Surbhi Chandna Birthday: 6 Stunning Festive Looks to Inspire Your
Global Artists Spotlight: Hotel & Prince Matton, Gilska, Zanjeer and More
(Clockwise from top left) Hotel x Prince Matton, Abhilasha Sinha and Rutaba, Ethyr, Beast Nest and Gilska. Photos: Courtesy of the artist, Mike Daddona (Beast Nest)
Hotel x Prince Matton – “René Laloux”
Sydney DJ-producers and long-time friends Hotel aka Andrew Tudehope and Prince Matton aka Matthew Digges dig into a swirling, nostalgic synth-pop sound with their song “René Laloux.” Intended as an ode to the French filmmaker and animator of the same name, the track is driven by an indefatigable synth pattern and lyrics told from the perspective of Silbad, a character from the sci-fi animation film Masters of Time (1982) by Laloux. “Silbad is a bit of a space cowboy who is full of wisdom and dual personalities that come to the surface during the movie,” the artists add in a statement about the song.
Gilska – “Up Till 5”
London-born, Sri Lankan-origin artist Gilska and her gang burnt club dance floors with “Up Till 5,” only to slowly find that there are highs as well as lows to be encountered. To mirror the house music-meets-pop spin on the track, the music video taps into the neon-lit energy of a night out. Gilska says in a statement about the song, “It’s almost like being stuck in a loophole of ending up in the club night after night not knowing why. Having a slight addiction to partying to get that dopamine rush to feel something, but slowly realizing night after night it’s not working. How the lights, the drinks, and even the music sucks you in and you always end up feeling that same numbness after a temporary high but you keep on dancing anyway.”
Zanjeer – Parcham Buland Ast EP
Like a brutal force of nature, punk band Zanjeer from Bremen, Germany, slam together eight minutes of screeching, unbridled takedowns on their debut EP Parcham Buland Ast. From powerful statements like “Taliban Murdabad” and “Nakhair” to straight-up acerbic social commentary on “Ijtimayi Bemaari,” the band’s vocalist Dozakhi sings in Urdu, Punjabi and Farsi. Zanjeer – who came together in 2020 and comprises artists from Pakistan, Colombia, England and Germany – are completed by guitarist Zuri, bassist Mommers and drummer Steve.
Beast Nest – “Kim, People are Dying”
Oakland-bred Indo-American queer artist Sharmi Basu’s electronic music project Beast Nest released their album Sicko in January this year and it’s led by the seemingly cathartic music video for the song “Kim, People are Dying.” As Beast Nest leads us down hypnotic synth passages, in the video directed by Sepand Mashiahof (with cinematography by Ricky Marler), we see the artist take on a role similar to a healer, guiding people who seem out of sorts onto a clearer path, all within the confines of their apartment.
Ethyr – “Safar”
New Jersey-based producer Divij Raj Singh aka Ethyr makes his debut on South Asian label Indo Warehouse with a potent electronic-fusion song called “Safar.” Building upon Punjabi dhol and tabla rhythms and samples from a Hindi song, the beats surge ahead and open up into an infectious dancefloor-ready banger sound in the span of six minutes. The producer says about the track, “My take on the lyrical content from the vocal sample featured in this track [is that] this life is a journey, and a magical dream — both of which provide meaning to our experience here despite not knowing what tomorrow may bring.”
Sreeja Chakra – “Ami Jaani”
Kolkata/Dubai-bred, Denver-based artist Sreeja Chakrabarty aka Sreeja Chakra’s new single “Ami Jaani” taps into neo-soul, R&B and sparse guitar arrangement to talk about the search for solace and peace. Sreeja switches seamlessly between Bengali and English verses in her raw, echoey vocals. The artist describes the song as a “homage to the decades of struggles and hardships, generation after generations of South Asian descent and specifically Bengali/Bangla communities have faced.” She adds, “This song is created to continue conversations about mental health and awareness for the trauma that always goes unheard of.”
Rutaba ft Abhilasha Sinha – “Nazar/Surma”
Coinciding with South Asian Heritage Month in August (and 75 years of Independence of Pakistan and India), artists Rutaba and Abhilasha Sinha team up for a dreamy yet socially conscious message about identity, adulthood and childhood. Produced by Jack Shute, Dubai-based Rutaba Yaqub and New York-based Sinha sing in Urdu and Hindi to their younger selves, gaining perspective. Rutaba says about the song on Instagram, “I started working on this track last year during Covid and this collaboration has come to life remotely. It’s crazy how we have shared such similar childhoods coming from two countries apart and it’s a pleasure to share it with you this South Asian Heritage Month and both our countries’ 75th anniversaries.”
