Suman Sridhar is among a handful of artists and performers who have left a lasting impression on India’s fledgling independent music scene. Raised with a foundation in the traditional and classical performing arts, Sridhar has forayed into contemporary music and theatre, sessions’ recordings for feature films, sound design and performance art. She co-founded the contemporary music duo Sridhar/Thayil, which Rolling Stone India magazine called “two of the most uninhibited people that ever came together to play with music.” Sridhar’s new works seek the intersection of mediums as a means to break form — improvised and staged experiments as a political, poetic and psychological end. Ahead of her performance this week with DJ Uri and saxophonist Pawan, she spoke to us about art, politics, gay songs and how a visit to Berlin proved to be a turning point in her career.

  Just when you think you have her figured, Maayan Nidam is the kind of artist that will switch up on you and charge off in a whole new direction. From her roots in Tel Aviv to settling in Berlin,…