Aroha is an iconic presence in the music industry. As DJ Aroha she’s ruled the waves as primetime radio host in her native New Zealand, become a regular fixture on festival stages, smashed massive supports for the likes of Disclosure and was voted New Zealand’s best club DJ. The next step in her evolution is AROHA, an artist/producer, drawing on her extensive knowledge of House, Techno and Bass to to create the music he wants to hear. And her debut release is a massive accomplishment.
Layered with lush pads, haunting vocals and club ready bass her debut two track EP hits the perfect balance of headphones-on introspection and propulsive dance floor energy.
Since her time at Liveschool, Aroha moved to Melbourne and slowly but surely carved out space in her busy schedule to focus on production. Then came the final push to take the leap on her first release:
“2020 and lockdown was tough, especially in Melbourne, that really dragged on. However, it’s actually been the thing that has allowed me to really focus and spend time working on my sound. I’m usually super busy and travel a lot, so it’s hard to make time to do things for yourself when you’re always on the road. The events of 2020 are also the source of inspiration for both tracks, which is why they’re on the deeper tip. “
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(classmate cuties!!)
The lockdown theme extends through the tracks right into the sound design, with Aroha using whatever she had to hand to create her unique layers of texture and atmosphere.
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Word from Aroha is that she has more releases in the pipeline. As the world transitions out of a turbulent year, Aroha’s music is going to be right alongside us as we open back up to the possibilities of shared dancefloor moments.