While many contemporary musicians experiment with the latest technology, 34-year-old Siddharth Venkat, performing under the stage name Xenkat, draws inspiration from instruments that have existed for over 1,000 years. His musical focus includes the didgeridoo from Australia, the asalato from West Africa, and the mouth harp, which likely originated in Asia before spreading across various civilizations.
Based in Bengaluru, Xenkat aims to bring these traditional instruments into the mainstream music scene.
According to Xenkat, indigenous instruments provide a unique and enjoyable playing experience, with rhythms that are both therapeutic and evoke a sense of connection to ancient cultures. In his live performances, he uses live-looping techniques with these instruments, blending genres such as Karnatik, rock ‘n’ roll, and electronic music. “Some people call it Psy Ritual,” he says of his genre. He has composed over 250 pieces, including solo works like Muscaria and Psilocybin, as well as collaborations like Bahar and Jog with Jugalbandi Electronica, a project that fuses Indian classical music with experimental sounds.
Xenkat’s musical journey began in a rock band, and he later worked as a music journalist. His deep connection with indigenous instruments emerged during his time working with off-the-grid communities in Kodaikanal and Bengaluru, which emphasized sustainability and holistic education.
Many of the instruments Xenkat plays are designed to mimic the sounds of nature—such as wind, water, and birds. He became captivated by their organic, diverse sounds, and their cultural and historical significance. After performing with them for eight years, he also started educating urban audiences about these unique instruments.
The didgeridoo is a long wooden wind instrument known for its drone-like hum. The mouth harp, a small metal instrument, produces a twangy sound. The asalato is a percussion instrument made of two dried gourds connected by string, creating a clacking noise.
Although indigenous instruments are gaining popularity in the indie music scene, sourcing the materials for them remains a challenge. “The asalato, for example, is traditionally made from the Oncoba spinosa, also called the fried egg flower tree, which grows on islands off West Africa and in countries like Ghana, Senegal, and Ivory Coast,” he explains. However, Xenkat has found an alternative: he builds his asalatos using the shells of the bilva fruit, also known as the wood apple.
Xenkat likens the asalato to a “fidget spinner,” noting that his corporate friends use it to de-stress by immersing themselves in its rhythmic patterns. To make these instruments more accessible, he runs workshops where participants can create their own asalatos using everyday materials. In one Bengaluru school where he once taught, students repurposed items like kumkum boxes, moisturizer containers, and even dried passion fruit peels, stitching them together to make their own asalatos.
As a composer, Xenkat continues to expand his repertoire by exploring unconventional instruments. Among the instruments he plans to incorporate into his music are the cosmicbow, a multi-stringed melodic mouthbow, and the handpan, a UFO-shaped steelpan that produces rich, resonant sounds.
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