JINJ was born in 2020 out of Sevana Tchakerian and Gor Tadevosyan’s mission to harness music as a therapeutic medium to heal their shared homeland, fractured by war. Traveling across Armenia to lead workshops for refugees, in the background Tchakerian and Tadevosyan got to work channeling trauma into a celebration of the resilience they saw radiating from their community. JINJ, meaning “serene” in Armenian, is a testament to that spirit as a guiding force in their music. Sourcing inspiration from majestic green mountains to the pulsing beat of the city, from liturgical chants to underground rap, in a nonconventional mixture of 808s and shepherd’s flutes, JINJ is the rhythmic manifestation of the diversity of the Armenian landscape and culture.

Beyond an exercise of catharsis, their singles “Khosa Khosa”, “Cheat Code” and “Hov Arek” boldly defy the campaign of cultural erasure characterizing the conflict it was born from. Silence was never an option, and JINJ demands to be heard.

JINJ are a class act, with high-production-value mini-films which are a treat to watch. More importantly, their music is fascinating. Contemporary beats and sounds brush up against traditional melodies and instruments in a wholly organic-sounding manner.
Chris Wheatley, Pilgrimpicks (UK)