Meet Erik Munoz and Mark Anda of DZR in Central Los Angeles/Downtown LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erik Munoz and Mark Anda.

So, before we jump into specific questions about DZR, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We started in early 2015, in a town called Salinas in northern California. Having nothing to do in such a small town, we used that boredom and anxiety to form what is now DZR, pronounced desire. We took musical inspiration from our favorite groups at the time, Joy Division, Gang of Four, The Cure, etc. and used their music, mixed with general adolescent boredom to start the group. We never really thought it was going to go anywhere since post-punk really wasn’t big where we were from, but after lucking out and playing bigger shows in neighboring cities such as Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and Oakland, we have taken this project more serious. We started to understand that people really responded positively to our music and this made us want to strive for more, so we decided to move to Los Angeles in mid-2017. In late 2018, we were signed to a small label, Mystic Fragments Records, and we released our debut album, “Instances” in February 2019. This project has been going on for almost five years now, and we don’t see it slowing down at any time. We’ve been very lucky to play with some bigger acts in northern California and down in the LA area, and we’ve been lucky to have the support from our friends back home and a new fanbase down here.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For the most part, it has been pretty smooth. Every group, business or relationship has its ups and downs, but aside from small quarrels that usually get resolved, and the occasional bad show, we’ve been fortunate in our endeavors. Booking shows when we first started/ moved down here did prove to be one of the biggest challenges as a new band. Having to basically restart our network with promoters and venues can prove difficult especially if you’re not from the area. We have done everything up until recently by ourselves as far as booking and recording, but we’ve been learning the ropes and feel more solid as a group and with the backing of our label, we’ve been able to overcome those challenges.

Tell us more about DZR – what else should we know?
We are a Post-Punk band that derives its inspiration from daily monotony and general idleness. We are constantly playing shows in the greater Los Angeles area, working on new material and establishing ourselves in a new city.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
We do owe a lot to people who supported us in our early stages back home, and when we first arrived to Los Angeles. Bob Gamber from vinyl revolution in pacific grove, Ca who showed us all the music we draw inspiration from at a very young age, Will Devoe from Somos Gallery in Salinas who gave us our first show, and has supported us throughout everything, Alejandro Hernandez, who believed in us as a group far before we did, Fernando from Mystic Fragments records, who really believed in us enough to sign us to his label, and we want to give credit to everyone who has believed in us, listened to us, come out to our shows, and bought our music.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Dzrtheband
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DZRtheband/

Image Credit:
Brandon Oleksy, Zach Rodelld

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.