With our eyes on Firefly Music Festival this summer, we want to help you all explore the lineup by examining some artists that we are excited to see. Today, let’s find out what Hotel Garuda is all about. Hotel Garuda, a project conceptualized by Manila Killa (Chris Gavino) and Candle Weather (Aseem Mangaokar), has enjoyed a lot of success since Gavino and Mangaokar united to produce music under that moniker. The pair originally became friends during their teenage years, while living in Indonesia, though they did grow apart eventually.
After losing contact for a while, they reconnected via Facebook in 2013. Though Gavino had already been garnering attention on Soundcloud for his work as Manila Killa, Hotel Garuda nonetheless came into being as a side project in 2014. It, of course, would grow into something greater than the pair initially imagined.
The debut Hotel Garuda single, “Smoke Signals”, was released back in 2016 through PRMD Music, Avicii’s independent record label. This was an important milestone for Gavino and Mangoakar, since the label boasts artists such as Cazzette, Morten and k?d, who have all enjoyed industry recognition and international acclaim as a result of their work with PRMD Music.
“Smoke Signals” is definitely an ear-worm, with a charming melody and clever lyrics. The song continues to enjoy significant success and is a perfect example of how these two artists can blend their distinct artistries to create an iconic track. Still, the release of “Smoke Signals” was preceded by equally successful song remixes that are just as unforgettable.
In fact, Hotel Garuda often demonstrates their talent most clearly through their impressive reworks.
Artistically, their remixes of other tracks transform songs from an array of genres into infectious masterpieces. Gavino and Mangaokar had solely been releasing remixes until “Smoke Signals” came out, re-envisioning songs by acts like Lana Del Rey, Royal, Banks and kiiara.
As Hotel Garuda, the pair crafted a soaring rework of Imad Royal’s “Passenger”. The original track is centered on Royal’s vocals, and predominantly features a minimalistic instrumental. For their remix, Hotel Garuda kept the original vocals, though notably infusing the track’s original musical arrangement with more energy.
Hotel Garuda also produced an epic remix of BANKS’ “Beggin For Thread” with Gryffin.
This remake is emotive, captivating, and blissful. BANKS’ sultry vocals were reworked to meld perfectly with the sunny instrumental.
The duo’s original and remixed tracks equally illustrate how a multitude of styles influences their music.
Even so, it is particularly easy to hear how prominently the future house and deep house genres influence their collective artistry. The catchy melodies and big beats that they have come to be known for showcase this.
Their take on “Fakin It” revamped Kaskade’s epic track. The remix is more danceable, though it still captures the calm, feel-good vibes of the original. The Hotel Garuda edition of the track, all around, adds new energy to “Fakin It” in the best ways.
After the release of “Smoke Signals” and truly epic remixes much like those that we highlight above, Hotel Garuda went on to drop other innovative remakes and some very inspired original work, too. Hotel Garuda most recently released their eclectic, original track “Dancing On The Moon”, which features Norwegian indie duo Lemaitre. The song features an irresistible, lighthearted melody that is led by awesome guitar riffs.
With radiant vocals and carefree lyrics, “Dancing On The Moon” is definitely the uplifting track that we all need on our playlists.
Catch Hotel Garuda live at The Woodlands of Dover this year at Firefly Music Festival 2018. General admission and VIP passes are already on sale, with 4-day passes available, along with camping passes and packages, here.
Check out the rest of the Firefly 2018 Lineup below:
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Follow Firefly Music Festival: Facebook | Instagram | Official Website | Twitter
