French-Iranian composer and visual artiste Arashkha is someone who is never afraid to try something new. Over the years, he has built a reputation for blending seemingly unlikely worlds, from world music and urban electronica to philosophy, film and visual storytelling. His latest collaboration with Kolkata-based vocalist, composer and producer Sukanya Chattopadhyay takes that boundary-blurring approach even further, bringing together Hindustani classical music, Bengali folk traditions, Lithuanian vocal forms and electronic textures in one mesmerising EP, SHAKTI Volume 3. The result is a heady mix of ancient spirituality, feminine power, Kali-inspired energy and contemporary experimentation. We catch up with Arashkha to chat about creative chemistry, musical wanderlust and why some of the most exciting ideas emerge when different cultures come together.
For Arashkha, SHAKTI Volume 3 is part of a much larger artistic vision. “The three albums stem from the same umbrella concept, which is a performance featuring nine tracks and nine visual scenes. The SHAKTI project explores the various aspects of feminine energy through a modern and experimental lens. I chose to release the tracks from this project in the form of three triptychs. Volume 3 expresses aspects that are both more urban and darker in tone.”
Despite coming from different cultural and geographical backgrounds, Arashkha says his collaboration with Sukanya developed naturally from the outset. “Ever since we met, our collaboration has flowed very smoothly. Despite the geographical distance between us, we have a lot in common; we both appreciate traditional music as well as experimental and electronic music. India and Persia are two very closely related civilisations with a shared heritage.”
The EP draws together traditions from India, Bangladesh, Lithuania and Réunion Island, creating unexpected cultural conversations. “I describe music as something that operates both ‘horizontally and geographically’ and ‘vertically, in relation to the collective unconscious’. I believe there are universal archetypes that connect cultures across borders. In the realm of imagery, for example, we find mandalas in all cultures; I think there are melodies that are universal. After my trip to Lithuania, I learned that Lithuanian culture and language have Indo-European roots; many words are shared between Lithuanian, Sanskrit and Persian, such as the word ‘zamin’, which is one of our track titles.”
Themes of feminine energy, transformation and rebirth form the core of the project. For Arashkha, these ideas are deeply spiritual. “I believe that the universal energy, creative yet also destructive and regenerative, is embodied by Shiva, Shakti or Kali. I feel a spiritual connection to this, and so does Sukanya. The feminine represents humanity’s moral hope.”
As both a composer and visual artist, Arashkha approaches the relationship between sound and image in a distinctly intuitive way. “In my approach, music comes first. Only then do the images take shape; I follow a process that is both deliberate and completely open to chance and serendipity. What matters is that the result is poetic and satisfying. I don’t always seek to illustrate the music, but rather to bring poetry to it.”
Looking ahead, the partnership between Arashkha and Sukanya is set to grow even further. “We want to keep this format that blends tradition and modernity; we’ll be coming together for an artiste residency in South Africa and then in India toward the end of 2026. We’ll continue to collaborate with other artistes, both from Lithuania and Japan. We both love improvisation, so the present moment will shape our future project.”
As for where the SHAKTI journey is heading next, Arashkha hints at an even bolder direction. “We think we’re moving toward a more rhythmic, extreme and experimental sound, one that’s a bit closer to Kali’s style.”
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