For indie-pop duo Space Salt, music doesn’t start with a thought — it begins with a tune that hums itself into meaning. “It always starts with a melody,” says Shravan Sajjan, the voice behind the emotion. “From there, we figure out what space in life it came from — what we were feeling or going through — and that naturally shapes the theme and lyrics.” His teammate and drummer, Atul Arora, adds that the process is more jam than formula. “Usually, Shravan brings an idea, and we just talk about what it feels like. Then I try to find a groove that brings that to life. Ctrl Alt Feelings is basically a collection of those moments — songs that grew with us from 2015 to 2022.”
The title itself is a clever twist on Ctrl Alt Del — the classic system reboot. “We go to the task manager to end tasks on our laptops, right?” laughs Atul. “But what if you could do that with your emotions? Ctrl Alt Feelings is about reprogramming yourself — letting go of what haunts you, through music.” That balance of emotion and energy is where Space Salt thrives. “Emotion doesn’t have to be heavy all the time,” Shravan says. “The composition should make you feel something — and the beat should make you move,” adds Atul. “That contrast is where our sound lives.”
Inside the studio, the two work in perfect sync. “We just make what we love,” Shravan says. “It’s all about having fun and letting the song take its own shape.” For Atul, that process is what makes their partnership click — one that’s equal parts instinct and engineering. “We call ourselves emotional engineers because we design our songs around real emotions we’ve lived through,” he says. “We shape those feelings carefully so listeners can actually feel something too.”
If the EP were a reset button for emotions, Müskura would be the first click. “It’s about owning your happiness — the magic’s already in you,” says Atul. Visually, their world is cinematic, with sketches and storyboards often appearing alongside melodies. “We picture visuals early on, but the focus eventually shifts to the music,” Shravan explains. “When it’s time for videos, we go back to those first images.”
Their sonic palette is as vivid as their words — “Bahana would be dark chocolate,” Shravan grins. “Müskura is citrus and yellow,” adds Atul. Through all the experimentation in indie pop today, they stay rooted in instinct. “We don’t chase trends,” Atul says. “We just create what feels right for us.” That’s the essence of Ctrl Alt Feelings — not a fix, but a beautiful reset.
Ctrl Alt Feelings is now streaming on all platforms.
Email: isha.p@newindianexpress.com
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