b i o
Kamran Adib (they/them/theirs) is an American music composer-producer, audio engineer, and DJ based in the Bay Area, California. They founded Zenith Flare Records in 2020. A psychedelic fusion of melodic house, electronic pop, hip-hop/rap, and downtempo — ZFR casts a wide net to listeners around the world and is always seeking to expand its genre range.
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In their own music, Adib draws from electronic dance, contemporary classical, and experimental music traditions.
Their music has been described as "an undeniable sound that is unique, kinetic, and deeply moving [...] difficult to categorize—it’s genre-bending and always original,"
(Dana Genshaft, SFDanceworks).
Adib's career took off during their undergraduate in the Technology & Applied Composition program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. There, in 2019, they won a competition to produce music for an apprentice choreographer at the San Francisco Ballet School. Overseeing the choreography workshop was critically acclaimed choreographer and former San Francisco Ballet soloist Dana Genshaft. She later reconnected with Adib and to date they have created five pieces together for contemporary ballet, most notably:
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"Wunderkammer" was commissioned by the Cincinnati Ballet and premiered in February 2021 as a part of the Kaplan New Works Series.
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"Orpheus" was commissioned by the Washington Ballet and is currently available for streaming on Marquee TV and premiered in June 2021.
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"Future Paper" was commissioned by the San Francisco Ballet and created by Adib in collaboration with music director / founder of Spider Farm Productions JD Mayer — one of the geniuses behind the award-winning score of the videogame The Last of Us. "Future Paper" saw its world premiere in June 2021 at the San Francisco Ballet's Virtual Festival.
Prior to their work for ballet, Adib scored several short collegiate films. They composed and produced music for the drama Blossoming Hope (Amber Finnegan & Tehan Davis), Lovely Head (Hanna Reynolds), and Don’t Be a Sucker (Jeff Ng). Working with Ng, they produced music for the YouTube series Athena ('16-'18). Adib subsequently contributed to multiple projects for Tony Alfaro of Swingshot Films.
In addition to recording original compositions of demo videogame music at Sony Interactive of America several times over, Adib also wrote music for collaborative promotional content between JAKE Atelier Fashion and The Walt Disney Family Museum's Young Animators Guild (2018).
Featured Artists:
Miraaj, né Dhiraj Korwani (he/they), is a multi-hyphenate South Asian artist based in San Francisco. Singer-songwriter, melody-minded composer, dancer, speaker, and community gatherer, Miraaj has many gifts to offer and strives to spread joy by bringing people together through authentic self-expression and the sharing of performance arts.
Born in the Middle East to Indian parents, Miraaj's work bridges a cultural gap between numerous Western electronic dance traditions and ornamental Hindustani (Indian) singing styles. Miraaj, grew up training in dance with hip hop, Bollywood, as well as many Latin ballroom dancing styles which completes the dynamics of their live performances. No matter the size of the stage, Miraaj's unique, memorable performances stimulate the senses and leave audiences begging for more.
From melodic hooks that pay homage to trance titans like Above & Beyond and Armin Van Burren, to driving, deep house beats like those of Lane 8, Tinlicker, and Marsh, there's something for everyone in Miraaj's music. Most tasteful of all, perhaps, is the way their rich, melismatic vocals are supported by uplifting yet pensive lyrics reminiscent of RÜFÜS DU SOL and Bob Moses.
Produced for by many but truly captured by few, their debut single, Ritual, created by Zenith Flare Records' very own Apadravya (Kamran Adib), dropped on all major stores and streaming platforms on March 10th, 2023. Since then, Miraaj has performed live across major venues in San Francisco, like the legendary Oasis Club, Brick & Mortar Music Hall, The Midway, and Palace of the Fine Arts, aside from making stops in Las Vegas and New York as well.
KXMRXN
KXMRXN, a stylized disemvowelment of the Persian name 'Kamran' (pronounced COM-ron), is a pop-electronica project created in 2017 by the founder and music director of ZFR Kamran Adib. The project features collaborative works with a variety of artists and producers. Like a diary, Adib explores the nature of human, romantic connection from different angles — often telling one story from opposing perspectives. Armed with a mind sharpened by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Technology and Applied Composition Program, KXMRXN's iridescent ear candy is laser-locked onto the post-millennial palette.
apadravya
Apadravya is a Sanskrit word that has several meanings — an impurity, any bad thing, a bad substance, and is even used as a generic name for a penile extension device from the Kama Sutra. Most notably, it is the name of an uncommon piercing; a quick google search of Apadravya is not for the faint of heart. Created by Kamran Adib in 2020, Apadravya houses all of Adib's melodic house and progressive dance music. A sexy, simmering blend of saxophone, synths, snaps, and bells, Apadravya is a melting pot of gyration steeped in a four-on-the-floor beat broth. Once described as "a digital monastery that still practices an ancient religion but also accepts [crypto] for tithes," Apadravya is a pagan ritual reminiscent of deadmau5 — that only could have evolved from the queer nightlife and burner scene in San Francisco. Be sure not to miss one of their carefully curated DJ sets.
VALLI MOB
Valli Mob, produced by Steve Kelm, is a hip-hop/rap duo hailing all the way from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Darnell Moore and "Slic" Tyress Martin are a satisfying high-five between passionate lyrics and clever verses. Never failing to deliver a tantalizing, technicolor
backdrop for Moore's soulful timbre and Martin's rhythm, Kelm's music production is modern yet tastefully nostalgic, uniquely informed by his background as a metal drummer.
Kelm and Adib's paths crossed in 2012 at Glenbard North High School — the same high school that birthed The Smashing Pumpkins. Two decades later, Kelm sought out Adib to mix and master some tracks for him. The rest was history.
Stream Valli Mob's latest EP The Way Far Chronicles here.