Lost Stories on blending folk with electronica: ‘We try to come up with a sonic concoction no one’s heard’

“We’ve been blending folk ideas with modern electronica for over 12 years now,” they tell us, adding, “We try to take what we grew up listening to and come up with a sonic concoction that no one has heard before.”

Ask about the new record and Mehta says, “We were infuriated seeing these tracks spend time on our hard drives every single day instead of being out in the world. So, we collectively decided to finally release them as an EP.”

Pushing musical boundaries, Lost Stories’ has carved out a niche for itself globally. But what do Mehta and Joshi think sets them apart? “We have no idea, to be honest (laughs). But, from the feedback we’ve received, listeners like the risks we take, the detailing we put into our songs and the surprises we include in some of our sets,” Joshi muses.

With the fusion of folk and electronica becoming popular on the Indian music scene, the duo is convinced that the genre is here to stay. “Folk elements have always been the weapon that producers used when they wanted to play things differently,” Joshi explains. “For us,” Mehta chimes in, “Indian sounds and electronica have never been separate things. It’s just music.”

SOMA closes out an exciting year for the duo. Looking back on 2024, Joshi shares, “We have what seems like a pivotal moment every year, so it’s hard to pick. But we got to meet (music composer) AR Rahman and perform live at the Coke Studio in Dubai. What’s next in the pipeline? “We plan to put out a lot more for the fans of our project Marigold Soundsystem,” they wrap up.