Features
From Chamar Pop & Indie Hip-Hop To Ragamalika & Bhakti Poetry: The Protest Music In India Reflects Its Many Cultures & Many Problems
“Assi hath judva ke chaddange Hath hor sadde ton jurhde ni Tu tagda horr ke var badla Rud jaange wapas mudde ni” This is one of the many songs of resistance at farmer protest sites capturing the...
“I Felt Foreign Again In A Different Way”: Shubh Saran Reconciles The Nuances Of Identity On ‘inglish’
There’s been a rise of attention given to diaspora artists channelling their roots through their more contemporary artistic practices. Acts based in UK and US with their family roots in South Asia...
Review: Arjun Vagale’s Reflective Journey Into Outer Space On ‘Exit Fragments’
Arjun Vagale is no stranger to establishing firsts for India’s techno community. Previously as part of the group Jalebee Cartel and constantly as a solo artist, the New Delhi talent has been part of...
A Matter Of Identity: How Indie Musicians Are Upholding Indigenous Cultures By Singing In Native Tongues
India’s cultural diversity is most prominent in the sheer number of languages spoken in different parts of the country – 121 to be exact, while dialects number over 19,500. Naturally, this is...
Review: Shantanu Pandit Offers A Heart-Rending Journey Through His Memories On New Album ‘Milk Teeth’
After wearing his folksier influences on his sleeve with the 2014 EP ‘Skunk In The Cellar’ and trying different iterations of his musical vision with the group Run It’s The Kid and his moniker...
The Cult Of The Code: Decoding Algorave & Its Future In South Asia
As I make a beeline for my first Alograve (Pune, 2019), I recall a searing entry from the TOPLAP manifesto: Live coding is not about tools. Algorithms are thoughts. Chainsaws are tools. That's why...
Review: Hotel Kali Make A Stellar Case For Collaboration On Eponymous Debut Album
“A lot of people from outside India come into India and they’re more interested in Indian music and classical music. Theresa was very cool like that. She was curious about Indian music but not so...
Solidarity As A Factor Of Resistance: Radio From India, Palestine & Beyond Open Up Sonic Liberation Front
Music is playing an important role in this latest spate of violence between Israeli forces and the Palestinian people. The Israeli military has dubbed this war “Operation Guardian of the Walls,”...
Review: Lifafa Shines Albeit Dimly In The Shadow Of His Previous Work On ‘Superpower 2020’
When Suryakant Sawhney aka Lifafa released ‘Jaago’ at the start of 2019, it catapulted him to become one of the leading alternative artists of our time. Pushed by algorithms and enthusiastic word...
An Unlikely Marriage: Indian Classical Music’s Century-Old Flirtation With Jazz
I was recently asked if there was jazz in India, a question related to my life experience of 5 years living there. I received the question with a certain wariness almost as if I had to defend India...