It’s a cloudy day and the Hyderabad University Campus with its lush green surroundings looks idyllic for an evening stroll. Bala Subramanyam Swayampakula aka Dakta Dub is heading for his weekly radio session ‘Musical Journey with Balu’ at Bol Hyderabad 90.4 fm, the local campus community radio. A weekly show that features music ranging from dub, reggae, Indian electronica, world music and more. …

BMR Berlin artist Alien Panda Jury recently played a live set in Munich at Favorit Bar, a small and intimate venue known for its dedicated crowd who seek out experimental music. …

Kab tak ghutey humara dum
Kab tak palkein rahenge num
Abhi bhi kaanon main ghoonjey
Selaab kaa jo shor tha
Ek Qehar kya kam tha
Jo ab intezaar hai ik aur ka… …

Image credit: Zacharie Rabehi

“I remember the day Mo told me about his idea to start an online community radio. We couldn’t stop thinking or talking about it. At that point, we knew that there was no turning back” Sahej Bakshi. …

Image credit: Daniel Arthur Panjwaneey

A two way exchange, the Border Movement Residency (BMR) program creates unique opportunities for South Asian producers to engage with the music community in Berlin (BMR Berlin); while also offering Berlin based artists a platform to interact with musicians in South Asia (BMR South Asia).

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“If war occurs for a short period of time, it’s a tragedy. If it continues over and over again, it turns into your reality. It’s what defines you, what gives meaning to your life. Over the years, Kashmiris have witnessed so much tragedy that they are becoming a part of it. Here, arrests, disappearances, torture, encounter and protests are all a common occurrence. And, they affect your economy, your education, and your way of life. Everyone wants Kashmir but no one is willing to go there. No one wants to live there,” says Zubair Magray, a rap artiste from Kashmir. Under his moniker Haze Kay, the musician has been instrumental in crafting socially-conscious narratives within the contemporary rap spectrum brewing in Kashmir.

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In pursuing this article I was promised golden Labradors. A pair.

This offering, from Natasha Noorani, was made in the advent of a missed deadline, that if Ms Noorani failed to deliver her two cents on the Lahore Music Meet photos we had sent her by end of work, she would freely offer her pooches, puppy dog eyes salving our bruised punctuality. …

 Image credit: Farah Gherda

45 days to go

Sanaya Ardeshir is freaking out. There’s been some mix up with her visa to the UK, just a day before she’s supposed to leave. She’s slated to open for the mighty Bonobo in Manchester on 4 July but, given this last-minute flub, she’ll have to come back to India, apply for a new visa, and then go back for the gig. After that, she heads over to Berlin for a couple of months. That last bit is for the Border Movement Residency (BMR), for which Sandunes (the name Ardeshir performs under) has been selected, along with FILM — the producer Sanil Sudan, from New Delhi — and Alien Panda Jury (or Daniel Arthur Panjwaneey, from Karachi).

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Image: 9T Antiope

With the advent of affordable recording equipment (and software) and the rapid growth of digital music distribution services such as SoundCloud and Bandcamp, lo-fi (low-fidelity) music has witnessed a phenomenal evolution that has significantly redefined its identity. …

Ramakrishna Puram, located in South West Delhi, was my home away from home for over 10 years. Every day, I would spend the majority of my time on the sprawling campus that housed one of Delhi’s best schools before exploring the small alleys that connected the posh residential colonies occupied by defence and government officials. …