Rïa Mehta is an international artist reshaping the contours of electronic music with a sound that transcends borders and genres. Now based in New York City, her musical identity is deeply informed by a global upbringing across Sri Lanka, London, Dubai, and India—an eclectic mix that seeps into every layer of her productions.
Since launching her project, Rïa has pursued a distinct sonic path, rooted not in convention but in intuition. Producing entirely by ear, her work resonates with rich melodic structures and immersive harmonies, balancing emotional depth with rhythmic fluidity. Her style effortlessly flows between melodic techno and deep house, though she resists the constraints of strict categorization. Instead, she views her music as a vehicle for weaving together diverse influences into one cohesive, groove-driven narrative
Her debut album ‘Metamorphosis’ is a reflection of that duality: a textured, deeply personal map of transformation that weaves together house, global electronica, and emotional nuance. Shaped by late-night voice notes, chaotic transcontinental collaborations, and the quiet recalibration of identity, her new record is a compendium of eight tracks that unfold like chapters anchored through personal evolution.
“‘Metamorphosis’ felt like the right name because it captures what this album—and this moment—means to me: growth, change, and getting closer to who I really am,” Mehta explains. “Not in a linear, polished way. It’s messy, surprising, and deeply personal.”
Somewhere between house, downtempo, and global electronica, music that is emotive yet never indulgent. The record feels layered, but always clear. From the driving pulse of ‘Sam’ to the off-kilter breakdowns in ‘Jhari’ and the soft intimacy of its interlude, ‘Metamorphosis’ functions less like a playlist and more like a carefully plotted arc—deliberate, shifting, alive.
“I knew this had to stay together—it’s a full story, not just a collection of tracks,” she says. “Perspectives got that right away. They believed in the vision from the start and gave it the space to breathe.”
“Metamorphosis’ felt like the right name because it captures what this album—and this moment—means to me: growth, change, and getting closer to who I really am”
That sense of space, both literal and psychological, has been essential to Mehta’s trajectory. Born to Indian and Sri Lankan parents, she moved to New York over 15 years ago, not to pursue music, but simply to find a place where she didn’t feel like an outsider. “I wish I could say it was a bold artistic move,” she admits, “but really, I was just looking for diversity and a sense of belonging. Music (and food!) is what made me stay.”
New York’s imprint on her sound is unmistakable. Gritty, unpredictable, and high-tempo. But it’s Mehta’s cultural duality that gives her productions their particular resonance. “I always bring my roots into the mix. You’ll hear tabla, a conch shell, maybe a cowbell that reminds me of home. That duality—New York and South Asia—isn’t something I try to blend. It just shows up because it’s who I am.”
The journey to making music wasn’t preordained. As a child, her musical world was shaped by whatever her Walkman would play—Michael Jackson, ABBA, Bollywood soundtracks—without genre boundaries. “Honestly, I didn’t even realize what ‘electronic music’ was when I first started,” she says. “Music was just music.” It wasn’t until she began producing that she saw how instinctively she gravitated toward electronic forms. With no formal training, it was curiosity that drove her. An urge to connect disparate sounds: house, Bollywood, global rhythm.
“DJing came from wanting to bridge sounds. Not just mashups, but something more lived-in and organic,” she says. “Early on, I experimented a lot. Sometimes jumping across genres mid-set (which I rarely do now!), but that curiosity still drives everything I create.”
That same spirit guides ‘Metamorphosis’, though it’s now rooted in a stronger internal compass. “When I started, I was trying hard to fit into a sound, a label, a scene. Just trying to ‘belong,’” she says. “Being self-taught, everything began from curiosity, but I was still looking for permission. But over time, that curiosity turned into confidence. These days, I’m less focused on where my music fits and more on how it feels.”
The heart of the album reveals itself in the title track, a collaboration with vocalist GAALIA, whose voice Mehta had been drawn to for months. “Her lyrics about ‘making peace with your past’ hit something deep,” she says. “That track became the emotional bridge of the album. Between light and dark, softness and intensity. Just like me.”
Elsewhere, moments of intimacy find their way into the work. The piano on the album’s Interlude, performed by her partner Brian (of Pirate Radio), was recorded in just 30 minutes but adds a vital breath to the record’s pacing. “Taylor”, also named after him, was written just as the two began dating. “It felt right to dedicate a part of this journey to him.”
Still, ‘Metamorphosis’ wasn’t created in isolation. It was tested in clubs, bounced around trusted circles, and refined again and again. “The process was chaotic, in the best way,” Mehta says. “Lots of remote collabs, voice notes flying around, constant tweaks. It was a living, breathing project.” One of the biggest lessons? “That no one’s going to believe in your vision until you do. Sounds cliché, but it’s true. You’ve got to back yourself, especially in an industry that won’t always get what you’re doing.”
Her perspective on the broader electronic music scene is grounded but clear-eyed. “The scene’s always shifting. That’s part of what makes it exciting,” she says. “Yes, the line between DJing and performance is blurring, but honestly, it’s not new. What’s different now is the pace. Today it’s TikTok DJs, tomorrow it’ll be something else. But if you’re not in it for the right reasons, you burn out fast. This game requires stamina, and that only comes from love.”
“Being self-taught, everything began from curiosity, but I was still looking for permission. But over time, that curiosity turned into confidence. These days, I’m less focused on where my music fits and more on how it feels.”
In the coming months, Mehta will take ‘Metamorphosis’ to new audiences, debuting selections from the album at the Perspectives Digital party in Berlin on June 21, followed by a deeper after-hours set at Ritter Butzke. New York and ADE shows are also in the works. “It’s exciting—and yeah, a little terrifying,” she says. “I can’t wait to see how people connect with it live.”
But even as she moves into a new phase of performance, Mehta’s vision remains broader than the club. Long-term, she’s considering launching a label to support underrepresented artists, especially South Asian women. “One dream I’ve had for a while is to start a label that uplifts more female artists, especially South Asian women who aren’t seeing themselves represented in the scene,” she says. “That’s something I’ll step into when I know I can do it right.”
Until then, ‘Metamorphosis’ stands as both testament and invitation—a body of work that doesn’t just showcase who Rïa Mehta has become, but offers a map for where she—and others like her—might go next. “In the bigger picture, I just want to keep pushing boundaries and carving space for voices that don’t always fit the mold,” she says. “If that inspires even a few other misfits to take the leap, that would mean everything.”
Rïa Mehta’s ‘Metamorphosis’ is out June 27th via Perspectives Digital. Download your copy here.
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