Producer-Vocalist Ashhar Farooqui Launches Hindi/Urdu Project Bilkul

New Delhi-bred, Kumaon-based producer-singer Ashhar Farooqui has previously made mind-fuck music under the moniker Toymob, plus with electronica duo Teddy Boy Kill and projects like IJA. Farooqui delved into dark electronic club music as well as noisy detours but his latest project Bilkul concerns itself with “language and poetics.”

Having grown up speaking Hindi and borrowed from Urdu vocabulary all his life, Bilkul became a means to be inspired by poetry as well. Except for Farooqui, this would be incorporated into a “street flow.” It resulted in the sharply socially conscious debut EP Zabardast, which was released last month. He adds, “The other inspiration behind this work was to reach out to and be understood by the immediate community I live in, a little village in Uttarakhand, without diluting the import of my message or sound.”

As tormented and murky as the sonic treatment remains on Zabardast across four tracks, Farooqui’s message is loud and clear in its criticism of how lawmakers have largely failed the common Indian citizen. In the process of doing so, he emerges with ideas for a “progressive future we might or could imagine.” The artist’s work as Bilkul is not without precedent, however. As vocalist with Donn Bhat and Passenger Revelator, Farooqui led a provocative Hindi song “Desh Bhakti” off their 2016 record Connected.

Now, the producer and vocalist recounts that “Desh Bhakti” perhaps created a template for expression. “Things have only become more turbulent in our society since,” Farooqui adds. He points to how the pandemic “exacerbated the idea of what it means to be an ordinary citizen of India.” The artist bemoans how governments are often referred to as “rulers” where they are meant to serve the people. “The destruction of a free press, the class divide, poor education, misinformation on social media, overconsumption, inefficient administration and growing enmity between religious groups, all have informed and influenced this work,” he adds.

On “Gyaan,” there’s seething commentary on how misinformation and half-knowledge has created perverse narratives. The ominous “Aandolan” picks up on protest movements with menacing imperatives. In a commanding tone, Bilkul is piercingly sarcastic on “Kabu” – he sings, “Do kadam aage, chaar wapas” (Two steps forward, four backwards). But ultimately, he encourages a spirit of challenging and pushing back against injustices, even as he devolves it into a takedown of modern consumerism. On the closing track “Raees,” wonky, shimmering beats provide the fuel for talking about absolute hopelessness of human nature.

Farooqui promises more Bilkul releases through 2022, including singles and music videos. “I want to try and create work around themes of environment, nature, wildlife, regional folk tales and songs. Also, try to learn and express in different Indian languages,” he adds. 

Listen to ‘Zabardast’ EP below. Stream on more platforms here.