Arjan Miranda
Birth nameJonny Ollsin
BornOctober 25, 1977
OriginVictoria, British Columbia
GenresProgressive trash metal, metal, doom, psychedelic hard rock, ambient, synth, songwriter
Occupation(s)Songwriter, composer, record producer, music editor
Instrument(s)Guitar, bass, keyboards
Years active2000–present
LabelsNo Quarter, Global Symphonic, Kemado, Esko, JagJaguar, Sacred Bones
Member ofPeace Sign
Formerly ofBlack Mountain, S.T.R.E.E.T.S, Children, Family Band, Operation Space Magick

Arjan Miranda (formerly known as Jonny Ollsin), a native to Victoria, British Columbia, is a songwriter, composer, music editor, and musician. He is known as a member of psych rock band Black Mountain, songwriter of his eponymous solo project, and a founder of the recording studio Circular Ruin along with Randall Dunn and Ben Greenberg.[1]

Career

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Musician

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Miranda was a founding member of East Vancouver's celebrated early '00s skate punk crossover band S.T.R.E.E.T.S., and later of the progressive thrash metal band Children, synth ambient soundtrack band Operation Space Magick, and indie folk Family Band.[1]

In 2007, Miranda and Ryan Oxford (of Y La Bamba) founded the Portland-based recording studio The Center for Sound, Light, and Color.[2]

In a 2012 review of Family Band's Grace & Lies, Pitchfork described Miranda's guitar playing as "stark and restrained, serving [...] to dribble ice-cold droplets on the base of your neck."[3]

In 2016, Black Mountain recorded the LP IV with Randall Dunn at his Seattle studio AVAST! with Miranda as a co-writer and performer. On his role as co-writer and interim touring bassist, drummer Joshua Wells told Under The Radar Magazine "Arjan is a fantastic all-around musician [who] really kicked our process into gear [... and] brought a real atmosphere to the songs.”[4]

Following the release of the 2018 film Mandy, Miranda tracked bass for the 2020 record Lift It Down by fictitious character Jeremiah Sand—a record conceived by the director Panos Cosmatos and Randall Dunn for Sacred Bones.

In 2017, Miranda recorded his debut solo album, Spiritual America, with Randall Dunn. Released on Miranda's own label The Wild Unknown, the work was reviewed by The Vinyl District as "a resounding success[...] as a solo debut and the kick-start of a new label."[5] The label shares its namesake with Miranda's oracle deck created with Kim Krans, which saw worldwide proliferation and appearances in Goop, Vogue, The New York Times, and Vice.[6][7]

In 2019, Miranda tracked keys for Y La Bamba's album Mujeres, released by Tender Loving Empire.[8]

In 2023, Miranda tracked guitar and bass for artists including SQÜRL, Myrkur, and Dan Boekner.[9][10]

Production, Film & Television

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As a film composer, Miranda has scored feature films including Goat, the 2016 film starring James Franco and Nick Jonas, and the Independent Film Channel's full-length documentary New World Order.

Miranda produced Holland Andrews' 2019 record What Makes Vulnerability Good for Accidental Records, released under the moniker Like A Villain.[11]

In 2020, Miranda and sound designer Chloe Alexandra Thompson co-produced Kaki King's 2020 LP Modern Yesterdays. In a review for AllMusic by Thom Jurek, the album was described as "remarkable: It extends the guitar's role in contemporary music to one of nearly limitless possibility without leaving the realm of deeply pleasurable listening."[12]

In 2022, Miranda contributed music to television series and films including Salvage Marines (Showtime), Moloch, and Panos Cosmatos' 'The Viewing' episode of Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities.

In 2023, Miranda was the music editor for Nathan Fielder's Showtime Series "The Curse", produced by Emma Stone and directed by Benny Safdie.[13]

Discography

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  • Arjan Miranda, Spiritual America (The Wild Unknown, 2017)

Filmography

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  • Lord I - Composer

Production credits

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  • Like A Villain, What Makes Vulnerability Good (Accidental Records, 2019) - Producer
  • Ryan Oxford, Fa Fa Fired (Mama Bird Recording Co, 2017) - Guitar
  • Kaki King, Modern Yesterdays (Cantaloupe Music, 2020) - Producer
  • Y La Bamba, Mujeres (Tender Loving Empire, 2019) – Keyboards
  • Jeremiah Sands, Lift It Down, (Sacred Bones, 2020) - Bass
  • Black Mountain, IV (Jagjaguwar, 2016) - Bass, co-writer
  • Black Mountain, Destroyer (Jagjaguwar, 2019) - Bass, guitar
  • Sqürl, Silver Haze (Sacred Bones, 2023) - Bass
  • Myrkur (2023) - Lead Guitar
  • Aska, We Are Water (Self-released, 2017) - Producer, electronics

References

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  1. ^ a b Neff, Joseph (2017-09-13). "Graded on a Curve: Arjan Miranda, Spiritual America". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  2. ^ "Inside One of Portland's Best Indie Studios". reverb.com. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  3. ^ Nast, Condé. "Family Band: Grace & Lies". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  4. ^ Miller, Joshua M. "Black Mountain". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  5. ^ Neff, Joseph (2017-09-13). "Graded on a Curve: Arjan Miranda, Spiritual America". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  6. ^ Kerr, Breena (2017-10-25). "Tarot Is Trending, and Dior Predicted This Months Ago". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  7. ^ David, Sara (2019-08-16). "The Best Tarot Decks, According to Astrologers". Vice. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  8. ^ Y La Bamba - Mujeres, 2019-02-08, retrieved 2023-05-25
  9. ^ SQÜRL - Silver Haze, 2023-05-05, retrieved 2023-05-25
  10. ^ "Arjan Miranda". Discogs. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  11. ^ "Like A Villain: Artist Holland Andrews' Boundless Emotional Range". opb. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  12. ^ Kaki King - Modern Yesterdays Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2023-05-25
  13. ^ "John Medeski Scoring New Nathan Fielder Series 'The Curse'". JamBase. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
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