Hanumankind and Dhanji have new releases this week. Photos: Maitreya Shah (Hanumankind), Meghan Katti (Dhanji)
This week, we dive into the must-hear new music releases fresh from the distro oven, from Hanumankind’s live staple to Aksomaniac and Shreyas’ bilingual bop, singer-songwriters Chaittali Shrivasttava and Saroj Kashyap and Ahmedabad hip-hop ace Dhanji dropping a full-length album with producer Rasla, one that includes yet another beloved live banger.
Hanumankind – “Villainous Freestlye”
In between teasing a Fred Again.. collaboration, playing sold-out shows and festival slots in Europe and even rapping on a Bollywood film song, Hanumankind has dropped his new single “Villainous Freestyle.” Produced by Kalmi and a precursor to his upcoming mixtape (which will be called Monsoon Season, if the artwork is any indication), Hanumankind has previously performed this at various shows over the year, including his historic Coachella debut. On “Villainous Freestlye,” it’s all bars and even a bit of howling, following his live performance of the song “Holiday” for the song series Colors.
Dhanji, Rasla – Drive-In Cinema 2.1
Ahmedabad’s hip-hop maverick Dhanji and producer Rasla’s new album Drive-In Cinema 2.1 is centered on “outsider music.” Dhanji explains, “[It’s] a culture that isn’t originally ours, but we’re shaping it, loving it. Some people connect with it, some don’t — that’s okay. Koi pan vastu jyare biju culture adopt kare tyare it feels different, and that’s the beauty. This scene is still evolving, always moving forward. That’s what I wanted to explore with this album.”
Across 19 tracks and 52 minutes, features on the album include fellow Gujarat rappers like Hukeykaran, Siyaahi, Snappy Kaal, Big Doug, Jerry Martin and more. Among the tracks is “Hashishbhai,” a live staple that Dhanji’s often raged to on stage, plus previously released singles like the bassline-driven “Khatla Par” with Big Doug and Cazma, and the topsy-turvy cut “Company Building” with Sayt.
Dindūn – “July, pt.1”
Kolkata alternative/synth-folk duo Dindūn follow up their journeying 2024 EP Dindūn, Vol. 3 with a small snippet of what’s to come. “July, pt. 1” is cinematic and inspired by the monsoon season (which makes it an aptly seasonal release). Wordless but driven by melancholic vocal harmonies, guitars and synth layers, the duo comprising Sourjyo Sinha and Rohit Ganesh say that the song explores “the slowing down of urban activity during heavy rainfall, the abrupt stop to constant hustle,” and is inspired by a painting by late painter Gopal Ghose.
Aksomaniac, Shreyas, Fatboi Raccoon – “Paapam”
Thiruvananthapuram genre-bending artist Aksomaniac teams up with Mumbai-based hip-hop artist Shreyas Sagvekar for “Paapam,” pairing Malayalam and Marathi like never before. Coupled with a fiery music video directed by filmmaker Madhavan Krishnesh, the artists explore a tortured kind of love, where there’s self-inflicted pain amid the highs that come with passion. Aksomaniac says in a statement, “‘Paapam’ speaks to the residue left behind by intimacy—not because it’s wrong, but because we’re conditioned to feel it is. This song isn’t about resolution. It’s about naming the conflict, acknowledging how shame clings to even our most tender moments.” Shreyas adds in his statement, “When Aksomaniac shared ‘Paapam,’ I felt the honesty immediately. Exploring guilt through a fusion of Marathi and Malayalam felt deeply authentic. My verse adds another layer — a culturally different yet emotionally parallel story.”
Chaittali Shrivasttava – “Baatein”
Singer-songwriter Chaittali Shrivasttava draws from nostalgic alternative pop on her new Hindi song “Baatein.” In finding a simple approach to piano and guitars (produced by The Prsdnt), there’s a wholesomeness in her desire for an uncomplicated relationship. The artist says she was “reflecting on her own experience of the never-ending conversations with her loved ones” while writing “Baatein.”
Kitanu – “Carcasses”
New Delhi sarod-rock band Kitanu keep things weird (by their own admission) on their new song “Carcasses.” With prior releases, there was a reliable sense of the band’s prog and Indian classical leanings, but “Carcasses” turns away from all of that, from anthemic vocals and guitar shredding, and shifts into roaring blues territory when you least expect it. The band says in a statement, “Anchored in a brooding riff and punctuated by aggressive grooves and melodic sarod phrasings, Carcasses is a sonic meditation on what we leave behind—emotionally, culturally, physically—and what it means to truly shed one’s former self.”
Ritvik Virmani – “Ecstasy”
Singer-songwriter Ritvik Virmani travels the world from Greece to Paris to Kathmandu to Spain and India on his latest song “Ecstasy.” A cheery, upbeat track seemingly inspired by the Brit indie rock era of Coldplay and other bands in the early 2000s, Virmani and his backing group perform the song on a sunny day to friends on a terrace in the music video. Virmani sums up the ideal way to hear the track in a statement: “Let loose, sway with the rhythm, groove like fire, break free from the chains, drift into music’s wild embrace and let your soul dance across the world.”
Saroj Kashyap – “Space”
Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter Saroj Kashyap’s new song “Space” is the third single from her upcoming four-track EP Table for One, following songs like “Stay In and Chill” and “Grey with a Hint of Yellow.” Powered by her soaring vocals and alt-rock composing (with production assists coming from folk-rock band Swarathma’s Varun Murali), Kashyap says the song is “about a period of emotional limbo.” She adds, “One where he couldn’t make up his mind and she was left waiting, unsure whether to hold on or let go. A game of emotional chess with long silences.”
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