sagun
Co-Founds Artist-First Label
Arden Records
By Kenneth Tse
Multi-faceted producer and global phenom sagun officially announces the launch of Arden Records, a truly artist-first lo-fi label in collaboration with Platoon.
Amidst the current climate where lo-fi labels are taking advantage of early-stage producers with no bargaining power and offering inauspicious record deals, sagun, Jordan Smith (S+ MGMT), and Andrew Kwan (Romantic Music Group) set out to change the status quo and tackle one of the most prominent issues artists face in the music industry.
Since his debut, the Nepalese producer has already amassed over 200 million streams and co-released “I’ll Keep You Safe” featuring Shiloh Dynasty, one of lo-fi’s most recognizable tracks to date. We spoke to the artist about Arden Records, plans for the future, and more!
Hey sagun! Thanks for speaking with us and congratulations on the launch of Arden Records! What can you tell us about the label?
Thanks for having me! With Arden, I wanted to create a label that goes against our current industry norms. In today’s climate, Lo-Fi labels tend to take advantage of early-stage producers with no bargaining power and unfavorable record deals. With the help of my co-founders, Jordan Smith and Andrew Kwan, we want to change that narrative.
And why the name “Arden”?
The word “Arden” means 'a great forest', and I’ve always been so inspired by nature. Being an independent artist was always a goal of mine, but even more so, I always had the dream of starting a label to help develop lo-fi’s up-and-coming talent. I didn’t have a team and lacked music industry knowledge at the beginning of my career, so this project means a lot to me.
Introduce us to some of the other artists on the roster!
We’ve got an amazing group of producers so far: clay house, pecna, slow-key, Trankilo, and wrongnumber make up our current team. We’ve created some amazing stuff together and I can’t wait to start sharing it with y’all!
Speaking of, you recently teased a new EP, fittingly titled ‘Arden’ – what can we expect from the project?
Yes! ‘Arden’ is the first project to feature collaborations with the rest of Arden’s debut roster.
Can you walk us through your musical process for the EP?
Before making the “Arden” single, I received the announcement teaser video from my manager and began writing music that complemented the teaser. Then, we shared the stem files with the Arden roster and asked everyone to add their own magic touch. The end result was an eclectic mix of remixes which became the ‘Arden’ EP.
It’s been four years since the release of “I’ll Keep You Safe.” What do you feel has changed most about your sound during this time?
A lot of things have changed for me since releasing “I’ll Keep You Safe”. I made that track just to have fun with the music-making process and to learn more about sampling. There was no direction while making the song, and I had no idea that it would become as huge of a track as it is today. I don't really feel that I’ve changed my sound very drastically, but I am beginning to work with artists across all spectrums of genres. I still follow a similar process while making music, but I definitely want to continue experimenting with more genres and continuing to learn and grow.
Where do you see the direction of your genre heading in the next few years?
Honestly, I don't know, but I really think I'm gonna discover it soon. No matter what genre of music I'm making, I'll make sure that I'm enjoying making it. That’s the most important aspect of music-making, in my opinion.
‘Arden’ Cover Art / Click to Stream!
What’s your best piece of advice for an up-and-coming artist/producer?
I don't think I'm “big enough” of an artist to give advice, but I’m most grateful for the relationships that I’ve built over the years, and that’s where it might help other artists and producers as well, so I encourage you to start networking now! The more connections you have, the more doors you open. Making music is still the most important thing, but always make sure to build up more connections with people. It will definitely help you a lot down the road.
When sagun makes it to LA, ____________.
The first thing I want to do in LA is to observe how people work. I have very little idea how people work in a studio with so many people. For the first month, I just want to make more friends, more connections, and learn how artists and producers collaborate in-person. After that, I obviously want to make more and more music.