India’s leading electronica duo, Tech Panda and Kenzani, are set to debut an experimental baithak titled SURRENDER/Atmasamarpan this July, in collaboration with the cultural revivalist platform IBTIDA-Ek Mehfil. Moving from the club circuit to the grand Royal Opera House in Mumbai, this unique performance promises a blend of contemporary electronic music and Hindustani classical traditions.
Known for genre-defying tracks like ‘Dilbar’, ‘Khoyo’, and ‘Indian Monsoon’, the Delhi-based duo will showcase a theatrical musical production for the first time. “We have always made music that is deeply rooted to our culture and traditions, and this opportunity to curate an immersive experience with dancers, and singers is a dream come true,” say the artists.
The musical will also travel to Delhi and will feature a line-up of diverse performers, including dhrupad and khayal vocalist Arman Dehlvi, ghazal singer Vani Babbar, sarangi player Suhel Saeed Khan, flautist Rohit Prasanna, and kathak dancers Amrapali Bhandari and Priyanka Kapil. The performance pays tribute to the Delhi gharana, reimagining a traditional baithak through the lens of electronic music.
Tanvi Singh Bhatia, Curator and Co-Founder of IBTIDA said, “SURRENDER is an invitation to shed performance, expectation, even ego — to dissolve into the music. It’s about vulnerability. Whether to a raag, a beloved, or the divine. And who better to guide us there than artists who honour the old while playing in the new?”
As part of this immersive experience, the duo will present reworked versions of their original tracks, weaving classical sounds with their modern sonic identity. “We are creating new iterations of our music with these musicians on stage, maintaining the essence of the classical sounds and modernising it for a modern audience,” they explain.
Before their July shows, Tech Panda and Kenzani will perform their debut shows in Australia — Melbourne on June 27 and Sydney on June 28. The performances follow the release of their latest single ‘Duniya’, which samples a 16th-century qawwali and blends melodic techno with Afrohouse elements. With this, the duo continues their creative journey, further pushing the boundaries of India’s electronica scene.
