Fresh Sounds Redefining Indian Indie Music in 2024

Desi Hip Hop in 2024

In the years of seeing trends and styles come and go, being championed by bands and artists alike, the one constant is change in Indian indie music. You never know what sticks and for how long in the country, whether it’s desi bass or djent. But it doesn’t stop us from making predictions based on what’s growing and what’s getting hyped. From the current vantage point, the question everyone should ask is: where will desi hip-hop go in 2024? How can it stay inventive and push the envelope?

Indian Electronic Music

Although it’s an umbrella term, electronic music that fuses Indian folk and classical elements has always offered up something different in each decade. At this juncture in music, we’ve already got bangers like ‘Dilbar’ by Tech Panda x Kenzani and Rusha & Blizza, more atmospheric, journeying work by singer-producer Kanishk Seth, the duo Anhad + Tanner, and just all-out blitzing from BODMAS. Stay tuned to these artists and the likes of Paranox for future bangers that blur the boundaries between styles.

Folk-Informed Hip-Hop

There is a range of producers and rappers across languages who are flipping folk with hip-hop, and we have our eye on South India in particular. That’s not just because of the high-energy folk tradition that Tamil and Malayalam music bring forth, but also their melodic richness. Being championed by artists like Parimal Shais and V3K, we’re now seeing Tamil hip-hop artists like Paal Dabba and Asal Kolaar taking over, while Thrissur-origin producer Hrishikesh Krishna aka HRISHI has brought a potent EDM/hip-hop blend for Kerala artists like Vedan, Dabzee, and Street Academics.

Experimental Rap

Experiments abound in Indian hip-hop given the different waves we’ve seen of artists from across India and even the diaspora. Out in Delhi, Chaar Diwaari has been a shapeshifting artist. While his EP Teri Maiyat Ke Gaane formed a core fanbase in desi hip-hop, Chaar Diwaari pushed the envelope further with songs like ‘Violence’ with Gravity, ‘Roshni’ with Bharg, and his own release ‘Jhaag’. He’ll likely keep pushing in 2024. Meanwhile, Pune has seen beatsmith Vedang take his game to the next level, working with everyone from Bawari Basanti to Shreyas Sagvekar.

Soul Hop

Arguably inspired by the likes of Jorja Smith, H.E.R., and Solange, there’s been a conscious blend of soul/R&B with hip-hop that’s giving us new voices in Indian indie. Shillong’s Meba Ofilia continues to lead the charge in shaping the sound, while new voices like fellow Shillong artist Reble and Mumbai-based artist Dizlaw are making their own mark on the scene. We can’t skip mentioning a star like Kayan out in Mumbai either, who has honed this skill for years now to arrive on the scene as a versatile singer-songwriter and producer-DJ. The capital, meanwhile, is giving us Pho, a Hindi artist who can sing as well as she can rap, leaning more into hip-hop but offering R&B elements as well.

Trip-Hop

It feels like 2024 is the year trip-hop can be great again. Sikkim-origin, Bangalore-based Yuhina leads that in some ways, with the release of her recent EP Mnemonic via Krunk Kulture records. Known for drawing from Buddhist chants and modern electronic music alike, there’s something undeniably trippy about Yuhina’s music.

Post-Black Metal

Bangalore-based act Ihoera is probably an anomaly on this list, but we’d watch out for them not just for their upcoming album If I Were Autumn but also because they are arguably about to give black metal a more accessible entry in India, with their influence from shoegaze, post-rock, and neo-folk.

Check back here at the end of the year to see if we were right about any of these. This is much less of a crystal ball and more educated guesses, but these acts and sounds can use a strong audience.

Jameson Connects in partnership with Azadi Records, powered by Jameson Ginger Ale.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of Jameson Connects.

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