10 minutes into their first jam session they knew it was meant to be. The connection, they claim, was instant and solid. And the name came just as easily. Tatva essentially means ‘metal’ and kundalini is the corporeal energy stored at the base of the spine. Together, they comprise the foundation of universal consciousness. One cannot exist without the other, hence the name,” explains Ankur Pandey one half of the ethno-electro outfit, TaTvA-Kundalini. Blending traditional Indian folk sounds and vocals with new-age electronic elements, their aim is to use their music to change the mindsets of the people, says his musical partner Aditya Anand. As far as obstacles go, they’ve had their share of struggles—from sleeping on roads to remaining hungry for days with only their love for music keeping them going. “Having made it so far, my advice to new talent is to create your own platform. Don’t aspire to be a musician, just be one,” recommends Ankur.

The duo believes electronica is the next step in music as an art. The very niche market for the genre in India inspired them to start their own label, Chill Om Records, based in the spiritual city of Pushkar “to help eliminate old-school standards of the music business and put India on the world map,” says Aditya. Their album SwaRaaj is the first Indian album of its kind that can be downloaded exclusively on the social networking site, MySpace. “Swaraj means self-rule and that’s precisely what all the artistes on the record firmly believe in and advocate. We need to be able to show the world as artistes and individuals the power that every spiritual mind has,” insists Aditya. Let the revolution begin.

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