Silk Road Secret Agents is Discotchari’s monthly debriefing of music that highlights the fusion of musical movements around the world and throughout the ages with ethnic identities rooted in the diverse Silk Road region. We also dive deep into the history of artists whose life stories and music evoke dramatic cinema fit for Tarantino, Kiarostami, Wong Kar-Wai, Youssef Chahine and other legendary directors. These artists often times relied on their musical talent to navigate complex social structures, unite people from different backgrounds, and preserve their ethnic roots by reimagining them in new forms: inspiring the name “Silk Road Secret Agents”.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dive deep into the Cold War’s impact on the Indian subcontinent with Sadubas—Robin Sukhadia and Ameet Mehta—on this special Discotchari guest broadcast. Explore the era’s geopolitical tensions, nuclearization, surveillance, and their modern echoes through music, historical insights, and live performances. India, under the leadership of its first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, pursued a policy of non-alignment, positioning itself as a critical player in the geopolitics of the time that set the stage for India’s current position as a global nuclear superpower. From Gandhi and Oppenheimer to the vibrant sounds of Bollywood disco, this show blends historical narrative with a sonic journey, reflecting on India’s complex role in global history.

SADUBAS is the collaborative duo of classical tabla artist Robin Sukhadia and electronic producer Ameet Mehta. The two artists grew up together playing Commodore 64 video games, consuming international films of the 70s and 80s, and began experimenting with long form beat and rhythms sequences after relocating to San Francisco and acquiring an MPC 2000 and Technics 1200. Robin and Ameet use each other as mediums summoning a hybrid of South Asian classical rhythms, electronic music, Bollywood psychedelia with cinematic undertones that construct the sounds of SADUBAS: The Sadhus of Bass. They have performed at a wide range of prestigious venues and institutions across Los Angeles and Southern California, including The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, LACMA, the Hammer Museum, and the Bowers Museum. More info at sadubas.com and on Instagram @sadubas