Arswain

It’s fitting that Arswain, the electronic alter ego of LA-based film composer Freddy Avis, shares the same birthplace as computer-generated music itself: Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). As an undergraduate, disillusioned with Stanford’s tech-fanatic culture, Avis sought creative refuge at CCRMA, soaking up the sounds of Nicolas Jaar, Holly Herndon, Apparat, and Nine Inch Nails. The result? A moody blend of tectonic beats, textural sound design, aching vocals, and a songwriting pathos reminiscent of Radiohead’s Kid A. Arswain released his debut full-length Partitioning in 2020, prompting a remix of the title track by Luigi Sambuy on Anjunadeep’s 2021 annual sampler and reaching over 140,000 Spotify streams. Arswain’s forthcoming sophomore album, Lick From The Sink, arrives May 5th, 2023.

 

In Arswain, Avis channels his more experimental side as a counterbalance to his work as a film composer. His credits include hit TV shows such as Major Crimes and Why Women Kill, as well as major motion pictures Jungle Cruise and DC League of Superpets.