Blending atmospheric house with South Asian storytelling, Saqib and Naayaab’s latest EP ‘Mehfil’ arrives on Kindisch as a three-part journey into vulnerability, strength, and musical chemistry.
Photo credit: @isanmonfort
Rooted in the legendary tale of Laila and Majnu, the collaboration features an Original Mix, a Dub version, and a remix by Atish, reframing classical themes through a contemporary lens.
Saqib, a Brooklyn-based producer with a background in Lahore’s metal scene, has become known for his dynamic DJ sets and releases on Sol Selectas, Abracadabra, Maccabi House, and Beats On Time. Naayaab, an interdisciplinary artist from Mumbai, made her electronic debut alongside Saqib with ‘Samundar’ on Indo Warehouse, quickly establishing a reputation for fusing emotional storytelling with indie and melodic grooves.
In this conversation, Saqib and Naayaab open up about their collaborative process, emotional storytelling, and what lies ahead.
EG: Welcome back, Saqib and for the first time, Naayaab! Great to have you here and congratulations on the latest EP. How are you feeling now that ‘Mehfil’ is out via Kindisch, and what does this release mean to you at this moment?
Saqib: Feeling great! I’m really happy to join the Kindisch/Get Physical label family. This release is very very special to me. I really love this song and I think it’s one of the most unique sounding things I’ve ever created. I’m really proud of the way that this collaboration with Naayaab came out!
Naayaab: Thank you! Honestly, I’m feeling super grateful and excited. ‘Mehfil’ means a lot to me—it’s a reflection of where I am right now, emotionally and artistically. Releasing it with Kindisch feels like the right home for this sound, and I’m just happy it’s out in the world, finally breathing on its own.
EG: ‘Mehfil’ draws on the timeless tale of Laila and Majnu. What first drew you to reinterpret that story, and how did you and Naayaab decide on its modern themes of strength and authentic connection?
Saqib: Actually, I made the beat about a year before I met Naayaab. And I thought it was really great but there was something very much missing from it. So I forgot about it. When I met Naayaab the following year and we worked on a track for Indo Warehouse, I realized that she is the voice for this beat and I sent it her way. I think it took her 2 or 3 hours to send me back a rough sketch! Crazy!
Naayaab: ‘Mehfil’ is a very personal piece for me—it’s inspired by my own journey through love and relationships in recent times, where things often feel unclear, unreliable, and performative. I’ve experienced connections that left me feeling unseen and emotionally drained. This song was my way of turning that pain into power—not just for me, but for anyone who’s felt the same.
This Laila doesn’t chase—she’s the charmer, but she stands her ground. She’s magnetic, yet guarded in the most self-loving way. I wanted to create a narrative where strength lies in self-respect and emotional independence—something that resonates across all genders. It’s about realising you don’t need to depend on someone else to feel whole.
When Saqib sent me the track, he said he wanted something different—something out of the box. That instantly clicked with where I was mentally and professionally. I’ve been craving experimentation and freedom in my music, and this felt like the perfect playground. I ended up writing the entire piece in about 2–3 hours because the story was just sitting inside me, waiting to be told. It felt raw, honest, and like something I had to share.
I’m really glad so many people are resonating with the lyrics—because you don’t hear something this deep that often, and it means a lot that it’s connecting.
EG: Your Original Mix weaves airy strings and ethereal vocals over earthy house grooves. Can you walk us through your production approach and any particular tools or techniques you leaned on for this track?
Naayaab: ‘Mehfil’ draws from the qawali and ghazals I grew up with, blending that traditional style with my modern twist on vocals. It’s a mix of both of our roots.
Saqib: The beat wrote itself and I just followed it where it wanted to go… a dusty old beat from a(n imagined) live band without electricity. Grainy, imperfect, like scenes from an old Bollywood film. At that time I was really into this “dembow” beat that is frequently used in dancehall music and it forms the basic rhythmic foundation of the track.
It’s a really simple track and there isn’t a whole lot of complicated stuff going on but I think that it hits really nicely. I wanted it to hit like a SONG, though! And I think it did.
EG: Naayaab’s lyrics recast Laila as a self-reliant figure—how did her perspective shape the emotional core of ‘Mehfil’, and what was your collaborative process like in the studio?
Naayaab: Laila’s perspective shaped ‘Mehfil’—I wanted her to feel powerful, self-reliant, and grounded in her truth. When Saqib sent over the instrumental, it instantly clicked. Despite being in different time zones—him in New York and me in Mumbai—the synergy was effortless. I wrote and recorded the vocals within a few days.
There’s a deep mutual respect and creative freedom in our process. Even with Saqib’s decade in the industry, it always feels equal when we work together. I’ve learned so much from him, and I truly hope this collaboration lasts a lifetime. We’ve already made over 10 tracks and are currently working on a joint album, aiming for a 2026 release.
Saqib: I think artistically, we are on similar and complementary wavelengths so it has been really easy for us to collaborate. I consider Naayaab to be a co-producer and songwriter on all the tracks. We go back and forth on arrangements and ideas a lot. Our collaborative process is very simple, since we are on different continents. I am in Brooklyn and Naayaab is in Mumbai. We send each other beats and vocals back and forth and communicate on WhatsApp. In the last year we have made more than ten tracks together. This is the second of them so far to be released.
“It’s about realising you don’t need to depend on someone else to feel whole”
EG: The Dub Mix highlights lush instrumental textures, while Atish’s remix pushes the track toward indie-dance territory. What excites you about hearing different producers reinterpret your work?
Saqib: ‘Mehfil’ is a track that I knew had the potential to have a very strong four to the floor peak-timey type of remix. The potential was there and I had a feeling Atish could bring it. Also, I also wanted it to be an artist who actually understands Hindi doing the remix… as opposed to one who treats it like a vocal sample that they got out of a sample pack and it’s just something “exotic”… And I think the way that Atish did that was incredible.
EG: You’ve released on your own Beats On Time, Sol Selectas, Abracadabra, and now Kindisch. How do you choose the right label home for each project, and what does Kindisch bring to the ‘Mehfil’ story?
Saqib: I actually don’t write music specifically for labels or genres or sounds. I really just make what’s in my heart! And sometimes it goes on cool labels like Maccabi House, Abracadabra and Kindisch, and sometimes it doesn’t. And that’s OK with me! There are also some tracks that I do not ever shop out to other labels. These are some of my best ones like ‘Karachi Rolling’… and I want them to be on my own label.
Outside of that, I try to release music on labels that have my and the music’s best interest at heart. Labels that want to elevate the music and for whom that is a priority. And obviously, labels that care about me as an artist, and want me to grow with them. I also highly value communication and professionalism. And being real.
Kindisch and the Get Physical Family is a no-brainer. They have been releasing incredible music for two decades and they are an institution of electronic music that has stood the test of time. I’ve been listening to them for over ten years! So in that sense it’s really cool to be featured on the label and it means a lot to me that they would believe in such a unique song; I think it does fit really well in their discography. Working with Jan Van Vliet and Phillip Jung has been incredible and I can truly feel the excitement and love that they have for the music. Excited for the release to be heard around the world.
EG: Your musical roots span Lahore’s early metal scene to genre-defying house—how do those early influences continue to surface in your DJ sets and productions today?
Saqib: I spent my early years (since age 12) in heavy metal bands in Pakistan, writing and performing my own music playing mainly guitar and bass. This pushed me to be really independent as a creator and march to the beat of my own drum. I definitely picked up a set of fundamental musical skills and understanding that is very much part of my sound today. I also think the rhythm and percussive element of metal runs strong in the music that I make today.
EG: With the current scene embracing everything from indie-dance to deep house, where do you see the biggest opportunities for experimentation, and what trends are you most curious to explore next?
Saqib: This is an interesting question. For me, the drive to create music comes from what is inside me and not from what I see outside of me. So I’m curious to explore the feelings in my heart and my own day to day obsessions, I think the best things come from there… not from trying to copy trends and viral things.
“This song was my way of turning that pain into power—not just for me, but for anyone who’s felt the same”
EG: When you perform ‘Mehfil’ live, what elements do you tweak or highlight to bring its story of love and longing to the dancefloor?
Naayaab: When I perform ‘Mehfil’ live, I focus on bringing out the emotion behind the lyrics—I want people to really feel it. I’ve played it a few times, and we’ve seen incredible reactions, even when fellow artists have dropped it at festivals—people went wild. That response made me want to take it even further. I’d love to recreate it live with my vocals on the dancefloor so the audience can connect more deeply with the words and the energy the track carries. It’s about turning the moment into something real and unforgettable.
What’s been even more beautiful is seeing people connect with the song without even understanding the language. They still feel it, dance to it, and make it their own. As an artist, that’s a full-circle moment. In today’s world, music goes far beyond language, borders, or religion—it’s a universal force. That’s always been the mission for us as artists and producers: to create music that brings people together, where they can live fully in the moment. And when people dance to something that means so much to us, it’s pure magic.
EG: Beyond music, what passions or hobbies keep you inspired when you’re not in the studio or behind the decks?
Saqib: Music is the majority of my life. But outside of that, films, books, cats, wife, and the small things in everyday life.
Naayaab: Music is at the core of everything I do—after 300+ live gigs across Bollywood, Sufi, and folk, Arabic. I’ve learned it’s something that flows through you. Beyond that, I’m a visual artist, photographer and I do act sometimes and acted in few short films. I love expressing myself through fashion and jewellery, designing album covers, writing screenplay for films and ads, and creating visuals stories for music festivals. I’m also working on launching my own podcast within this year to bring more spotlight to underrated creative beings.
EG: Thank you for sharing your insights, Saqib. What’s next on the horizon for you and Beats On Time?
Naayaab: We’re gearing up to release a brand new EP with the incredible trio—Saqib, me and AREUBLUE—coming back together. It’s a very personal yet high-energy project, and we can’t wait to share this musical wave with everyone. It’s something fresh, powerful, and we’re sure people are going to go wild for it.
Saqib: Thanks for having us! For me a busy summer around the U.S playing shows and quite a few releases on the horizon with Maccabi House, Monaberry, Francesca Lombardo’s label Echolette, VUDU (Amman), Beat + Path, a remix for Life On Planets, and more!
Beats On Time also has a really busy summer coming up with releases from Naayaab, myself, AREUBLUE, Uone, Wild Dark, Sam Jaspersohn, Dude Skywalker, Freak The Disco, and so many more incredible artists!
Saqib and Naayaab’s ‘Mehfil’ is out now on Kindisch. Stream and download here.
Follow Saqib: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram | Facebook
Follow Naayaab: Soundcloud | Spotify | Instagram
