Death/Industrial/Electronic artist Essenar Zero Zero aka Navnit Belur. Photo: courtesy of the artist
When Bangalore singer-songwriter Kaushal LS quit Death in July 2024/Thrash Metal Master No God, one of the next moves in prolific Growler was to create a new gig series for underground music. In about a year, his performance series Phantom Pulse began on May 11, 2025 at a chance location in Bangalore.
The lineup brings together GrindCore Act Xrepeatx, noise, industrial and power electronics artist Essenar Zero Zero aka Navnit Belur (also part of the drone/environmental ACT Megadrone) and the Indian Sound Research Organization, a group of experienced experimental artists. Initially, the show was anchored in a performance by Ladakh noise artist Ruhail Qaisar, who had to quit due to the airport closure caused by the Indian-Pakistan upgrade.
Kaushal said that in the process of putting Qaisar down the show was Spark, and Phantom Pulse was a “natural extension” of the Maneaters Maneaters Orchid, which he co-created for experimental metal. At the same time, he also negotiated with other actions. Kaushal said: “I’m talking to Xrepeatx about the show, too. They just released a new demo, so this show is twice as good as the launch party. I’ve met it [Navnit Belur] In the show I’m organizing [gig series] Spectral attenuation is in 2023, and the large dragons are playing there. Earlier this year, when I asked him if there were any plans for noise-based projects that I could book, we were on the metal show. He said yes, and I jumped up. ”
Xrepeatx is an experienced Grindcore bill that is viewing Phantom Pulse as a launch party for a four-track demo Leisure violence. “Platforms like Phantom Pulse are exactly what underground needs now,” the band said in a collective statement. “It is a space that supports unconventional, non-commercial and unconventional, non-commercial and things that exist outside the typical tour. It provides a loud, weird and honest space for independent artists.”
Belur describes his new project Essenar Zero as a death industry, experimental electronics project, and his performance intends to explore “the fragile balance, balance control and chaos between music and noise.” He said the performance will mix the sound driven by the modular synthesizer with “voltage-controlled anarchy, analog feedback loops, twisted noise walls” and more elements. Belur believes that Phantom Pulse is an experimental, relevant space for left-field music, and audiences can be found in India. He added: “Series like this reflect the curiosity and appetite for adventurous voices, and it is encouraging that cities like Bangalore play a role in fostering this energy. We need spaces where artists take creative risks, connect and grow with like-minded communities.”
The program is to make Phantom Pulse perform a regular gig series in Bangalore, half or two months. Although he doesn’t go into details, hosting extreme musical performances with the niche crowd doesn’t mean you’ll break it. He added: “Honestly, I’m more about my love for music than money in finances. Thankfully, metal, grinding, noise and adjacent genres have a close-knit community, so a foundation can be built when planning a show, but you have to curate everything carefully.
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