Varnasvara

After releasing his debut album, Miles to Go (Demajors Records) in 2021, guitarist and composer Daniel Dyonisius, also known as Dan, formed Varnasvara: a jazz rock collective that explores the interaction between songwriting, electronic music, and the diverse forms and styles of Indonesia’s traditional music. This experimental group was established with a vision to create a space for learning, discussion, and communication between original jazz rock compositions with various musical colours embodied in the music of Indonesia.

After more than one year of collaboration and experimentation, Varnasvara released its first single titled Relung, with the music and lyrics written by Dan. “Relung” maintains the improvisational elements of jazz packed with indie rock vibes, yet it represents a significant departure from the jazz guitar trio format in Miles to Go, which previously featured musician Dewa Budjana.

Supported by pianist Sri Hanuraga, “Relung” offers original and fresh sounds born from the combination of rock vocals with rich instrumentation ranging from guitars and synthesizers to traditional/ethnic musical instruments such as kongahyan, tehyan, rebab, kendang, and rindik.