There Is A Light – the brand new imprint from LA-based DJ, producer and label head Arash Homampour (a.k.a The Archer) – has officially launched with the eagerly-anticipated release of The Archer’s debut EP, Lonely Dream. Established as a platform to champion some of the brightest international talents in electronic music – as well as being a home for his own prolific stream of productions – Homampour’s wide-reaching musical knowledge, spanning everything from Deep House, New Wave, Disco and Techno, will lie at the heart of everything the label represents, as he looks to deliver a consistent run of diverse and quality output over the course of 2021 and beyond. We sat down with Arash to talk about the new venture and his plans for the rest of the year.

Hi Arash, a very warm welcome to We Own The Nite! How are you sir?

Hi, I am doing well given that I’m doing what I love as a DJ, an artist, and now label owner, thank you for asking!

First things first, please can you introduce yourself and your new artist project ‘The Archer’ to our readers that may not know you?

I’m a trial lawyer by day that loves to DJ in my spare time. I have always been drawn to house music, and a few years ago, I made a commitment to myself to learn how to properly produce my own. ‘The Archer’ is the moniker for my house music productions. 

How would you best describe your sound?

I would describe my sound as vocal-based house music at its core, with touches of Afro house, tech house, and techno.

Congratulations on the launch of your new label ‘There Is A Light’. Tell us more…

Thank you! There Is A Light is a vehicle for me to get my music out there and, more importantly, to give aspiring artists a platform to get their exceptional music heard. The label will not be limited to one particular genre; the sound should transcend classification and universally be heard as great music.

What’s your creative vision for the imprint?

A portal for music, art, and charity, with a musical focus on timeless tracks of all genres that stand the test of time. 

And what was the motivation behind setting it up?

Helping musicians, artists, and do-gooders do what they love and share their passion and visions with the world. 

Talk us through the first release?

I wanted to make a house track that had a unique but memorable hook, abstract lyrics, and a driving exotic rhythm. Lonely Dream is exactly that.

You’ve got Drunken Kong and Matt Sassari on board for two incredible remixes. How did you manage to get such big hitters for the first release?

Living in Los Angeles and being nice helps. I met techno legend Sian at a live stream, we hit it off, and the rest is history. Sian is so nice that when I told him my two dream remixers for the track, he made it happen. Obviously, they liked the track enough to do a remix, but I am forever grateful to Sian for all of his help.

Do you get particularly involved in the creative direction when it comes to music videos, artwork, and content creation?

Of course! My existence is highly curated and I am an eternal optimist and manifester. The album art for Lonely Dream is a perfect example. I have this painting by Lino Lago that I absolutely love. The painting and its subject – as I see them – depict a Lonely Dream. So, I asked my new good friend Pablo Ceballos of Chus & Ceballos (one of my favorite DJs/producers — how we connected is another crazy story) who is from Spain to reach out to Lino Lago, who also lives in Spain. Lino then graciously agreed to let me use the painting as my album art. Optimism and manifesting at its best. 

What were you doing before you decided to make a leap into the world of music?

I am a fairly successful Trial Attorney who absolutely loves what I do as a lawyer – making a difference and making the world a safer/better place. I have also been DJing for several years now. The next natural step for me was to create music and then ultimately, start a label. As a trial lawyer and now as a DJ/music producer/label owner I am literally living my dream!

What do you have coming up over the course of 2021? Any exciting projects or touring you can talk to us about? A trip to NYC perhaps? 

As soon as clubs reopen, I plan on touring and playing in NYC for sure. I also plan on releasing at least three more tracks and some remixes this year.

Any final words for our WOTN readers?

I’m here to help musicians, artists, and do-gooders do what they love, share it with the world, and get them the exposure they deserve. I know we see the words “lets collab” so often, but I’m serious. If I like what I see or hear, I am genuinely interested in collaborating so that we can all take our unique intrinsic talents and make the biggest impact. 

Thanks for your time Arash!

The Archer — Lonely Dream EP (including remixes from Matt Sassari and Drunken Kong) is out now via There Is A Light.