Karan Kulkarni kicks off his debut EP One with a single ‘Iraade’
After crafting powerful soundscapes for films like Shahid, Aligarh, and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, music composer and producer Karan Kulkarni is stepping into a new chapter with One, his debut independent EP.
Karan Kulkarni on his debut EP
“With One, my independent EP, I’ve distilled all of this experience into songs and stories that I want to tell on my own,” he says. While film scores often rely on visual prompts, One leans into Karan’s own emotional landscape, allowing him to express ideas beyond mainstream themes. “All of us go through complex emotions and existential questions. Being able to address my own through music and lyrics has been a learning experience and has made me understand myself better,” he adds.
A major shift for Karan has been working without the constant deadlines of the film and advertising world. “Not having a deadline has allowed me to reflect back on what I’ve done; I’m allowed to fail, and allowed to express what I want to,” he explains. This freedom allowed him to blend his wide musical influences — from Jazz to drum and bass — into tracks like Iraade, which was released recently. “It has a catchy, repetitive hook, but also has a whole soundscape of glitchy textures in the back… slap bass, recorded and manipulated sounds, synths, a fretless bass lick. All of which I’ve played and edited and placed around what seems like a simple, vocal pop hook.”
That freedom also brought a welcome openness to uncertainty — a theme that subtly shapes the entire EP. “These songs explore subjects like purpose, doubt, and identity through lyrics and music,” Karan says. “Questions like: ‘Am I on the right path?’ or ‘Are we living in a simulation?’ Haha! You know, the really big ones.” With the exception of the retro-fun track 1985, he views the rest of the EP as a kind of self-dialogue — reflective, layered, and hopeful. “We may never find the answer, but we start to understand ourselves better, which really helps with learning how to deal with those questions when they arise again,” shares Karan.
Though the EP is a solo effort, Karan is no stranger to collaboration. For now, though, he’s enjoying the creative control. “I’ve always enjoyed working alone… I’m enjoying this phase of putting out music that’s entirely my own: playing the instruments myself, singing and writing,” he says. The result is an EP that’s both technically nuanced and emotionally raw — a bold step for a composer known for disappearing into the world of his films. “I’d say the freedom to do what I want, irrespective of the outcome, is what I’ve enjoyed the most.”