Unquestionably, one of the pioneers of the Electronic Music wave that emerged from the Indian Subcontinent, Midival Punditz are reckoned be to a global brand. While playing the world stage, this Delhi-based duo is quite comfortably, contemporary India in every way. Their music imbibes a heady dose of Indian folk and classical elements in their signature electronic music mould.

Punditz are all set to release their 4^th studio album titled Light in April 2015, preceded by a multi-city tour, which will see performances in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi.

There’s good reason the New Delhi-based duo of Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, aka The Midival Punditz, are known as the Chemical Brothers of India. For 18 years their pulsing, driving electronica has pulled from an eclectic variety of sources across the planet. On Light, their 4^th full-length studio album, they’ve created their 1^st performance-based concept record, rooted as much in western rock as the diverse folk traditions of India.

Their accomplishments in creating a unique and refreshing genre were recently honored with their 1^st Global Indian Music Award (GIMA) win. While they’ve performed at 2 previous ceremonies, their contribution to Sony’s Project Resound, “Twilight,” featuring Rajashtani folk singer Kutle Khan on vocals, won Best Electronica Song for 2014.

Accolades for their growing body of work are pouring in. Recently, Alicia Keys invited the Punditz to perform alongside Norah Jones, Will.I.Am and Usher in New York City. Known predominantly as electronica innovators (and Light is a very dance floor-friendly record) the duo decided to up the ante by creating a fuller, live sound, evolving their craft as songwriters and performers.

Forming in 1997, their 2002 self-titled debut on US based Six Degrees Records helped usher in the Asian Massive movement as the duo toured with like-minded artists such as longtime collaborator Karsh Kale and the late DJ Cheb i Sabbah. While there are plenty of Indian influences on their new record—Raina says they’ve leaned towards folk over classical, the signature sound they built their early careers on—Light is their most cohesive and driving album yet, not particularly devoted to any one style.

The Punditz have quite a few firsts to their credit, be it fool-proof attendance records at their shows, to securing crucial recording deals internationally or setting a benchmark for electronic musicians from India. Within India, they’ve captured the imagination of a wide variety of audiences, with their foray into different art trajectories - from films to fashion and the thriving live music scenario itself.