Demsky is a Toronto-born, Tokyo-based producer with a calm, unhurried approach to making music. He comes from a background of playing in bands and experimenting with sound on the move, and that’s shaped the way he works now: small setups, light footprints, and ideas that form through doing rather than planning.
Living in Tokyo has given him room to focus on texture and atmosphere, often building tracks from field recordings, loose percussion and half-remembered melodies. His music tends to sit somewhere between ambient and downtempo, but he’s not especially concerned with genre. What matters is mood, space and getting to something that feels natural.
His new album, Jugaad, moves fluidly between ambient textures, melodic techno, and downtempo rhythms, with touches of broken beat and jazz phrasing running throughout. Layers of shimmering synths and field recordings sit alongside organic instrumentation, creating a sound that is both expansive and intimate.
With the album today, we asked Demsky to give us some more context on the tracks on Jugaad, and he duly obliged.
“Jugaad is a Hindi word that refers to a clever, resourceful way of solving problems using limited resources often through improvisation, repurposing, or creative adaptation. In the context of sound and music, Jugaad speaks to a spirit of innovation driven by necessity of nontraditional tools and methods, recording in makeshift environments, and crafting unique sonic experiences with whatever is at hand. It’s about rethinking what music can be when convention is set aside and creativity leads the way” Demsky
Pure Honey
I was learning how to manipulate my drums using delays, stretch samples with the sampler tool, and experiment with different Ableton effects to create the unpredictable, dancey melodies you hear toward the end. Everything came together smoothly, like pure honey from the comb.
Sonar Sunrise
A couple of years back, I played Wonderfruit on a new stage called Enfold. It was a big step up for me. I had to elevate every aspect of my set to meet the demands of this immersive, ambient environment. After my performance, I could finally relax and take in the exhibition-like atmosphere Wonderfruit had crafted. One of the best moments was watching the sunrise from the Sonar Stage with my friends by my side, a feeling that’s stayed with me ever since. The drums and main melody sample capture the beauty I felt that morning.
Reminisce
I’m not someone who often looks back in nostalgia for the “glory days.” Instead, I try to reflect, learn, and focus on creating beautiful moments in the present and future. A few years ago, I lost a close friend in a car accident, something none of us saw coming. It was a powerful reminder that we’re never fully in control of our surroundings. All we can do is live fully, with love, growth, and respect. I miss him deeply, and this track is for him.
Patterns That Shimmer
This was one of those tracks that came together in just a few days. The sounds are meant to mirror the shimmer of light reflecting off the rain. But as my best friend says in my track Earth: “Things that happen that are highlights in your life, and you hope that those things that shimmer become patterns again and again.” I think he nailed it.
Silver Surfer
This track is my homage to my favourite character, the Buddha of the sky, Silver Surfer, and to one of my favorite beatmakers, Mr. Scruff. I wanted to imagine what a cosmic surf might sound like, gliding through space, passing planets and unknown life forms. The thumping bassline was inspired by tracks like “Get a Move On,” “Kalimba,” and other funky cuts from Mr. Scruff. Space can be dark, but there’s always something wondrous and a little wobbly about it.
Earth
After finishing Dan Charnas’ Dilla Time biography, I started thinking differently about how to approach my beats. One of J Dilla’s genius traits was his ability to keep a groove moving while pushing and pulling certain drum elements to create both tension and relaxation. I loved that some of his loops took 20 bars to repeat. Earth was inspired by that spirit. I finished it in a small apartment in Kuala Lumpur. The vocal sample is my best friend explaining what Patterns That Shimmer means to him.
Jugaad is out now – buy via Bandcamp
The post Track By Track: Demksy walks us through his stunning new LP Jugaad appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.