Jab Se

Unlike most of my Mondays, this one started without much drive and ambition. I'm all in for new beginnings, and every time I want to try something new, whether that's a diet, workout plan, or a change in my routine, Monday morning is the mental cut-off point. Maybe it was the exhausting weekend, but today I woke up with no desire to face this week's challenge. All of that changed once I stumbled upon Baalti and Lapgan's 9-track Threads album.

Spearheaded by friends Mihir & Jaiveer, Baalti is a Brooklyn-based electronic duo blending together lo-fi house and club music, while exploring the endless possibilities of incorporating music from the Indian subcontinent into their sound. "Our sound comes from our love of sample-based music, and tries to reimagine the sounds we grew up with within the context of contemporary club culture", the duo shares.

Accompanied by fellow beatmaker Lapgan, the 3 artists spent a weekend in the desert at Joshua Tree, turning ideas, loops, and jams into Threads - an experience that feels both expansive and transformative. I was very happy to discover the record, as it feels like a gateway to music I don't usually listen to.

"It was my first experience collaborating with other musicians in person. We connected easily and quickly entered a flow state from which Threads emerged. This record is especially meaningful to us. We hope u can hear the collective discovery // trust // joy // connection // presence that we felt while making it," Lapgan elaborates on Instagram.

My pick for the day is one of the album's pivotal songs, "Jab Se", a composition that starts slow and easy before it unfolds into a power-up dance celebration of Indian music. A great addition to any open-air set, if you ask me.