.

Exploring UK Garage and rave sounds seems to be a recent focus for you. What draws you to these genres, and how do you envisage integrating them into your future projects?

Yes, focusing on broken beat and Garage ideas and structures has definitely given me more scope to experiment and differentiate myself with my music. I was initially making more house-led tunes and felt It just became a little restrictive in terms of the music I wanted to make. More recently, I have taken the lead from tracks and artists that really try something fresh and unique, changing the template of traditional dance music styles and that has 100% made my production process a lot more enjoyable and exciting.

Could you share your experience with your favourite piece of studio equipment, the Sequential Circuits Prophet Rev 2? How has it influenced your sound and production style since acquiring it?

The REV2 has been invaluable for me in the studio; it has really transformed my writing process. It has quite a unique sound, and at least 75-80% of ideas nowadays stem from me just jamming out on it and trying sounds and patterns to find something I like. You can very quickly achieve some amazing sounds on it, and most chord sequences you hear in my tunes will most probably have come from the REV2. It's a beast!

Can you discuss your vision for your upcoming album? How do you intend to showcase the diverse styles and sub-genres of electronic music while maintaining coherence within the body of work?

The long-term goal I have set out for myself as Tjaro is to create an album which captures the full span of my journey so far. I don’t know when that point will be, but I feel it's important at the moment to specifically focus on singles and EPs, ultimately to set out my sonic world before committing to a full-length project.

Your music often incorporates intricate sound design. Can you walk us through your creative process when crafting sounds and textures for your tracks?

When crafting sounds and developing textures, it's usually a mixture of manipulating and pitching samples, and combining it with either a patch I may have made in Massive, or something on the REV2 - it varies a lot. With ‘What We’re Feeling’ for example, the intro textures you hear at the beginning come from a 5-minute jam on the REV2. I picked out a section from it that I really liked and resampled it.

In what ways do you draw inspiration from your surroundings or personal experiences when composing music? Can you share any anecdotes about how a particular setting or moment influenced a song?

Going to gigs is always a big one for me. Many times, I'll see a certain tune work really well within a DJ set, and that may influence a certain section of a tune that I am working on at the time, for example. Directly experiencing what works in a club environment is so important and it has been pivotal in developing my approach to production.

Your DJ sets are known for their unpredictability and variety. How do you curate your track selection for each performance, and what factors influence your decisions during a live set?

I think that bringing in an interesting amount of variation regarding tempo and styles is really important when approaching a DJ set, whilst keeping a flow to it. Constantly keeping the audience on their toes so that they are open to whatever may be coming next is to me is a great way of achieving an exciting set for both me and the listeners.  

 
Can you discuss the role of experimentation in your music-making process? How do you balance pushing artistic boundaries with maintaining a cohesive sound?

I experiment a lot when it comes to creating sounds with synths. As soon as I start up a new synth patch, I’m always searching for different parameters / effects that I haven’t really come to terms with yet or understood, and a lot of the time, going down those little rabbit holes leads to some really interesting sounds that you didn’t even know you were capable of creating. Naturally I will then combine that with something I’m a lot more familiar with, whether that’s a certain kick, or a certain bass sound - it changes quite a lot.

As someone who embraces different sub-genres of electronic music, how do you see the genre evolving in the future? Are there any trends or developments that excite or concern you?

An exciting element in terms of the future of electronic music is the development of technology every year – it is moving fast. I’m always on the lookout for new ways to manipulate and create sounds in both software and hardware, and I always find it really interesting going on deep dives to test what the latest piece of gear can do. For example, SOMA LABORATORY still blow my mind every time I hear one of their synths. With the evolution of the genre, it’ll be really interesting to see the impact AI may have on a lot of people’s production process; I’m already starting to see it being used in VST synths.

What’s next for you that you’re super excited about?

I’m really looking forward to putting out more music throughout this year, and hopefully reaching a wider audience that may be interested in my tunes. I’m also really excited to push on with my DJ career – I am playing my first full show alongside DJ Motu and POLO JAFFA at Loki in Brixton on Friday the 15th March. Hope some Nightclubber readers can make it down!

Big love to Nightclubber for giving me a platform for my music.

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