Building Emotion Into Sound: Inside Bharath’s Journey from Sonic Identity to Global Resonance

In a music landscape obsessed with scale and speed, Bharath is choosing depth. Whether it’s a track quietly climbing global charts or an organic collaboration that expands a song’s emotional universe, his approach remains rooted in honesty, intuition, and storytelling. For Bharath, production isn’t about crafting hits, it’s about listening closely, stripping away the noise, and helping artists arrive at who they truly are. As Indian independent music finds global relevance, his work reflects a generation unafraid to be culturally specific and emotionally expansive at once. We had an interaction with him recently, check out what he has to say:

‘Finding Her’ has spent months on the Spotify Top 200 and is now travelling globally with Alec Benjamin joining the record. How did this collaboration come about?

Honestly, it started very organically. Finding Her was never designed to travel the way it did – we were just making what we like! When the song began resonating globally, I think it just made sense for someone like him to jump on the record! The collaboration wasn’t about adding a “global name” to the song, it was about expanding the emotional universe.

As you have said, you are about building sonic identities rather than just producing tracks. What does that process look like when you’re working with artists like Kushagra, gini, or Utsavi Jha?

For me, it starts long before the music. I like to spend some time listening to their stories, their personal tastes and understanding the artist in front of me as a person. Sonic identity is really emotional-identity translated into sound. My mission isn’t to impose a sound but to remove everything that isn’t them and help them find their uniqueness. Once that clarity comes, the production choices become instinctive.

Stream ‘Jaagi Jaagi’ here:

In a country as linguistically diverse as India, how do you translate emotion into sound without losing cultural specificity?

Emotion is universal, but its expression is deeply cultural. I don’t try to neutralise that. If anything, I lean into specificity – through phrasing, rhythmic choices. A micro-inflection in a vocal or a harmonic decision can say more than language ever could. The goal isn’t to make Indian music “accessible” globally, but to make it honest enough that people feel it, even if they don’t fully understand it.

What did you discover about your own process while working with an international artist who shares a similar emotional vocabulary?

I think it’s all been a dream – working with someone who speaks a similar emotional language also taught me to trust my instincts more – there was less explanation and more intuition, which was incredibly freeing. Kushagra and Saaheal have been a game-changer for me as well, since we’ve become great friends!

Stream ‘Finding Her (with Alec Benjamin)’ here:

Indian independent music is increasingly stepping onto global stages—what do you think the global industry is finally beginning to understand about Indian artists and producers?

Indian artists aren’t trying to mimic the West anymore – we’re contributing new emotional and sonic narratives.I think the global industry is starting to see Indian music not as “exotic” or “regional,” but as contemporary, relevant, and emotionally sophisticated. I want to play a huge role in shaping this in the years to come!

With a debut solo album in the works for 2026, what excites you more right now: telling your own story as an artist, or helping others find theirs through sound?

They feed each other. Telling my own story feels necessary now – it’s a way of understanding myself better as a creator. But helping others find theirs is still deeply fulfilling. Right now, I’m excited by the balance – putting out my own work in collaboration with others while continuing to hold space for other artists to discover who they are.

As he looks ahead to a debut solo album in 2026, Bharath stands at a rare intersection which is artist and architect, storyteller and listener. His work continues to blur borders without diluting identity, proving that when emotion leads and instinct is trusted, music doesn’t need translation. It simply needs to be felt.

Article by Sneha N.

Photo credit to the artist and his team