Armenian electronic label Discotchari releases first deadstock discovery of “Something Different”

It was a case of serendipity. In a post-ceasefire Armenia, the story behind Discotchari’s inaugural release is a testament to the bonding power of art, even in times of strife. The “deadstock discovery” – a term used for warehoused, sealed or discontinued records that have been removed from catalog – emerged when Discotchari stumbled upon a cache of ’45s featuring virtuosos John Bilezikjian and Raja Zahr, still encased in their original factory boxes from 1970. Available on November 3, 2023, this collaboration will be released on hundreds of 7” 45rpm units, plus digital downloads and streaming on all platforms. 

Discotchari, a sublabel under Critique, is an L.A-based electronic label that selector and A&R Zach Asdourian and DJ and marketing professional Anaïs Gyulbudaghyan started in 2020, focused on reconstructing a long-lost back-catalog of rare groove music from artists of Armenian and Middle Eastern/SWANA identities to form an archive of songs that would be rediscovered by future generations of listeners. Over the years, Asdourian and Gyulbudaghyan learned the value of building a community of fans and Armenian “rare groovers” organically, rather than creating songs with the sole intent of achieving algorithmic rotation over the Internet.