Hotel Garuda
Hotel Garuda (Credit: Ryan Chang)

Q&A with Hotel Garuda

Hotel Garuda will be performing on Saturday night, March 11th, at U Street Music Hall,  so Blisspop checked in with these (half) local up-and-comers to give us a preview of what’s to come this weekend! Get tickets to the show here.

From the cover art on your first single, “Smoke Signals,” to the design of the Eternal Sun Tour, it’s clear you’re hoping to take listeners on a trip into the skies. What can fans expect on Saturday night? 
 
Chris (a.k.a. Manila Killa): You can definitely expect a journey. That’s what we’ve been all about, lately. From the live sets to the recent tracks we’ve put out, we want to bring our listeners on a journey.
Aseem (a.k.a Candle Weather): I feel like as long as the visual stimulus and the music go together it really enhances our fans’ experiences with our music. The theme with the skies came from the paper plane in our logo so we like to keep that consistent in our art.
 
Knowing that both of you have well respected solo acts, how do you describe the Hotel Garuda vibe? Is it a combination of your respective soundmaking or is it a completely unique blend that may surprise your individual followers?
 
Chris: Hotel Garuda definitely started off as an idea backed by a heavy house influence. We still do make house music, but as of late we’ve began to combine both our interests in our solo projects and bring that forth in Hotel Garuda. Which means that in the future, we won’t necessarily be making house music. Doesn’t mean we won’t abandon it, but we’re definitely interested in pushing our boundaries.
Aseem: Lately we’ve just been realizing that we feel way better making whatever comes out of our heads and then deciding what to do with it later – I think a reason this project is so important to us is because we both are evolving as our own artists but also recognize the evolution of our creative partnership. So while house music is what brought us together and helped us form this bond, we’re excited to be dipping our toes in other creative waters too 🙂
 
Since coming on to the scene in the past few years, you’ve played at UHall a number of times — what’s your favorite part of the venue and more generally, the DC music scene?
Chris: We haven’t played Uhall together as a duo, but I remember opening for Autograf as Hotel Garuda solo a few years back. My favorite part about the venue is that it’s all about the music – no flashy lights, no flashy LED screen, just the music and the crowd. What I love about the DC scene is that everyone comes out to support each other – I have friends who aren’t necessarily into house music come out to support, and I’d do the same.
Aseem: I’ve never played at UHall but the DC music scene is incredibly supportive and open-minded. It’s Chris’s hometown so since the beginning of the project it’s been one of those places that’s always supported us at shows, and for that i’m really grateful.
 
If there’s one thing people don’t realize about each of you, what would it be?
 
Chris: A lot of my influence that I take and put into my music isn’t necessarily music from artists that I look up to – most of the influence and energy i put into my creativity is from the relationships I have with people, the conversations shared, and reactions I take from speaking with others. Then I package that energy and put it into writing music.
Aseem:  I don’t think people realize how much of a homebody I am and how low-key I am when we’re not touring. I’m making music almost every waking hour and only really take breaks to stay hydrated and fed. When i have my routine in places and my ideas flow at the rate I want them to, thats when I’m making my best music.
 
To give us a feel for what’s about to happen this weekend, can you give us three tracks that we may hear you drop on Saturday?
 
Chris: 
1. The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (Axwell Remix)
2. Hotel Garuda – ID 😉
3. HONNE & Izzy Bizu – Someone That Loves You

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Aseem:
1. Travis Scott – goosebumps
2. Dombresky – Utopia
3. Ta-Ku & Wafia – Love Somebody (Mr. Carmack Remix)
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