21-year-old New Zealand musician Arjuna Oakes's debut EP, The Watcher, is a showcase of his ability as a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, and a testament to his depth of engagement with music. The first two tracks on the EP fit neatly within the jazz-infused soul music landscape he is quickly becoming part of, but the latter half of the EP is far harder to categorise. Featuring instrumentation from some of New Zealand’s most exciting young jazz musicians, The Watcher explores a wide variety of themes and musical ideas, with Arjuna’s charismatic soul vocals and robust sonic palette serving as a connective thread. From big social issues to personal relationships and internal self-discoveries,  across The Watcher, Arjuna takes his cue from the title track and exploration of mass surveillance, and it’s relevance within our everyday lives. This watcher theme continues throughout the rest of the EP, with the stories told rendered as if being observed by an outside force. Decorated by cinematic soundscapes, hypnotic grooves, creative improvisation and catchy melodies, Arjuna's debut is a test palette for his future projects, one that makes his enthusiasm to develop and explore themes and style in song abundantly clear.

The Watcher

Arjuna Oakes is a 21-year-old singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Auckland, New Zealand, currently based in Wellington. Following the release of his debut EP in 2019 with a combined 300,000+ Spotify listens, Arjuna and his band have spent a jubilant summer impressing crowds at some of New Zealand’s most exciting music festivals including Rhythm and Vines, 121 Festival and Tora Bombora. With the current lockdown and being unable to perform live, Arjuna and his band are releasing new music and live sessions in the coming months that feature an entirely different sound.
 
With an act comprising some of New Zealand’s most exciting young jazz musicians, Arjuna and his band present a euphoric live experience and recorded sound, with his charismatic soul vocals and robust sonic palette serving as a connective thread. Decorated by cinematic soundscapes, hypnotic grooves, creative improvisation and catchy melodies, Arjuna’s recordings and performances displays a musical sensibility well beyond his years.
 
With tracks from The Watcher EP playlisted by tastemakers as diverse as Tokyo’s influential DJ Taro of J-Wave FM, as well as Vogue Paris’ 2019 selection, and a review from UK record store, Juno records saying “as debuts go it's an absolute stunner”, Arjuna’s appeal is truly international. Arjuna’s next project will be focused more on live performances from him and his band, presenting an entirely different side to the rising talent.
 -Rain and Shine Records