We were lucky to catch up with Adhitavo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Adhitavo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was my set at Masala Mixtape, the largest South Asian music festival in New York, held inside the industrial walls of the Brooklyn Monarch. Sub-bass rattled the concrete as the crowd, rich and vibrant in color, movement, and presence, moved as one beneath waves of red and amber light. Visuals glitched across the LED wall, fracturing abstract electronic forms into pixelated fragments, which were stitched back together in real time through the modularity of my Ableton Live set. In that charged atmosphere, the room felt like a single pulse. Stepping to the mic, I could feel each version of myself converge: my roots in India, the producer sculpting sonic textures late at night in a New York apartment, the performer learning to translate identity through frequency. In that moment, I experienced what it means to be seen, heard, and amplified without compromise.

It was inspiring to build the set list for the Masala Mixtape festival performance. I spent days thinking about the songs, dissecting different sections, including drums, bass, synthesizers, and backing vocals, and loading them into Ableton Live software. One interesting feature of Ableton is its Session View, which helps me mix and match, as well as trigger, different musical elements during a live performance. It was a combination of preparation and spontaneity, which is very liberating. My set was a bilingual set featuring new songs I wrote in New York City as part of my upcoming album, Incongruence, and songs from my EP, Alag Sa Nasha, which I released before moving to New York.

Preparing for the festival required a lot of effort, and I am grateful to have worked with a talented team that made it a success. I reached out to Ellie Holliday, a New York-based visual designer who mainly focuses on projection mapping and creating visual worlds, and who gained popularity on TikTok for mapping projections onto everyday household objects.
“Leading up to the event, I made several visual assets for Adhitavo’s set in After Effects and Touch Designer. I then imported these visuals into Resolume Arena to further manipulate and animate them. I also used Resolume to trigger these visuals live through HDMI output at The Brooklyn Monarch. The creation of all the visuals and developing the narrative concept for each took just over a week.” – Ellie Holliday.

I also had the opportunity to collaborate with Australian songwriter and electronic performer aloe, with whom I have a duet on the song “Devil’s Date” from my upcoming album Incongruence.
“Adhitavo and I rehearsed the week before at Berklee NYC to run through the setup and the song ‘Devil’s Date’ on which I was featured. It was so, so fun! Such a rewarding experience. I particularly loved the dancing that took place both before and after the performance. There was a funny moment where Adhitavo and I were switching places on stage and got caught with the cords, and we giggled. All in the fun of live performing.” – aloe.

The night of the performance was exciting! We had a detailed setup with a MIDI controller, vocal processor, and sound transmitted from computer software. It was a lively festival celebrating South Asian culture, and it was captivating to see the gleaming eyes of the audience as they gathered around the Monarch stage. We created a rich blend of sounds; each song had its own visual theme and design. We also ran a live computer-coded visual for my song, Cyborg. Flashing lights, electronic synthesis, and live effects brought the electronic set to life. I was also able to change vocal patches, processing, delays, and reverbs in real time through my vocal processor. After the show, some audience members joked about how I sounded like a robot, haha. The festival was a dynamic mix of music, popular South Asian food brands, drinks, and businesses. We also had the chance to interview with Dil Mil, the largest South Asian dating app and co-sponsor of the festival. It was inspiring to see days, weeks, and months of preparation come together on this unforgettable night.

I was also excited to share the behind-the-scenes of our preparation for the show. We captured the spirit of our rehearsals at the Power Station studios in Manhattan and filmed announcement videos around the streets of Lower Manhattan, making this a fun and dynamic experience. I also had audience members fly in from Atlanta, drive from D.C., and come from parts of Brooklyn in New York, which was an exciting milestone.

Masala Mixtape wasn’t just another set. It was a buildup of weeks spent obsessing over details most people would never notice: lighting cues, audio routing, visual triggers, and careful coordination with the venue. Every layer had to be intentional. Credit to Pankti Doshi, Ramya Baratam, and the teams at Masala Mixtape, Dil Mil, And/Aur, and the Brooklyn Monarch for turning a complex production into something that felt effortless. The festival has previously hosted Grammy-nominated, AMA-winning artist Raja Kumari, and this year I found myself sharing the bill with UK-based R&B artist Arjun, DJ Sharad, and more artists pushing boundaries with every beat. But the true impact wasn’t just who was onstage. It was the feeling that we were building something together. It didn’t feel like a lineup. It felt like home.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Adhitavo, an alternative electronic artist and producer based in New York. My work focuses on modular electronic performance, bilingual songwriting, and a live approach that views music as a dynamic system rather than a fixed sequence.

Currently, I am developing a performance practice that leverages Ableton Live’s modular features, including complex routings, real-time vocal processing, and hardware-based improvisation to craft shows that are spontaneous and emotionally compelling. These performances have taken place on New York stages, including Wonderville, Brooklyn Music Kitchen, and Masala Mixtape at Brooklyn Monarch, the city’s largest South Asian music festival. I often collaborate with local visual artists who add reactive visuals and projection mapping to the sets, amplifying the sonic unpredictability that drives my live work.

Much of this thinking stems from my time at BerkleeNYC’s Power Station Studios, one of the few studios in the world to preserve analog consoles, plate reverbs, and acoustic designs from the golden era of recording. It’s where major albums by artists like David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, and Paul McCartney were created, along with Broadway cast recordings and orchestral film scores. Training in that environment, surrounded by vintage signal paths and cutting-edge production tools, gave me a new perspective: how to respect the tactile discipline of analog history while embracing modular, future-focused performance techniques. My work now reflects that blend, a conversation between the legacy of precision and the fluidity of real-time design.

I led the Clash of Clans India campaign as producer and songwriter, creating a track featuring Raman Negi (The Local Train) that reached 7.7 million views on YouTube. I produced Bluebird (Odyssey 147), which was featured in Rolling Stone India’s Hits list and was personally shared by Ehsaan Noorani. I contributed as a songwriter to “Someone” by Pixie Labrador (Sony Music Philippines), spotlighted by Billboard and Rolling Stone PH. I also served as an assistant engineer on “Caught in the Parade” by Easy Wanderlings, which was later synced in Amazon Prime’s original film “Gehraiyaan” starring Deepika Padukone.

At the core of my work is a desire to reimagine performance using modular systems. My background in Western classical music provided me with an early understanding of form and phrasing. However, it’s through modularity, looping, and process-driven production that I’ve discovered my unique sound—one that welcomes unpredictability, layered identities, and emotional distortion.

My upcoming album, Incongruence, was created in New York through late-night studio sessions and club performances. It expresses the feeling of being out of place and learning to embrace asymmetry, both musically and personally. The record features processed textures and improvisational structures, highlighting constant evolution.

Looking ahead, I am focused on touring across the U.S., collaborating with artists interested in integrating modular performance techniques and experimental production into their work. I aim to contribute to innovation in electronic music and performance technology in the U.S., India, and worldwide. My goal is to help shape a future for music that is flexible, emotionally authentic, and fostered through collaboration across various forms and cultures.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most fulfilling part of being an artist is how music and art can unite people and create a truly shared experience. Telling stories, creating emotional narratives, and taking listeners on a journey, whether through digital spaces or live performances, motivate me.

I have been creating and experimenting at Power Station at BerkleeNYC, a space that embodies both history and innovation. Once a Con Edison power relay station that powered Manhattan’s elevated train lines, it was transformed into a world-class recording facility through a landmark public-private-nonprofit partnership between Berklee and the City of New York. Just blocks from Broadway, the studio has hosted legends like Madonna, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, and the cast of Hamilton. Working in the same rooms where these iconic albums were made adds weight and energy to every session, reminding me that I’m not just shaping songs but contributing to a legacy that bridges the past and the future.

There’s something powerful about being in a writing room with talented artists in New York, sharing everything you have, thinking outside the box, and taking bold, creative risks. I bring years of experience from songwriting sessions across India and New York, having worked with artists who have headlined festivals and toured nationally. What excites me is the mix of the familiar and the unknown, and the belief in a vision that feels just out of reach. It’s hard to describe the feeling of releasing a project you’ve spent months building, only to watch it come alive through the listener’s interpretation. That’s when the work transcends you, when the audience finds their meaning in your art. It’s about inspiring others, giving voice to untold stories, and having the courage to reflect, evolve, and grow with each creative chapter.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

For me, my journey as an artist and my upcoming project, Incongruence, have always been about capturing the asymmetries of the human experience. Life moves quickly, and fleeting moments often go unnoticed. Music and art have the power to freeze those moments, shaping what might otherwise be lost. Songwriting, for me, starts with the deeply personal: in details, narratives, and reflections that, when shared, can reveal universal themes of emotion and humanity.

Living in New York often feels like riding a hyperloop through time. Everything moves quickly. Yet, in that whirlwind, I’ve been intentional about opening myself to new people, sounds, and the city’s offerings. It’s been a reflective journey to find my place in this time-warped world and to understand what expression and storytelling mean in today’s context.

I’ve also realized that physics, programming, and audio technology are forms of art in their own right. We’ve spent too much time treating these as separate from creativity when, in reality, they are essential tools for shaping emotion, narrative, and impact. I’m excited to work in a space where these disciplines converge, blending words, sound, technology, and visuals in a truly authentic and expressive way.

My mission is to reconnect people with the power of story, some familiar, some thought-provoking, and to create sonic worlds that inspire curiosity, questioning, and emotional connection. Too many of us are caught in routines, avoiding the messiness and beauty of real life. If my work can evoke even a small feeling of wonder, honesty, or the courage to dream louder, then it’s fulfilling its purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adhitavo.com/about
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adhi_tavo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adhitavo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adhitavo
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5X1cJJuUtg5OeoVC7Mz2rF?si=TmDu05zcQD25tjX1ZCPyJw

Image Credits

Masala Mixtape festival image credit: Adarsh Maddy
Masala Mixtape festival visual design credit (on stage): Ellie Holliday
Masala Mixtape performance team: aloe and Ellie Holliday
Photos were captured at the recording facilities located at Power Station Studios in Manhattan, New York.