Being one of the few musicians whose unusual list of collaborators features world musicians across genres such as Anoushka Shankar, Aruna Sairam and Beyoncé, Datta stresses on the pivotal role that collaborations play in an artiste’s journey, “To share an idea with someone, allow them to offer their spin on it, throw it back, and develop a hive mind between a collective team that are all focused on making the best work possible is an extraordinary feeling. Now, when I’m on stage, even in their absence, I feel their energy and presence with me.”

Soumik Datta

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His latest collaboration with spatial sound engineer Camilo Tirado and tabla player Ishaan Ghosh will blend Indian ragas and time cycles with electronic hybrids and cinematic scenes. “Imagine yourself in the venue’s black box theatre space, where the sound of sarod, tabla and rain envelops you, where voices emerge from the darkness, where stunning visual collages let your mind wander, evoking memories of your own,” the artiste elaborates, adding that the performance is built on layers such as projected visuals, set design, surround sound, spoken word poetry and music.

“The human mind, how memory works, and the tricks it can play on us fascinates me,” he remarks, revealing his current source of artistic inspiration. “Today, we listen to music in the background as we work, scroll on our phones during concerts, and consume cinema and binge shows. We are overstimulated and distracted. Creativity can be the antidote. It lets us breathe. I’m trying to make art that is truthful, that isn’t evading the world, that tries to slow things down and make us think about our experiences,” the artiste concludes. 

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