Kiss Nuka’s ‘Raat Rani’ EP Combines Socially Conscious Themes and Hypnotic Electronica

A year on after the release of her debut EP Serpentine, Mumbai-based vocalist-producer Kiss Nuka aka Anushka Manchanda has put out Raat Rani as her sophomore EP, traversing sonic and thematic wilderness like few other artists in the country.

The seasoned artist, who has been part of pop, fusion, hip-hop and rock projects among others, steadily moves into arresting dancefloor-friendly yet dark tunes on Raat Rani, which ties together tribal beats, drum and bass, trip-hop and more. In a description for the release of her latest work, the artist explains the name of the EP, “Raat Rani, meaning queen of the night, is the Indian name for the beautiful jasmine flower that blooms after dark, filling the air around it with the sweetest fragrance. Raat Rani is a celebration of my connection to the earth, a reminder to be unafraid, and to work towards making peace with the darkness…so I can find the light. I bring my attention to the importance of taking care of our planet, where everything we need for our growth and nourishment comes from.”

Raat Rani EP starts on a fairly intense and groovy note with “War Cry” that’s spectral and escapes easy definition, with lyrics that unfold like a prayer. Kiss Nuka has earlier said in a post about the song, “Musically, it’s a kind of perfect representation of who I am. It flips and trips through different spaces with equal parts of care and abandon. It’s gritty and playful, has its hard moments, and soft ones too.”

There’s African percussion that welcomes listeners on “Jashn,” which pairs cinematic elements with sitar, the zither (from China) and more instrumentation from different music traditions that, according to the producer, sound like “they belong to the same palette.” She adds in a post, “It’s what I wish for the world.” Inspired by a “long forgotten sample” on the artist’s hard drive, the main percussion along with a two-and-a-half-second sample sparked “Jashn.”

Among the voices heard most prominently on Raat Rani doesn’t belong to Kiss Nuka, but a sample of an interview given by Indian environmental activist and economist Dr. Vandana Shiva, used on the pulsating techno song “The Seed.” Dr. Shiva’s message of interconnectedness and unity rings out. Kiss Nuka said online about what drew her to include a vocal sample on this track, “This was one such interview, the words of which kept reverberating in my mind long after I heard her speak them.”

Bells and more hypnotic rhythms flow on “The Harvest,” which adapts a Bihu folk song with help from Assamese vocalist Zublee Baruah. There’s grittiness to the track as well, but Baruah’s vocals juxtapose the dark elements with a different kind of energy. Kiss Nuka said about finding and working with the singer, “Zublee Baruah is a force to reckon with. For me, she is the voice of Assam… soulful. Powerful. Not just a prolific musician, Zublee’s social work and commitment to humanity is inspiring! This is why I call her my sherni. [lioness]” They initially connected during the pandemic, according to Kiss Nuka, bonding over their love for nature and “our care for the environment [and] our wish to use our artistic voices to tell the stories we feel strongly for.”

The EP closes with the title track that’s more of a sonic playground than a proving ground for Kiss Nuka. Bird calls and sounds of nature along with the artist’s vocals launch listeners into sublime drum and bass territory. The tunneling twists and turns on the track give it plenty of club banger potential, showing how Raat Rani balances thought-provoking and transformative goals with dancefloor-friendly sonic experiments.