Zokhuma: Former Goddess Gagged guitarist launches solo project

Arman Menzies | Photo Credit: Sophie Wright

Arman Menzies, guitarist of now defunct post-hardcore band Goddess Gagged, has been experimenting with a new solo venture ”“ the electronica project, Zokhuma ”“ a project he’s been working on for under a year. Zokhuma, which loosely translates as ”˜one from the Mizo tribe’, is the Mumbai-based artist’s middle name and is a nod to the North Eastern branch of his family tree.

Says the 21-year-old, speaking about the disconnect between his new and old sounds, “It wasn’t very difficult, because all of us were really into electronic music and we were all trying it a little bit. At one point, we were going to do a little bit of electronic stuff with Goddess Gagged but that didn’t happen.”

Zokhuma, whose calm compositions bring to mind Flume’s early work, draws his influences from sounds as varied as African percussions to psychedelic grooves. Demos of his early tracks comprise a constellation of sounds with strong ideas of melody, pulse and proportion. Menzies, who recently played at The High Spirits in Pune under his new moniker, says “I think there’s something for everyone in the music. I want to be able to play it in a club and have people groove to it, or be able to listen to it on the beach during sunset, or even just before falling asleep.”

Already in talks with When Pandas Attack and Ox7gen, artists who Menzies would love to collaborate with in future include Sandunes, Paralights, Nischay Parekh, the F16s and Nanok. The artist plans to launch himself officially with a five-track EP, due late April. Each track will highlight Menzies’ varied musical obsessions ”“ whether it’s hip hop, drum and bass or chillwave. Says the producer, “Zokhuma is the freedom to do whatever I want.”

Zokhuma ”“ I Chose Myself