About
Discotchari is the investigative musical journey of Zachary Asdourian and Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan. Formed as a sublabel under the LA-based, electronic imprint Critique, Discotchari is pushing the boundaries of Armenian music by highlighting rare grooves embedded in overlooked Diaspora communities and strongholds from Boston to Beirut, Montevideo to Marseilles and Santa Monica Boulevard to Sayat Nova Avenue. Their passion is to increase the demand for their culture by supplying soundtracks that sway all audiences of international music, building solidarity through shared appreciation of irresistible Armenian dance tracks and more.
Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan is from Yerevan, Armenia, where she is one of the underground electronic scene’s most celebrated DJs. A huge advocate for her country’s talent, she’s also a savvy PR specialist who’s helped achieve recognition for local artists and fashion designers throughout Europe and more recently in the Americas since moving to Los Angeles in 2021. On the other hand, Zach Asdourian is a 3rd-generation Armenian-American who spent several years doubling as an agent assistant and A&R scout in the offices of a Hollywood talent agency before starting his own electronic record label during the peak of COVID. He's produced three Contemporary Armenian albums by artists from Armenia who incorporate folk elements into electronic music compositions, and with Anaïs he shares the passion of discovering obscure dance music from around the world and throughout the ages. From opposite parts of the world, they’ve come together as Discotchari to highlight the fusion of Armenian music tradition with diverse tastes found throughout the diaspora, as heard on records from the 1960’s and onward.
"We started Discotchari based on our firm belief that, by increasing awareness of our music history, we can positively influence socio-political Armenian issues by providing a means for artasahmantsiner (non-Armenians) to experience our culture while also providing a consistent source of inspiration and pride for our barekamner (fellow Armenians) faced with an existential crisis. In the last century we have seen smaller countries like Japan and Jamaica grow into cultural exportation phenomena, and in both cases music has played a big role in attracting interest from global markets. These economics reinforce the sovereignty of these countries, and the Armenia we know today has potential to become a prime destination for cuisine, nature, spirituality, innovation and all forms of artisanry. Ultimately the goal of Discotchari is to create the soundtrack(s) that will help foster this change in perception of Armenia, its citizens and its diaspora." - Zachary Asdourian