Rachika Nayar

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Rachika Nayar
Also known asRachika S
Born
State College, Pennsylvania, US
Genres
Years active2018–present
Labels

Rachika Nayar is an Indian-American experimental musician based in Brooklyn, New York.

Contents

History

Nayar was born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania. Her parents were professors at Pennsylvania State University. [1] She first released music under the name of Rachika S. Her first release, Themes For A Film (2018) was a rescoring of the soundtrack to the anime film Tekkonkinkreet (2006). The next year she developed the soundtrack for and starred in the film So Pretty (2019). [2] Nayar released music as Rachika Nayar for all subsequent releases. She released her first full-length album in 2021, titled Our Hands Against The Dusk. The title is a reference to a poem by poet Richard Jackson. [3] The same year, Nayar released a collection of songs called Fragments. [4] Nayar released her second full-length album in 2022, titled Heaven Come Crashing, through NNA Tapes. [5] The album was named Stereogum's "Album of the Week". [6] The album received "Best New Music" designation from Pitchfork. [7] In April 2023, Nayar released an expanded version of Fragments. Alongside the announcement, Nayar released a new song titled "hawthorn". [8] [9]

Nayar has been dubbed by Paste "The Best of What's Next". [10]

Artistry

Nayar's music has been described as experimental and ambient music. She states that she prefers making music in such genres because she feels they "reside more in the abstracted realms of the pre-verbal or subconscious or [...] spiritual." [11] Her debut album was inspired by the French musical group M83 as well as the soundtrack of Ghost in the Shell (1995).

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums
TitleAlbum details
Our Hands Against The Dusk
Heaven Come Crashing
  • Released: August 26, 2022 [13]
  • Label: NNA Tapes
  • Format: LP, digital download, streaming, cassette tape

Collaborative studio albums

List of collaborative studio albums
TitleAlbum details
Disiniblud (with Nina Keith as Disiniblud)
  • Released: July 18, 2025 [14]
  • Label: Smugglers Way
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming, cassette tape

Reissues

List of reissues
TitleAlbum details
fragments (expanded)
  • Released: April 7, 2023 [15]
  • Label: RVNG Intl. [16]
  • Format: LP, digital download, streaming, cassette tape

Extended plays

List of extended plays
TitleEP Details
Themes For A Film (as Rachika S)
  • Released: October 12, 2018 [17]
  • Label: Loveless Records
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
fragments
  • Released: August 13, 2021 [18]
  • Label: RVNG Intl.
  • Format: Streaming

References

  1. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (March 22, 2023). "Rachika Nayar's Fog-Machine Dreamscapes". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  2. ↑ Simpson, Paul. "Rachika Nayar Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ Ingalls, Chris (March 10, 2021). "'Our Hands Against the Dusk' Is Rachika Nayar's Striking Take on Ambient/Electronic". PopMatters . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  4. ↑ Cush, Andy. "Rachika Nayar: Fragments". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  5. ↑ Ross, Alex. "Rachika Nayar wants to destroy you and put you back together". The Fader . Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ Rettig, James (August 23, 2022). "Album Of The Week: Rachika Nayar's 'Heaven Come Crashing'". Stereogum. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ Roberts, Phillipe. "Rachika Nayar: Heaven Come Crashing". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  8. ↑ Helfand, Raphael. "Rachika Nayar announces fragments (expanded), shares new track". The Fader. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ Rettig, James (March 9, 2023). "Rachika Nayar – "hawthorn" Yulissa Benitez". Stereogum.
  10. ↑ "Rachika Nayar: The Best of What's Next". Paste. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Lockie, Audrey (March 5, 2021). "Finding the "And" of a Musical World: An Interview with Rachika Nayar - SLUG Magazine". Slug Mag. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Our Hands Against the Dusk". Spotify . March 5, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Heaven Come Crashing". Spotify . August 26, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Disiniblud, by Disiniblud (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith)". Bandcamp . July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  15. ↑ "fragments (expanded), by Rachika Nayar". Bandcamp . April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  16. ↑ Helfand, Raphael (March 9, 2023). "Rachika Nayar announces fragments (expanded), shares new track". The Fader . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Themes For A Film, by Rachika S". Bandcamp . October 12, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  18. ↑ "fragments". Spotify . August 13, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
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