The Sound Chalk Makes: Sculpting Dance Music from Found Sound
Between a bedroom studio in London and the high-energy warehouse parties of his youth in Mumbai, 20-year-old producer Kabir Parekh—better known as the sound chalk makes—is crafting a unique space in the electronic music landscape. His approach is rooted in a philosophy of shared human experience, viewing his work not just as a collection of tracks, but as a mirror for the collective lives of his listeners.
“I fundamentally believe that all of us live the same life,” Parekh explains. “And when you’re living the same life, whatever experience you have is essentially somebody else’s experience in a mirror.”
The Art of Sonic Assemblage
Parekh’s production process is deeply tactile. He describes his method as “sonic assemblage,” a technique borrowed from the visual arts where found objects are repurposed into a cohesive sculpture. “I have however many samples just saved on my laptop, random shit on my hard drive, that it’s a mix-and-match kind of thing,” he says. “It’s like weaving a strip onto a carpet. You’re to weave this pattern, and you’re borrowing threads from every single place you can find them.”
This method allows him to connect disparate influences, from the traditional Indian music he heard growing up in Mumbai to the modern indie-tronica wave currently sweeping the algorithms. His February 2026 EP Re: serves as a testament to this, blending infectious, danceable bridges with devastatingly honest lyrical content.
Finding Honesty in Discomfort
For Parekh, the creative process is rarely about comfort. Instead, he leans into the vulnerability required to be truly honest about his life, whether he is writing about the bittersweet nature of home or the complexities of modern relationships. “There’s the most comfort for me in trying to be the most myself I can be, and that in itself is an uncomfortable process,” he notes.
This commitment to authenticity is what propelled his single “Manmade Manmaid” to viral success. By focusing on the raw, unfiltered reality of his own experiences, he has managed to resonate with a generation of listeners who are also navigating the rush of a rapidly changing world. As he continues to evolve, both through his own releases and his upcoming remix projects for artists like Tommy Fleece and Veronica Everheart, the sound chalk makes remains a vital voice in the future of electronic music.
