In the male-dominated world of EDM, one singer-songwriter is determined to be seen as more than ‘eye candy’ or a voice for hire. ARUNA is not solely the pretty vocalist you hear on your
favorite tracks--she’s penned a chart-topping single recorded by Miley Cyrus for the multi-platinum selling #1 Billboard Hannah Montana soundtrack, collaborated with some of dance music’s biggest
names, and has added DJing to her arsenal of skills. Along with being a classically trained pianist and formerly sought after studio musician, it’s safe to say that Aruna is one of the industry’s most exciting and successful leading ladies.
After her 2007 collaboration on British trance legend The Thrillseekers’ hit ‘Waiting Here For You,’ Aruna’s unique vocal chops were immediately in high demand. Suddenly, she was recording for a host of internationally recognized producers, including Cosmic Gate, ATB, Myon & Shane54, Filo & Peri, Ronski Speed and Roger Shah. Her debut solo single, ‘Let Go,’ was released on renowned UK imprint Anjunabeats’ Volume 8 compilation, cracked the iTunes Dance Top 200 singles chart at #150 and was the second most popular download from the album.
But Aruna’s true breakout moment would come in May 2012 when her track ‘Live Forever’ with Dutch superstar Ferry Corsten shot to #2 on the UK Upfront Top 40 Club chart. Dubbed the “anthem of the summer” by fans around the world, ‘Live Forever’ stayed #1 on the Beatport Trance
chart for nearly eight weeks straight with the official music video racking up almost half a million YouTube views--over 100,000 in the first two days alone.
Most recently Aruna has released her second solo single ‘Save The Day’ on Black Hole Recordings, a poignant breakup song which tugs at the heartstrings while still delivering all the power and energy of a peaktime club smash. “‘Save The Day’ was truly a labor of love,” she says. “I’m really proud of how it turned out and the response so far has been great.”
Aruna’s honest lyrics connecting repeatedly with fans around the world recently earned her the #5 position in Beatsmedia’s Top Vocalists poll for 2012, but a major accomplishment for her this year was making history as the first female solo artist to host the guest mix on Trance Around The
World with Above & Beyond on Aug 31. “I was so honored to guest mix for TATW,” she says. “It's been a huge goal of mine ever since I
started DJing and the fact that I was the first female solo artist to do one just makes it that much sweeter!”
Within days of the TATW broadcast, her own podcast, The Hot List, rocketed to #14 on the iTunes Top 200 Music Podcasts chart. On the show, she takes listeners on an hour-long journey through
her personal favorites in progressive house and trance, often showcasing her own mashups and forthcoming releases, with an eye on quality vocal tracks aimed at pleasing a variety of tastes.
“Spinning on the live circuit has been a huge thrill as well,” says Aruna. “I’ve already done a handful of international gigs, including a recent Insomniac event at Exchange LA with Myon & Shane54
which broke the club’s record for attendance!” Not content to be pigeonholed into one specific genre however, Aruna has been honing her pop music writing skills--on her own tracks and for other recording artists as well. Velvetine, her side project with Myon & Shane54, released their second single called ‘The Great Divide’ in September
which shot to #1 on Beatport’s Trance and Dubstep charts.
She’ll soon step foot in the studio to
begin producing her next artist album and will continue to perform around the world. The future is golden for this Los Angeles-based quadruple threat, as Aruna continues to break barriers through
her unparalleled, multi-faceted approach to singing, writing, producing, and DJing.