In this ever-so-vibrant independent music scene of our country, where hundreds of new musicians pop up on stage every day, putting all their hard work and heart into the art they produce, it’s hard for artists to make their presence known unless they bring something authentic or new to the table. Today, I’ve picked five of these artists for you who have something special to grace your ears.
1.Moosa (Stylised M∞sa)
After giving us artists like Ahmer, Ali Saffudin, SOS, Faheem Abdullah. Malik Musa aka M∞sa is Kashmir’s latest gift to the world of music, A modern day poet and singer-songwriter who bares his emotions in Kashmiri, Urdu and Hindi. Musa’s 3 song debut EP ‘DarBeDar’ with producer, SoFire, released earlier this year. It is evidence enough of his talent to write beautiful, heart warming compositions that connect Kashmir’s folk music to the contemporary sounds of music.
2. Amenn Wihaan
Amenn’s music encompasses a complete and unified soundscape, where each element, including lyrics, instruments, and sound texture, receives equal attention and dedication. As he gears up for the launch of his debut album, ‘Tabeer’, he’s been establishing his presence with notable writing credits and his latest single, ‘Phool Na Rahe’, a unique Hindi shoegaze track exploring themes of existentialism and heartbreak.
3. Sufr
Sufr is a unique voice that is coming out of the underground who makes heavily autotuned, reverb drenched music that may be this high energy shot of dopamine in the form of hyperpop/rage rap or a punch in the gut in the form of these deeper emo melodic cuts. His infusion of Hindi lyrics into a style of music whose pockets are more suitable to the English language is what sets him apart from the rest of the scene.
4.Unkill Ji
Unkill Ji is a genre fluid music producer and singer who brings together a bunch of influences from around the world to make music that is unique to him. The (only) two tracks that he has released are enough to substantiate his impeccable sense of musicality and melodies. The playfulness of his compositions might remind one the great Amir Trivedi.
5. Ana
A gifted and well trained vocalist who happens to be my favourite vocalist in the Indian independent scene right now is equal parts hip and equal parts traditional. Apart from being a beautiful solo singer, her knack for choosing challenging yet soulful beats and musicians for collaboration is a trait that makes her a very exciting musician to look out for.
