Asian-American EDM act Hotel Garuda delivers uplifting anthems as well as bittersweet dance-pop tunes. Initially comprised of Aseem Mangaokar (aka Candleweather) and Chris Gavino (aka Manila Killa), the duo released several successful singles and remixes before Hotel Garuda became a solo act under Mangaokar's direction in 2018, releasing the new wave-influenced EP The Tension two years later. The two friends first met in middle school in Singapore, part of transient families that frequently moved. They both ended up in the U.S., where they worked on solo projects and attended college (Gavino in Virginia at George Mason University and Mangaokar in Los Angeles at Occidental University). They rekindled their friendship after reuniting at Miami Music Week in 2014. From across the country, they exchanged ideas and music over the Internet, performing both solo and together as Hotel Garuda. After delivering official remixes for artists like BANKS, Galantis, and Alina Baraz, their euphoric debut single, "Smoke Signals," arrived in 2016 on Avicii's PRMD label. They followed with "Fixed on You" featuring Violet Days. In 2017, they issued "Till It Burns Out" with Violet Skies and "Dancing on the Moon" with Lemaitre. By 2018, Hotel Garuda had graduated from clubs to festivals. They released the single "Blurry Eyes" featuring RUNN (Mom+Pop) in June. However, days later, they announced their final show as a duo would be at Michigan's Electric Forest Festival, with Gavino departing to focus on his own projects and Mangaokar continuing Garuda as a solo venture. "Head in the Trees," marking a departure from club-ready music to a more sophisticated electronic pop sound, appeared in 2019, and 2020 EP The Tension continued in this direction. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & Paul Simpson