New Music: Kolkata Hip-Hop, New Delhi Tropical House, Punjabi Folk-Pop and More

“Sehreyan Wala” by Pallavi Ishpuniyani

Following her independent debut with the single “Night Out” in February, Mumbai-based singer-songwriter Pallavi Ishpuniyani continues her exploration of contemporary pop renditions of Punjabi folk songs. The latest from her is the breezy, cheery wedding-themed song “Sehreyan Wala,” produced by Avijeet Satapathy. In the accompanying video, we see Ishpuniyani getting her groove on, dancing along as she sings the soulful Punjabi song.

“Overcast” by Irene

Producer and singer Irene Dona Abilin Mathew offers her latest single “Overcast” with a subtle Carnatic twist in the melodies. Propelled by marching band drums as well as cinematic production, the swaying song follows a steady of run of singles released by the Keralite artist, including “Tanjore,” “Batik” and “Mandala” in 2020.

“Days With Her” by Rohan Chaudhary

New Delhi singer-songwriter Rohan Chaudhary’s 2020 debut single “Misery” was the runaway hit off of Compass Box Music’s live compilation Unboxed Vol. 2, which is perhaps what has led him to collaborate with the Ahmedabad studio once again for his second single “Days With Her.” The indomitable spirit of love against all odds comes forward on the track, which is aided by producer-bassist Raag Sethi, saxophonist Harmish Joshi and drummer Shivang Kapadia. Multi-instrumentalist Protyay Chakraborty helms mixing and mastering duties.

4/20 EP by Tintin, Ankith Gupta

Bengaluru-based hip-hop artist Tintin and Chennai producer Ankith Gupta join hands for an aptly roomy, chill new EP called 4/20, which released last month on the internationally recognized date by stoners all over. Tintin throws down tightly-wound verses about the pandemic as well as the rap game on “have you ever been the same?” and fast forwards to angsty hours on “where the fuck were you?” featuring producer-rapper VAR!N. Gupta churns out a warped, hazy beat for “it’s cold in the city, i’m freezing,” in which Tintin is steadfast about his thoughts about Bengaluru and the hip-hop scene.

Udne Do by Chaar Hazaari

New Delhi Hindi rockers Chaar Hazaari certainly offer cheer in the midst of gloom times with their new album Udne Do. The spirited, moody rock record doubles down on anthemic choruses (“Udne Do,” “Soona Jahan Hai”) flute-aided swaying tunes (“Jaane Jaana”) and playful whimsical songs (“Yaadon Ki Tokri”). They might run the risk of repeating themselves just a smidge over the course of eight tracks, but Udne Do packs in arena-rock tunes that should see Chaar Hazaari at a big stage near you once events start back up.

“Mulakatein” by Ragasuram and Priyansh Srivastava

Faridabad-bred producer Ragasuram aka Aryaman Pandey teams up with fellow city musician Priyansh Srivastava for a Hindi electronic-pop track called “Mulakatein.” Inflecting a little bit of friendly pop by the likes of Ed Sheeran, the yearning love song pairs summery production with the sublime classically-trained voice of Srivastava.

“Better Days” by Trix ft Alex Schneider

New Delhi-based producer Trix aka Sanjog Bhushan calls on go-to collaborator and vocalist Alex Schneider on his radiant tropical house track “Better Days.” While Schneider’s vocals do a lot of the heavy lifting, the producer also blends in saxophone parts to change things up from previous singles. While “Better Days” is pensive through the verses, the drop signifies a sense of celebration and hope.

“Sohore Sauce” by Archiesman Kundu

Following his success with this debut EP Bangla Plug, Kolkata-based rapper Archiesman Kundu returns with a quickfire round of Bengali-English mixed up on his song “Sohore Sauce.” Teaming up with this go-to collaborators – producer Rawhit, director Jasprit Singh and Josan Biswas – Archiesman runs through what he calls the first ever Bangla drill track. Not one to sit still, the rapper has already released his next single “Shada Dhuar Ghor,” also produced by Rawhit, to mark the latter’s 20th birthday.

“Bohot Haare” by Himiee

Gwalior-bred Himanshu Shrivastava aka Himiee calls on producer Jaydeep Hora for a bolstering, real-talk song called “Bohot Haare.” Himiee raps in Hindi about life’s experiences and how facing defeats is part of the battle, even as he bares his heart about his insecurities surrounding supporting his parents and society’s judgment of his path as an artist. Photographer and filmmaker Aarv Singh travels with Himiee to capture him and locals in Jaipur and Gwalior for the music video.  

“Flora’s Song” by Gatha

While Ahmedabad’s Compass Box Music had to reduce their activities surrounding live studio sessions due to the pandemic, they’re certainly not reneging on their promise of quality music. The latest performance is led by Dehradun writer turned singer-songwriter Gatha, whose track “Flora’s Song” gets a nimble, well-rounded rendition by the Compass Box Music crew. Serving as a lyrical pep talk to one self, Gatha offers a stirring and comforting tune, heightened sonically by the band.