Exploring existentialism through music
It was 2012 when Raghav Mittal (23) was introduced to the world of EDM. “I’d listen to deadmau5 [Canadian music producer] and [American DJ] Skrillex, and I would think how are they doing this without using any instruments,” he shares. After years of watching (and learning from) YouTube tutorials, the music producer, singer, and songwriter from Pitampura released his first album in 2020. In February this year, he released another 14-track album titled Satya Sakshaat which is an amalgamation of several emotions. In this week’s Soundscape, we speak to the self-taught artist about the process of working on his album. Excerpts…
What was the process of working on Satya Sakshaat like?
The crux of Satya Sakshat is existentialism and what it means to be alive. I was in a space when I was questioning everything. I would look at people around me and think how are they so comfortable in their lives, how do they exist without asking all these questions about existence... My music is a reflection of who I am at the moment. It took me two years to complete this album. When I started working on this project, it was pretty much without any structure—I just started making the songs and connected the dots as I went along. The main thought was existentialism and a lot of it [inspiration] comes from my fascination for Hindu mythology.
You worked mostly during the lockdown, in isolation…
I think for any musician, the lockdown was a golden era for making music because there were no distractions. You would be in your room with your laptop and instruments, making music with too much time on your hands. During the lockdown, I was totally immersed into making music. It gave me time to introspect about life and various topics that I wanted to incorporate in my project. When I make music, it is not just about hype or that I want to make people laugh. It is about creating a narrative, a perspective.
Any song from the album that is particularly special to you?
Every song is different and I have worked very hard on all of them. But if I had to pick a few of them, I’d say Yagna, Sab Kuch Hun Main, and Aakash.
Another song that is very special to me is Tere Sang. I have collaborated with Jayanti Jha and Sukriti Ahuja for this. Sukriti played the guitar. Jayanti is not a professional singer but she has a great voice. I had written the song for her and she sang it. The song was recorded on her laptop’s microphone because she did not have any equipment and it was during the lockdown period.
What’s next for you?
I am working on a couple of singles with various artists. I plan on releasing at least one song (or more) a month. After this, I am going to work on an EP. Satya Sakshaat is narrative-based and there are long passages of music. The EP is going to be more poppy and mainstream to sort of set the balance.
‘Satya Sakshaat’ by Raghav is streaming on all leading platforms.