Rising Arp: Zephyr Khambatta Chases The Golden Hour On His Deep House Debut

The local producer has found a new home in house music (Credit: Courtesy of Zephyr Khambatta)

Not everyone understands house music, but it’s never too late to pick it up. For Zephyr Khambatta, he’s attained this enlightenment in his new single, “My Religion Is Love”, which floats on deep house territory like driftwood on the horizon.

For a first jab at the genre, the track – assembled entirely from Apple Loops – sinks in decently with a lukewarm aura. Droning bass hums, tribal bongos and sundown synths forge a tropical foundation, buttressing the playfully chopped and transposed vocals that form the track’s primary hook. It’s a modest golden hour number that could find its place in the warm-up folders of DJ libraries, with just enough kineticism to make people sway rather than sashay. While noticeably short in length, it’s an easy-listening ditty that feels like a prelude to something more, and it fit this freshly unfolding chapter of the experimental artiste.

Zephyr is not one to sit still in his creative pursuits (Credit: Courtesy of Zephyr Khambatta)

If Zephyr Khambatta is a name that rings a bell, that’s because you’ve might’ve heard of his prior pursuits as a rapper, singer, drummer and producer. Always one to be adventurous in sound, he’s dabbled in tracks that explore saccharine electro-pop, lavish instrumental pop-rock, and even classical chill-out lullabies that reveal his melodic sensibilities. His repertoire even includes collaborations with other homegrown musicians like Charles ENERO and Marcel Lee Pereira, and releases that received airplay on MTV Asia and VH1 India. His achievements reveal a hustle that’s reaped commendable returns, and with his latest foray into the pastures of house music, it could be a development that pays off amongst the voracious electronic community.

“I wanted to bring my pop arrangement sensibilities to deep house and see what resulted from it,” Zephyr elaborates on the track’s creation. According to him, “My Religion Is Love” represents a year’s worth of bottled-up feelings and pensive reflections in his studio; a heartfelt response to the dreary state of the music scene. “There’s pain in this music, but there’s also hope.”