Back in January 2021, ar syura embarked on a year-long period of focused exploration. Every month, the duo of Aki Kawano and yohkyu would release one single, each designed to reveal the breadth of possibilities for an indie and pop band whose principal influences lie in jazz, soul and R&B. dyed Bordeaux now collects all those singles (adding one new track, the introduction “Bordeaux”) into a debut album that most resembles a kind of indie or DIY jazz pop.

If the notion of combining indie edge with the nuance and exactness of jazz sounds like something of a novelty, ar syura’s execution of it certainly isn’t. One can hear jazz’s influence not just in the instrumental palette but in the muscular playfulness of the bass, the rationed dazzles of guitar and the sheer amount of breathing space given to each track. And dyed Bordeaux isn’t just jazz-influenced, either: you can hear elements of funk, electronica, downtempo and more here, all pinned together by yohkyu’s compositional style and Kawano’s melodious, lounge-like, oft-muted vocals. A great work of fusion and a solid debut.

Listen to “Bordeaux” below.