Quieten the mind through music, with Jitwam, GAIKA, Elle Shimada, and Nabihah Iqbal

Jitwam, GAIKA, Elle Shimada, and Nabihah Iqbal discuss what it means for your music when the place you’re from can’t be easily described, why they like making music when they’re bored, how musicians don’t think about genre when they’re creating music, and why listening to their own music at the gym is an odd experience.

Jitwam is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist creating music that fuses funk with disco, punk and hip-hop. He’s based in New York but born and raised in India, Thailand and South America. His latest record, Third, explores the idea of finding peace within the chaos of daily life.

GAIKA is a south London-based artist, writer and musician whose music pairs dancehall rhythms and melody with imposing electronic beats. His parents were from Grenada and Jamaica, and those influences appear in his music in dark and twisted forms.

Elle Shimada is a violinist, producer and DJ from Tokyo but now based in Melbourne, who uses abstract compositions and dance beats to create music inspired by the futuristic underground sounds of Tokyo and beyond.

Nabihah Iqbal, once known as Throwing Shade, is a British-Pakistani DJ, producer, guitarist, and songwriter who originally pursued a career in law before turning to music. She blends her influences in new wave and shoegaze with electronics and heartfelt lyrics.