Trumpeter Niran Dasika embodies an international mindset. Born in Vancouver, Canada, he eventually landed in Melbourne, Australia where he earned a Bachelor of Music at Monash University, while also learning Japanese. His fascination with Japanese jazz from the 70s and 80s led him to move to Japan for a year after his studies were complete.

While in Japan, Dasika worked as a session musician on several recordings, including Epistroph’s Monk’s Playhouse, Shun Ishiwaka’s Songbook II, Kemeno’s Metamoru City, among others. He also spent plenty of time performing, including an appearance at the Tokyo Jazz Festival with with the Paul Grabowsky Quintet.

A celebrated Australian jazz pianist, Grabowsky was one of Dasika's mentors at Monash. Grabowsky ran the Monash Art Ensemble, and at one time Dasika was a member. Under his tutelage, the students produced a work called Nyilipidgi, a project Disaki considers an early career highlight. The trumpeter even recorded his debut, Manticore, with fellow students in his final year of college.

Upon returning to Melbourne, continued to explore a variety of styles and settings, from straight ahead jazz to avant-garde, with trios and quartets. His latest, Life Forms, was recorded with Andrea Keller (piano) and Helen Svoboda (double bass). Dave Sumner from Bandcamp raves, "It’s introspective, it’s comforting, and melodies are as bright and beautiful as moonbeams on a dark night…Simply gorgeous."