From watching his music reach the Tomorrowland Mainstage to landing a release on Tomorrowland Music alongside TELYKAST, Saksham is entering an exciting new chapter in his journey.
In this exclusive Deep Waves Music Q&A, we sit down with the Indian producer to talk about his latest release, Echoes, his collaboration with TELYKAST, working with Martin Garrix and STMPD RCRDS, and the experiences shaping his sound.
We also dive into his creative process, the evolution of India’s electronic music scene, and his ambitions to take his music to stages around the world.
We’re really happy to have you on Deep Waves Music. Before we dive into the music, what’s life looking like for Saksham right now?
Honestly, it’s been a little surreal.
The last year has been full of moments I used to dream about as a kid making music in my bedroom. Watching a record I worked on get premiered on the Tomorrowland Mainstage, releasing music internationally, collaborating with artists I’ve looked up to for years, sometimes I still have to remind myself that it’s real.
At the same time, my day-to-day life hasn’t changed that much. I’m still spending most of my time in the studio chasing ideas, getting excited over melodies, and probably spending way too long tweaking details nobody will ever notice. It’s chaotic, exciting, and I’m grateful for every second of it.
Saksham, seeing your name on a Tomorrowland Music release next to TELYKast feels like a massive “arrival” moment. Looking at your career roadmap, does this feel like the official start of a brand-new chapter for you?
It definitely feels like a new chapter.
A year ago, I was watching Martin Garrix premiere our collaboration at Tomorrowland. That moment felt impossible when I first started producing music. Now, to have my own release on Tomorrowland Music feels equally special, just in a different way.
What’s funny is that I don’t really see it as an arrival moment. If anything, it feels like proof that I’m moving in the right direction. There are still so many sounds I want to explore, stages I want to play, and people I want to reach through my music. This release has honestly just made me even more excited for what’s next.
“Echoes” with TELYKAST has a completely immersive atmosphere to it. What was the creative process behind this record, and how did the collaboration come together?
Echoes actually started shortly after Ain’t Letting You Down. One of the A&Rs from Tomorrowland Music reached out to me and connected me with a vocalist they thought would be a great fit. I wrote and produced the initial version around that vocal, and pretty early on I felt there was something special about it.
The song was heavily inspired by the emotions I was experiencing at the time. I’ve always loved records that feel cinematic and transport you somewhere, so I wanted Echoes to have that quality while still feeling powerful enough for a dance music audience.
One thing I was particularly excited about was blending real instrumentation with electronic production. I never really think in terms of rules when I’m making music. If something feels right emotionally, I follow it. That’s why the record eventually grew into having orchestral elements and a full cinematic outro, which isn’t something you hear every day in dance music.
Once the song was in a strong place, I sent it to TELYKAST. They connected with the vision immediately and helped elevate what was already there. The collaboration felt very natural because we were all focused on serving the emotion of the song rather than chasing a formula.
You’ve mentioned wanting listeners to “feel something real” through your music. What emotions or experiences are you personally trying to translate into your sound right now?
I’m drawn to emotions that everyone experiences but sometimes struggles to explain.
Things like nostalgia, hope, longing, excitement, uncertainty, those feelings that sit somewhere between happiness and sadness. Some of my favorite records make me feel understood without needing many words, and that’s something I try to bring into my own music.
At the end of the day, if someone hears one of my songs years from now and it reminds them of a person, a moment, or a chapter of their life, that’s worth more to me than any number on a dashboard.
Working with STMPD RCRDS and having a collab like “Ain’t Letting You Down” is a dream for many. What was the most surprising thing you learned about the industry once you were “inside”?
One thing that genuinely surprised me was how little the conversation was about numbers.
As artists, we’re constantly exposed to follower counts, views, monthly listeners, and all these metrics. But when I got the opportunity to work with Martin and the STMPD team, none of that was really the focus. They simply liked the music and believed in the idea.
That was a really valuable lesson for me. Social media can sometimes convince you that numbers are everything, but great music still matters. Sometimes we forget that.
India is producing more globally recognized electronic artists than ever before. What do you think is changing in the Indian dance music scene right now?
I think we’re seeing a lot more confidence and individuality.
For a long time, artists from India were often trying to fit into sounds that were already successful internationally. Now we’re seeing producers who are becoming comfortable building their own identity and creating music that’s genuinely representative of who they are.
The internet has also completely changed the game. Someone can be producing music from their bedroom and connect with listeners or collaborators on the other side of the world. That’s opened so many doors for talented artists.
I’m really excited about where the scene is heading because there are so many incredible producers coming up right now.
What does your creative routine look like these days? Are you someone who works fast when inspiration hits, or do you spend weeks obsessing over details?
Both.
The core idea usually comes together very quickly. Sometimes a melody, chord progression, or concept appears within minutes and I immediately know there’s something there – it kind of builds upon itself.
Then comes the time consuming part where I spend weeks obsessing over details. I’ll automate tiny things, change sounds twenty times, and convince myself that a reverb tail is the most important problem in the world.
The creative spark happens fast. Finishing the record is where the real work begins.
Which part of making a track excites you the most — writing melodies, building drops, sound design, or finishing the final arrangement?
Melodies! every single time.
A great melody can make you feel something instantly. It doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you’re from. If the melody connects, the song connects.
I love sound design and production, but melodies are usually where the emotional heart of the record lives. Most of my tracks start there.
Do you approach collaborations as a technical process or more like an emotional conversation between artists?
Definitely more like an emotional conversation.
The technical side matters, but I think the best collaborations happen when everyone agrees on how the music should feel. Once that emotional direction is clear, the technical decisions become much easier.
My favorite collaborations are the ones where people inspire each other and push ideas further than they would’ve gone on their own.
As someone who built a career through social media and YouTube, how do you spend your time when you’re completely offline?
I try to do things that have nothing to do with music.
Spending time with friends and family, traveling, going on long drives, exploring new places, and collecting experiences that eventually find their way back into the music somehow. Earlier I’d have been busy with anatomy books but lately it’s different!
Ironically, some of my best ideas show up when I’m not actively trying to make music. Being offline helps me recharge creatively.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about this next chapter — new collaborations, live shows, experimenting with sound, or something else entirely?
Touring is probably at the top of the list.
I’ve spent years creating music in a room staring at speakers, so the idea of taking those songs around the world and seeing how people connect with them is incredibly exciting.
I’ve already had a few moments where I’ve seen crowds react to records I’ve worked on, whether through videos from shows or experiencing it firsthand at festivals. Every time it happens, it reminds me why I started making music in the first place. What excites me most is the idea of doing that on a much bigger scale and creating moments that people remember long after the music stops.
I’m also excited to keep developing my own sound. I’ve always been fascinated by blending cinematic and orchestral elements with dance music, and I feel like people are only beginning to hear where I want to take that. Every artist starts by being inspired by others, but eventually you want someone to hear ten seconds of a record and instantly know who made it. That’s something I’m constantly working towards.
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