MUMBAI: One of India’s most popular electronic music artists, Anish Sood releases his first track as Anyasa today, marking the beginning of his transition to a new artist name and signature sound.

‘Rasiya’ is the first single from Anyasa’s debut four-track EP Gaya on the famous Above & Beyond founded-label Anjunadeep, and it sets the tone for his new sound which is a unique blend of electronic production that has become his trademark over the past decade and Indian classical vocals that represent his roots.

Listen to Rasiya feat. Isheeta Chakrvarty here

Gaya, a derivation from ‘Gaia’ the Greek goddess of Mother Earth, is an ode to feminine energy, the raw creative force from which all artistry is born.

This sentiment is personified by the four stand-out singer-songwriters who have contributed to this EP – Isheeta Chakrvarty, Bawari Basanti, Avneet Khurmi and Amira Gill. Each of them have collaborated with Anish to create a sound that is melodic, emotive and evocative.

A series of Instagram and Spotify discoveries resulted in this collaborative journey – one layered with unique textures owing to Anish’s unconventional use of classical vocals with contemporary house production.

What started off as an experimental project during lockdown turned into a process of transformation with Anish gravitating towards this new sound. “It’s almost like this transition was meant to happen at this point in time,” says Anish, and that led to the name Anyasa which means “spontaneous and effortless” in Sanskrit.

On ‘Rasiya’, the lead single from his debut EP, Anyasa has collaborated with Indian classical vocalist Isheeta whose voice caught his ears while he was working on a remix for Anhad + Tanner’s Jiya that also featured Isheeta.

“In many ways, Isheeta is one of the main catalysts behind Anyasa. Her outstanding songwriting and vocal delivery on 'Rasiya' set the tone for the EP,” says Anish.

Having started his music career in 2008 at the age of 18, Anish has played a huge part in shaping the dance music scene in India. At the forefront of the electronic music movement in the country, he’s toured alongside a wide array of acts ranging from Dixon and Black Coffee to David Guetta and Kygo, while performing at global festivals including Tomorrowland Unite and Electric Daisy Carnival as well as co-writing a song with the Black Eyed Peas.

However, this EP marks a special milestone for he is the first Indian artist to be signed to Anjunadeep, the label founded by Above & Beyond and named after the infamous Anjuna Beach in Goa, close to where Anish lives. The Anjunadeep imprint has introduced a distinctive, modern strand of deep house to a new generation of fans.

On being the first artist from India to appear on the label Anish says, “Anjunadeep is a globally revered label and a dream for any electronic musician to work with, and I couldn’t have dreamt of a better home for this EP.”

Gaya is slated for worldwide release on August 12.