MZA Ventures Deeper Into Jungle With Gospel & Zen Influences In His ‘Dharma Delight’ EP

MZA enters the jungle on his new EP (Credit: Courtesy of MZA)

MZA has never been shy about sharing his reminiscences. The local beatmaker took us down his personal memory lane back in 2021 when he released his Balmoral EP, where he painted pictures of his childhood using sonic landscapes of trip-hop, instrumental hip-hop and deep house. Now, the Japanese-Singaporean producer once again taps into his past like scooping water from a well, giving listeners another snapshot of his youth with his latest release, dharma delight.

Released on the label that he co-runs, Yen Disco Soundsystem, dharma delight is a much more homogenous offering that sticks to the genre of jungle. The recollections explored in this four-track collection hark back to MZA’s early years playing gospel music in church. He refers to this spiritually-focused period of his life while inserting elements of Zen in the mix, producing a set of tracks that are dancefloor-conscious with deep and emotive undertones.

dharma delight joins the repertoire of Yen Disco Soundsystem, the label co-run by MZA (Credit: Courtesy of MZA)

MZA’s interpretations of the ’90s UK genre are authentic yet fresh in these innovative numbers. “absolution (can you dig it?)” is a jumpy and jittery sprint that kick-starts the journey with boxy warehouse kicks and splashy hats. You can feel his Christian background on “sunday best”, with organ-inspired synths and erratic drum patterns as spirited as a possessed church preacher. “shambhala” almost reaches a level of climactic enlightenment with its particularly bass-heavy foundation and frenzied breaks, all before concluding with the title track that rounds off the journey with a sense of rejuvenating, post-euphoria calm.

Listen to dharma delight by MZA on his Bandcamp page. You can also read our interview feature with MZA to know more about him, and check out his 15-Min Flash Mix.