Entertainment This week, we’re tuning into new music from Goa metallers Within Ceres, Delhi NCR artist BBB, Ahmedabad rap ace Siyaahi’s album and more From navigating modern dating to paying tribute to furry friends, Indian independent artists find new themes to dive into for their music. If you’re looking for anything grittier, of course there’s a swerving new album from Ahmedabad rapper Siyaahi, packed with collaborations to boot. From rock by New Delhi’s Antariksh to free-form jazz-fusion by veteran artist Ramesh Shotham to Bangla rock by the band Reboot, here’s what we’re listening to. Siyaahi – Sultanate WWE finisher moves, Indian classical samples, and stories of the success he’s fought hard for, Siyaahi’s 11-song tape Sultanate proves just why he’s one of the best in the game. Bolstered by the distinctive music of his longtime collaborator Acharya for most of the album, songs like “First Day Out” are explosive, while Siyaahi flexes his connections with collabs like Ikka on “Terrible Wishlists,” Raga on “Soch Lo” and “Who’s That” featuring DRV and Yungsta, among other artists on other tracks. Unwavering and continuing to put Ahmedabad on the map, Siyaahi shows just how unstoppable he’s become. Ramesh Shotham – Weirdly In Time From playing drums with rock band Human Bondage in India in the Seventies to presenting percussive power across projects after he moved to Germany, veteran artist Ramesh Shotham’s latest album Weirdly In Time shows how assured yet explorative he is in music. “Morsing Madness” has the morchang at the front over funky, psychedelic sounds. It’s all in the family for the most part across nine tracks, with Shotham’s son, Germany-based artist Keshavara, helming production and Chennai-bred singer-songwriter Sahana Naresh also performing a rendition of a Kabir couplet on “In Plain Sight.” Naresh explores Carnatic strains on “Niroshta” and there’s regal Tamil storytelling meeting psychedelic funk on “Vaanam Azhuthalum.” Decades into his career, Shotham continues to be an experimentalist as well as a savant and Weirdly In Time is proof of how well you can traverse those approaches. Abdon Mech – Not Overthinking This EP Singer-songwriter Abdon Mech is the affable face of pop from Nagaland and arguably India as well. He plays to his strengths on his new EP Not Overthinking This. Not one to shy away from being real, he spills the tea about a breakup and its aftermath on the bright “You’re Not Sorry” while there’s “Eleanor” and its sweet profession of love. The Sumi Naga song “Noye Lhokuthu Iwu” puts vibe and his native language’s poetry on equal footing and “More Than You” is that sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of pop that places Mech between Ed Sheeran and John Mayer, with Not Overthinking This also elevated by the able production of seasoned Nagaland producer Kevi Pucho. Shourya Malhotra – “Paws” New Delhi singer-songwriter (and legal expert on music copyright) Shourya Malhotra pens a tribute to his canine friends on “Paws.” While his previous material has often been intensely introspective, “Paws” is sonically lighter and comes with a wholesome music video featuring dogs at a shelter, plus his own pet pair of dogs. Launched with a gig that was also an adoption drive for dogs, “Paws” speaks the language of love and gratefulness when it comes to dogs, especially at a time when the legal framework in the country is beginning to go in another direction. Yuvan – Finesse EP After three albums and one EP, Punjabi hip-hop artist Yuvan keeps the prolific pace going with his latest EP, Finesse. There’s a bit of Marathi folk rhythms, but also baile funk elements and trap that show us just how flexible and adaptable the Punjabi vocal vibe is to different genres. For Yuvan, the EP takes stock of everything he’s done to get confident in his music-making process. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a pull towards music. Obsessed with artists, always listening, always learning. I taught myself guitar, how to produce, how to write, how to engineer, It’s crazy how far I’ve come doing what I love,” he says. Diya Yadalam – “Tell Me” Bengaluru singer-songwriter Diya Yadalam teams up with composer, producer and music entrepreneur Richard Andrew Dudley for her debut single “Tell Me” and the result is a slow jam that’s all soul. Navigating feelings, the interplay of soul rhythms and a brighter pop hooks showcase Yadalam’s dynamism. A press release says about the song, “It reflects on how love often feels fragile in a time where connection is quick, but meaning can be fleeting. Diya captures that ache for something real. A relationship built on truth rather than illusion.” Reboot – “Reboot” Bangla rock continues to evolve and find new ways to present its stories and the latest project around is the rock band Reboot. Not only does the high-stakes music video directed by Suvam Sen bring in actor Saurav Das as a protagonist under the grip of a substance that clearly causes all kinds of psychological imbalances, but also sets it to some good, old-fashioned hard rock. “Reboot” is part of the band’s eight-song debut album, Phase 1. Bijaan – “Jungle” At a time when desi diaspora rap bars can run the risk of sounding cliched and even parodic, Indian-origin Canadian artist Bijaan ties it all together with conviction on his new song and music video “Jungle.” Sure, it’s about the story of resilience and survival that emerges from diaspora communities owning their stereotyped identities, but the seemingly Indian samples and vocal lines by producer Junia-T are powerful and the visuals are aptly fiery. Bijaan says in a statement that the song is about “intent and belonging” as a third culture kid. He adds, “Although these individuals [third culture kids] typically have a greater understanding of the world and a rich cultural history, they often experience feelings of ‘rootlessness’ and lack a sense of belonging. ‘Jungle’ documents my journey of cultural reclamation and is an unapologetic anthem for those of us looking for belonging in a world where ‘home’ can be hard to find.”