Rafiki (IN)

Rafiki, the creative alter ego of Sohail Arora, stands as a pivotal figure in India's music landscape and the visionary force behind Krunk. Based out of Mumbai, he moves as easily between acid, breaks, house and techno as he does between his roles as curator, producer, label head and selector, with a signature sound that lies somewhere between a straight and broken beat. He led the Boiler Room x Ballantine's Krunk Community Party in Mumbai (2023) and is part of the Redline DJs, a formidable tag team of selectors. His debut EP, The Source (Welt Discos, 2023), made it to Pitchfork's "18 Songs You Should Listen to Now" and BBC Radio 6's 'Best of February 2023 by The Blessed Madonna'. It was followed by New Shifts on his own label Krunk Kulture, 'Anand Mahal' on Permanent Vacation (2024), "Cosmic Breaker" on Magma Records and the Good Luck EP with Squidworks (2025). A new EP lands at the end of 2026, with Earth Machine, a concept AV album with Miss Kotton, planned for 2027. Featured in Mixmag's "Artists to Watch Out For in 2024" and supported by Four Tet, Ben UFO and The Blessed Madonna, he has played Glastonbury, Gottwood, Outlook Origins, Sisyphos, SXSW Sydney, Rainbow Disco Club x Don't Forget To Go Home, Magnetic Fields and Echoes of Earth, and supported the likes of DJ Stingray, Legowelt, Pangaea and HearTHuG. Up next: Echoes of Earth (December 2026) and Lollapalooza India (January 2027).