The 10 Best Indian EPs of 2023 

From a brotherhood cemented by Raftaar and Prabh Deep and When Chai Met Toast’s bright proclamations to RANJ x Clifr’s care-a-damn genre-hopping and superb blues by The Arinjoy Trio, here are our favorite EPs of the year, ranked.

10. Pratika, PrabhuNeigh – Growing Up 

Mumbai musician siblings Pratika and Pritesh Prabhune have been mainstays and constantly evolved, but their EP Growing Up was about bringing it back to their roots of growing up with rap metal, rock and electronica. On production duties, Pritesh aka PrabhuNeigh, is gritty and groovy across five tracks. But where Growing Up scores high is in Pratika’s unpolished, no-holds-barred narration of everything she’s seen growing up middle-class India since their days in Bandra, Mumbai. Everything from morally bankrupt local goons she had to call family to experiences of sexual abuse and more, Pratika calls them all out and viciously takes them all down on songs like “Growing Up,” “Lawrie” and “Survival.” – A.T. 

9. Zohran Miranda – Time for Two 

Mumbai-based guitarist-vocalist Zohran Miranda unveils his musical evolution across his five-track debut EP Time for Two. Co-produced with Jovian Soans, the record weaves a retro-modern pop sound, incorporating elements of R&B, soul, funk, and electro-dance. Miranda, joined by singers Yamini Lavanian and pop duo Simetri, explores themes of expansion and ascension, narrating his journey from self-doubt to self-discovery. The EP features Miranda’s juicing guitar parts and scintillating solos too. — D.B. 

8. Kasck – Deal with the Devil 

Pune thrash metallers Kasck unleashed their fiery debut EP Deal with the Devil earlier this year. The band delivers a must-listen for thrash metal enthusiasts. The four-track EP showcases chugging distorted guitars, euphoric drums and growly vocals on “The Punisher” and “A Thousand Deaths.” Lyrically, themes of self-existence, corruption and terror echo through the record. — D.B. 

7. Gooth – Golden Boy 

Chennai artist Gooth’s debut EP Golden Boy is among the strongest releases this year because it ticks one very important box when it comes to versatility – the singer-songwriter and producer manages to sound like a different artist on each of the five tracks he’s clearly painstakingly crafted. “Her Song” trudges darkly but places dreamy synth to create a wholly unsettling yet alluring sound, while “Nobody Can” has the hip-hop/pop might that can elevate it to club-banger status. “Amber” has a distorted bassline running through it and noise. “Sweater Weather” may not ever exist in Chennai, but it stands for a fantastical thought that drives a dreamy song with hip-hop crew Eastcoastmovement. “Balter” is spectral, which kind of best sums up the genre-defying intent that Gooth has on Golden Boy. – A.T. 

6. When Chai Met Toast – LYTS 

Kerala indie folk-rock outfit When Chai Met Toast take you own a sublime journey on their four-track EP LYTS. The record opens with the energetic “sushi song” before we hear the melancholic “so beautiful, with you.” The EP then moves forward with the emotive “hearts never break” before it closes with the indie rock-leaning “love you the same.” Throughout the record, the band offers plenty of dynamics and exquisite vocals, making it quite the earworm. — D.B. 

5. Meewakching – The Land 

When they need it the most, Manipur has a defiant rock band speaking on behalf of the strife-torn state that’s been shunted out of urgent attention since May this year. Meewakching’s The Land EP opens with “Of Murder and Mayhem,” the drums, bass and riffs ring with a Strokes-like indie-rock shimmer as they ask, “We haven’t learned who the real enemy is, have we?” When there’s still less and less heard about Manipur and how (and if) it is hobbling back to normalcy, The Land serves as an important record of protest – from the punk rock flash of “Absolute Minority” to the dreamy, despairing rock of “Motorik Rhetorik.” Often always singing in Manipuri, this mostly English EP is perhaps Meewakching’s way of making sure the message from the state remains accessible, as it should. – A.T. 

4. Dhruv Visvanath – Dancing In The Dark  

New Delhi guitar maverick Dhruv Visvananth’s commitment to his craft shines through on his lively six-track EP Dancing In The Dark. Across six tracks, he infuses his percussive acoustic style with a contagious energy, evident in standout tunes like “Gimme Love” and “Moondance” featuring the vocals of Benny Dayal. The sparkling production choices and positive lyrical reinforcements add vibrancy to the collection. Tracks like “Alone” and “Little Fingers” showcase his playful plucking and harmonies, while “Underworld” exudes cinematic lushness and “Separately Together” radiates roaring electric energy. — D.B. 

3. RANJ x Clifr – Antihero 

Pushing boundaries until they break, Bengaluru-based duo RANJ x Clifr’s EP Antihero is the statement of intent about their place in the country’s music terrain. While 593, Vol. I from 2021 (with producer Issamood) was much acclaimed, Antihero powers into all kinds of genre blends – from house (“BOO!”) to UK grime to Afrobeats (“After Afters”) and pop. RANJ doesn’t waste a single second on this seven-track record with her rap and vocal prowess and shows how it’s done. Clifr’s production palette makes Antihero an elastic trip, and the duo eventually teams up with beatsmith Karan Kanchan and hip-hop stars Seedhe Maut for a Hindi-English throwdown that proves RANJ and Clifr are the champions of taking Indian hip-hop to new places. – A.T. 

2. Prabh Deep, Raftaar – PRAA 

One of the best surprises in Indian hip-hop came with the announcement and drop of Raftaar and Prabh Deep’s collaborative EP PRAA. Across four tracks, one of the most shape-shifting Punjabi artists of our times and a rap frontrunner like Raftaar ran riot without a care for boundaries. The song “TRAP PRAA,” however, encapsulates just the kind of sparks that fly on a powerful collaboration like this. Brothers in arms all the way through, PRAA shows the might of collaboration in desi hip-hop is one of the best things about the circuit. – A.T. 

1. The Arinjoy Trio – Talkin’ That Talk 

Kolkata blues outfit the Arinjoy Trio, follows up their impactful 2019 debut with the four-track EP Talkin’ That Talk. After navigating pandemic challenges with online gigs, the trio, led by vocalist-guitarist Arinjoy Sarkar, brings a dynamic blend of blues to life. Opening with the tribute to Kirk Fletcher in “Blues For Kirk,” the EP explores espionage-themed allure in “Just Your Alibi” and a seven-and-a-half-minute blues ballad, “Now I Think I’m Done.” Closing with the funky “Why You Taking So Long,” the EP showcases superb musicianship, enriched by organ, strings and horns. — D.B.