Sarangi Dances to Dubstep

“It was very challenging because I had not worked with Tatva Kundalini before. Even though I have done such fusion acts in London for the past 10 years,I have been concentrating only on classical music,” says Sabri.

It was at Turquoise Cottage in Delhi that the two met and started jamming together at Anand’s studio in Gurgaon. The first track,recorded after hours and days of rehearsals,was Dastan-e-dub that the two performed at the Escape Festival. Sabri’s Punjabi tunes and the subtle yet soul-stirring sound of sarnagi layered with dubstep tunes and bass lines,form the track.

Anand prefers to call his music “ethno-electronic” and has been working for some time with Sabri’s nephew,Sohail Yusuf Khan,who is member of the popular band Advaita. “It’s not about adding one alaap or a sarangi sound in the middle of a song. The sounds have to compliment each other. Now that we have got such a good response,we will be working on an album too,” adds Anand.

Apart from the instant hit number,Dastan-e-dub,the two also performed Mughals of the Taj — with Sabri singing the azaan,besides Ladli,Miss Riding Hood and Sarangi Technology — which is heavy on drum and bass,against the backdrop of a setting sun at Escape Festival. Busy working on more tracks as part of the collective,the two will be travelling to Guwahati,Mumbai and Kolkata in the coming months for various gigs.