Hamza Rahimtula and the Rajasthan Folkstars. Photo: Sachin Soni
DJ-producer Hamza Rahimtula and Rajasthan Folkstars have released Origins, a 10-track album that leads listeners to a familiar yet engrossing world of house music blended with Rajasthani folk music.
Released on April 25, 2025, via New York label Sol Selectas, the project has already made waves, hitting No. 1 on Beatport’s Organic House chart and No. 5 on the overall Top 100. It’s currently sitting at No. 4 and No. 45 on those charts, respectively.
The Rajasthan Folkstars—Jaisa Khan (khartal), Firoz Khan (bhapang), Bhutta Khan (vocals), Bhawru Khan (sarangi), and Shakoor Khan Langa (algoza and morchang)—power these tracks (and their extended mix versions) with full-throated vocals, instrumental prowess, and more.
The release of the album came on the back of a few years of touring as a group, the Rajasthani artists’ live instrumentation and Rahimtula behind the decks at stages including the Festival Les Escales in Saint Nazaire, France in July 2024 and later, the Echoes of Earth festival in Bengaluru in December 2024. Rahimtula called the France show a standout moment in his career, saying, “The love and appreciation we got was unlike anything I’ve felt before. The crowd gave us energy, and by the end, it was just pure bliss.”
Described in a press release as a “seamless dialogue between raw folk expression and club-ready grooves,” Origins pairs Manganiyar artists with Rahimtula’s globe-trotting sound, from Afro-tribal rhythms on the opening track “Earth” to Brazilian rhythms on “Kanudo Ni Jaane” and Afro-Latin grooves on “Lavar Jivida.” With the Rajasthan Folkstars, the sarangi is a big draw on “Sky,” and the percussive fervor of the bhapang meets flamenco elements on “Gypsy Trail.”
Speaking to Sol Selectas, Rahimtula also highlighted “Morchang Love,” calling the jaw harp his favorite instrument in the process of making Origins. “It has this primal, almost acid-like quality that just locks in perfectly with electronic music,” he says.
Rahimtula said ahead of the release of Origins in a video that the collaboration was 10 years in the making. “It’s taken more than 10 years to make this album and we’ve always had a vision of using the indigenous sounds of Rajasthan, both the amazing percussive sounds and the melodic sounds and finally our dream has come true,” he says.
The DJ also told Magnetic Magazine that the project nearly didn’t come together. “I almost talked myself out of this album. When I started the first track, I was trying to fit the vocals into the groove, and it felt completely out of my comfort zone. I actually left the studio that day thinking I’d scrap the whole thing,” he says. After a break, Rahimtula reconsiders. “I gave it another shot—and something started to click. That one decision led to the entire album coming together,” the DJ adds.
Listen to ‘Origins’ below. Stream the album on more platforms here.
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