Sounds like…
Lush Hindu soundscapes mixed with heavy bass electronica.
The review
Pulling from both sides of his culture, Khanvict (Asad Khan) fuses together his Pakistani roots with the bubbling electronica scene in Canada. The results on his second EP ‘Escape’ is something vibrant and bold. Heavier than most music created in this world electronica hybrid genre, Khanvict isn’t pushing the chill out agenda – he wants you to dance.
The EP came from Friday night Twitch streams where Khanvict played music. This translated into the bold EP with rich, gritty dubs and bass drops over Pakistani inspired melodies. Central to the EP is violinist Raaginder who appears throughout. On tracks like ‘Heavy’ and ‘Impendence’, the violin feels both majestic and romantic. Playing the violins’ beautiful motifs over chunky drums and synths, and then being backed up by Hindi vocals, zithers or other traditional instruments is inspired. The music is a true melting pot.
Not all the tracks are full-on electronica assaults. ‘Escape’ is a stunning sitar led mood piece with Sharanjeet Singh Mand. The sitar waxes and wanes over forest ambience and gentle synths. ‘Kingdom’ meanwhile is like a modern-day fusion of what I call Bollywest. It’s an Asia pop track that feels produced using Western standards. The real jewel in the EP is the highly charged ‘Closer’ though. It feels euphoric and uplifting as the chants, bells and massive synth waves take you over with a striding beat.
Khanvict could be placed into the same territory as other world electronica musicians, notably the South American ones like Mose. His style is much more chunky and symphonic though. It is less chill out (although Khanvict doesn’t ignore that element) and more about empowerment. A lovely EP that’s got me diving into his back catalogue, anyone who enjoys folktronica, world electronica and Asian fusion music should absolutely check this out.
Recommended track: Closer
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Khanvict - Escape