Hot off of their viral joint single release ICARUS with pianist sensation Tony Ann (5 million+ followers across platforms) and Decca Records, the award-winning electro-acoustic duo ARKAI have recently released their first solo single ASCENT as part of their highly-anticipated debut album Crossroads dropping in August on ONErpm.
Press release by Crossover Media
Created in collaboration with GRAMMY-award winning producer Jonas W. Karlsson, Crossroads brings ARKAI’s spellbinding virtuosity and limitless imagination to an all-electric selection of original songs that showcases their virtuosic western classical Juilliard training and love for the progressive mainstream. Drawing inspiration from neoclassical, electronic, and prog rock worlds, their style innovatively integrates instrumental mastery with heavily-processed string leads, sequential layering, dynamic bass grooves, and atmospheric sampling – all coming together to create a cinematic and genre-defying sound that has the aura of an other-worldly jam session between 2Cellos, Philip Glass, and John Williams.
Tidal link
Rising stars in the classical crossover world, ARKAI has performed hundreds of shows around the world including esteemed engagements at GRAMMYs on the Hill, Abu Dhabi Culture Summit, Carnegie Hall, US Air Force Academy, and TED Talks. They have opened for GRAMMY and Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste, collaborated with esteemed photographer David LaChapelle for Milan Design Week, and released music with viral pianist sensation Tony Ann and Decca Records.
As proud Asian-Americans, ARKAI has helped raise awareness and support for AAPI causes in partnership with the Museum of Chinese in America, Asian American Arts Alliance, World Trade Center and US Dept of State. During this time of increased division and hostility within our world, their artistry represents a beacon of possibility for the AANHPI community and an example of the power of arts to inspire understanding and connection.
Crossroads illustrates ARKAI’s journey of chasing dreams and discovering one’s place in the world — the pressure of expectations, predeterminations, realism and practicalities, and the search for a new path forward.
It’s a story that’s deeply personal. Even for two graduates of the elite Juilliard School, having a successful career in music wasn’t a given. They were outsiders within a classical world steeped in competition and preconceived notions of success, yet they defied odds and challenged industry norms by paving a career that both honors tradition and embraces innovation.
“Our music always comes from what we know and hold dear,” ARKAI says. “Crossroads channels our struggles around leaving tradition and the familiar, the vulnerability of asking the essential questions, the determination to start anew, and the freedom we found when we discovered our truths and a purposeful calling.”
“What happens when life shuts the door on our dreams, or when our dreams aren’t grounded in reality? What happens when we realize that our dreams might not actuallybb e ‘our’ dreams…or the dreams worth fighting for?”
Crossroads paints the long and winding journey through the beautiful and harrowing unpredictability of life – full of vulnerability, determination and hope. It’s a blazing announcement from a new artist destined to make its mark within the progressive string world.
For more information and music samples, visit arkaimusic.com.
