EPK - Disillusion
Artist: Jay Matharu
Genres: Jazz Fusion · Progressive Rock
Origin: London, UK
Base: Uppsala, Sweden
Contact: music@jaymatharu.com
ARTIST OVERVIEW
Jay Matharu is a guitarist and composer working at the intersection of jazz fusion and progressive rock, with influences drawn from North Indian classical music. His work balances structured composition with improvisational freedom, prioritising narrative flow and emotional clarity over technical display.
Originally from London and now based in Uppsala, Sweden, Matharu has developed an international profile through solo releases, collaborative projects, and band work. His music is characterised by expressive phrasing, dynamic contrast, and carefully shaped harmonic movement, resulting in instrumental compositions that unfold as self-contained stories.
UPCOMING ALBUM – DISILLUSION
Format: Album (8 tracks)
Status: In mixing
Release: TBA
Genre: Jazz Fusion / Progressive Rock
Disillusion is a cycle of instrumental works developed through artistic research during Jay Matharu’s Master’s studies in Music Performance. The album emerged organically from exploratory practice sessions and documents the introspective and restorative role of music during a formative period of the composer’s life.
Fusing influences from jazz fusion, progressive rock, and Hindustani music, Disillusion presents dynamic instrumental storytelling rather than a technical showcase. Moments of intensity and discomfort are set against passages of clarity and release, creating a broad emotional arc across the record.
Listeners will encounter soaring guitar and saxophone melodies, driving rhythmic frameworks, playful bass grooves, tightly constructed unison lines, and harmonies that balance simplicity with sophistication.
Track Themes
Bare – an exploration of openness and unguarded expression
Cog – reflections on individual agency within larger systems
Butterflies – tension between exhilaration and uncertainty
Deluge – immersion in dense and shifting emotional states
Atrophy – movement and continuity within stasis
- Shruti – a brief meditative prelude, centred on introspection and presence.
Chalo – a dedication to the late Pandit Sanjay Guha, engaging with memory, lineage, and transmission
Bittersweet – resolution shaped by complexity and necessity
LINE-UP
Jay Matharu – Guitars, Keys
Erik Brandell – Tenor Saxophone
Christine Lanusse – Bass Guitar
Jacob Johnson – Drums
All music composed by Jay Matharu.
ARTISTIC CONTEXT
Disillusion displays an evolution in Matharu’s musical voice, showcasing the eclecticism of his musical identity. There is a noticeable progression from his debut solo release, not just a considerable leap into jazz fusion territory, but also an invitation for the listener to engage more deeply with his creative world.
This release marks a renewed focus on developing and releasing music under his own name, following years of collaborative and band-based projects.
SELECTED PRESS QUOTES
“On this material, Matharu is showing an incredible amount of versatility, as a composer, performer and musician.”
— Progarchy
“If you like adventurous, classy instrumental metal fusion, ‘These Clouds Are So Undisciplined!’ is a release you need to seek out immediately.”
— MetalHorizons
“A soulful, musical album … full of emotion and surprises.”
— Technical Music Review
“Careful song craft, detailed production, and masterfully delivered playing.”
— Pitch Perfect
“For a totally instrumental release … seven tracks of expansive, experimental and wholly gripping fusion music.”
— Som Valvulado Blog
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
Jay Matharu
These Clouds Are So Undisciplined! – Self-released (2017)
Dissonant Distance
Self-Titled – Sliptrick Records (2018)
Consequences of the Light – Self-released (2022)
Liv Sin
Kaliyuga (Mighty Music, 2023)
Close Your Eyes (Seek & Strike, 2025)
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS & COLLABORATIONS
Jay Matharu has performed and recorded with a range of international artists and ensembles, including:
- Johan Langquist’s The Castle (guitarist)
- Hexed (guitarist)
- Liv Sin (lead guitar, co-writer)
- Dissonant Distance (co-founder & guitarist)
- Eleine (live lead Guitarist)
The London Sitar Ensemble
Mahavira (founder, co-writer & guitarist)
CONTACT
For label enquiries, PR, licensing, and press:
Release dates, final audio, and promotional assets to be supplied.