The way music is created and influenced has undergone a seismic shift in the last half-decade, moving from a locally-driven process to a globally-connected phenomenon. This transformation, powered by the internet, has fundamentally altered how artists find inspiration and collaborate.
The End of Geographic Boundaries in Music
Until five or six years ago, a musician's physical environment was the primary shaper of their sound. The artists who lived nearby, the concerts accessible within one's city, and the collaborators who could physically enter a studio defined the creative output. Today, that model is obsolete. The internet has become the dominant source of influence, democratizing access to global sounds. A musician can now be based in a small village or a remote part of Central Africa, needing only a robust internet connection to draw inspiration from anywhere on the planet.
Renowned composer and Grammy winner Ricky Kej highlights this dramatic change. He recalls that his earlier work was shaped by artists who were immediately available—those who could visit his studio or fly in from nearby hubs like Mumbai or Chennai. Occasionally, a musician touring India from the United States might contribute for a day. "It all depended on who could physically record with me," he notes. Now, he struggles to remember his last full-fledged in-person studio session, as remote recording has become standard. The world has truly become a musician's playground.
Bengaluru: A Cosmopolitan Hub for India's Sonic Diversity
While this diversification of music is a global trend, Ricky Kej points out that Bengaluru occupies a uniquely fertile position. The city is cosmopolitan from an Indian perspective, serving as a melting pot for the country's rich musical heritage. Both Carnatic and Hindustani classical traditions flourish here. Its proximity to Dharwad and its inherent connection to Carnatic music, coupled with many musicians tracing their lineage to Karnataka, create a deep classical foundation.
Simultaneously, a large young population fosters openness towards contemporary and electronic forms. Kej mentions visiting pubs (despite not drinking) and hearing music popular with youth that is entirely new to him, underscoring the vast diversity of modern tastes. This experimental spirit is intrinsic to Bengaluru's character—vibrant yet without excessive fanfare. The city functions like a small community where cross-genre collaboration is inevitable: DJs work with veena players, sitarists join forces with choirs, and western classical strings blend with operatic vocals.
The New Era of Discovery and Organic Experimentation
The mechanisms of music discovery have also flipped. Previously, television and radio offered a largely uniform listening experience. Today, social media algorithms have compartmentalized audiences. Millions might stream a song you've never encountered, while your personalized feed creates an echo chamber, making your tastes seem universal.
For artists like Kej, this environment fuels natural experimentation. "Many people say my music does not belong to a single genre. It is a mishmash of electronica, Indian classical, western classical and jazz. I owe that entirely to Bengaluru," he states. Growing up attending live concerts across jazz, Carnatic, Hindustani, pop, and electronica genres exposed him to a collision of sounds that directly influenced his genre-defying work.
Kej believes that for Indian music to resonate globally, it must not mimic Western identities but delve into its unique roots. International audiences seek uniqueness, not imitation. The current blurring of boundaries—between hip hop and pop, or Sufi and Bollywood—feels more organic than performative. As musicians absorb influences from everywhere, these elements naturally seep into their creations, driving a universal desire to push artistic boundaries and forge sounds that have never existed before.
