About

Mughal pop - Dance punk - Indie Indus rock.

Sarmust explores a mixture between Dancey Proto-punk, and Classical and Folk music from South Asia and Sufi musical traditions like Qawwali. In an attempt to create a new sound that is rooted in separation and spirituality but ultimately about activism. Tabla and electric guitar have joined forces to create a musical world where Filmi Qawwali becomes Punk and Ghazal becomes Indie Rock. The word Sarmust comes from the Urdu language and can be loosely translated as “Mystic”. Sar meaning head and must meaning ecstasy. The lyrics of the songs are political and spiritual in nature. They toy with Sufi notions of divine love while pounding the rebellious beat of dissent. Songs take us on a journey through the post-colonial Indian subcontinent, and wars around the world, from torture chambers to Mughal courts, and in the end we are left pondering love. Some have called this brand of mystical indie-rock “Mughal pop” not because of an affinity towards those Indian monarchs but because of the colour and mood of the art from that time period which is so interestingly revisited in a modern American context.