Listen to Lapgan’s sonic tapestry for Kartik Research at Paris Fashion Week
The artist shares insights into the score featuring unreleased tracks, soundbites from Indian factories & a Baalti collab
On June 29, Chicago-based beatmaker Lapgan soundtracked Kartik Research’s official Paris Fashion Week show; an ambitious fusion of fashion, heritage, and sound.
The show marked their second collaboration, following last year’s SS25 show that revolved around Lapgan’s acclaimed ‘History’.
For SS26, the partnership evolved: deeper, more intuitive, and underscored by several unreleased tracks, including a high-energy closer from Lapgan’s upcoming collaboration with Baalti.
The theme? “Instinctive elegance”; the effortless, self-made style that emerges when people dress true to themselves, free from outside influence.
“Instinctive elegance to me is about having a good connection with your intuition, knowing what feels right and trusting your gut,” Lapgan says of the show’s theme.
Founded by Kartik Kumra in 2021, Kartik Research is a New Delhi-based artisanal label committed to reintroducing humanness into clothing using handlooms, natural dyes, and traditional embroidery.
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That ethos resonated in Lapgan’s mix: “Kartik gave me free rein with the mix, so I simply made my selections based on what I felt his clothes would sound like. I ended up leaning into moody South Asian sample-based beats.”
He adds: “Kartik posted some short clips of scenes from one of his factories, and I got the idea to incorporate them. Kartik emphasises the humanness in his clothing, so when thinking about how to open the mix, I started experimenting with layering actual sounds of the work that goes into making his clothes.”
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The mix’s finale teased a new Lapgan x Baalti track born during a Joshua Tree writing session around a year ago.
“For the show, we wanted a high energy closer for when all the models walked out together. The track’s combination of psychedelic bass, spacey synths, folksy drums, and the nadaswaram felt like it fit Kartik’s concept of ‘Indian Future Vintage’,” explains Lapgan.
Featuring several unreleased tracks plus music from the likes of Talvin Singh, A.R. Rahman and Madlib, listen to full the mix below.
Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.
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