Indian band Space Is All We Have offer up an intriguing sound that blends everything from heavy guitars, screams and rapped vocals to orchestral strings and electronic breakdowns. That’s resulted in a diverse metal meets post-rock and electro-rock sound that they describe as “atmospheric, high energy and experimental.
The Bangalore collective, formed of Shiyas Abdul (vocals), Krishna M Sujith (guitar and synth), Shashank Akella (guitar), Kashyap Jois (bass) and Dev Ramkumar (drums), first formed back in 2013, when a shared passion for expansive soundscapes and emotional storytelling brought them together in college jam sessions. Each member brought unique musical influences, ranging from metal to electronica, and they instantly clicked. They began writing and performing locally as they shaped a sound around “intricate melodies, lush atmospheres, and raw emotion.”
Describing the sound they’ve crafted, the band told us: “Our sound is a blend of progressive rock, alternative, and post-rock, infused with cinematic electronics and emotional intensity. We love building immersive soundscapes that evolve through a song, often blending lush, reverb-soaked guitars with expressive vocals and ambient textures.”
To give us a taste for this, they sent us High Society, which was released in 2023. It draws us straight in with chunky delayed guitars that kick into a big lively intro. That drops into deliciously engaging rapped vocals, which opens up with the lines “Consolidate the garbage bins, From 9 to 5 the buses carry trash to the modern day Auschwitz, Society wins, gas chambers inside choking the frontal lobe, soon depression hits” followed by lines like “Don’t hold back emotions, big ball sack wants to bust bitches in a Cadillac,” “Flamboyant masochist, need a lover to cuddle with,” and “Frankenstein wielding his wiener as a weapon.”
It drops into an echoey chorus, before flowing into another lively verse of fast-paced vocals, which concludes with the lines “How common is common sense for the common man who aims for the Arcturus, Trapped in an octopus, Surfin’ the sea with a pocketbook, Rendezvous at Kathmandu, Half man, half a wacky dude having a barbecue, Night in Malibu, Wait, who am I talking to? Am I going crazy? Doctor, I think I need a lobotomy too.” The pace slows with an extended version of the chorus with echoey vocals supported by driving guitar chords. An echoey bridge follows as the track begins to take a very different vibe, with dreamy guitars and laid-back vocals joined by pulsing synths. A piercing synth takes over with little electronic twinkles over distant guitars and a delicious little guitar solo bringing the track to a melodic conclusion.
On the track, the band told us: “Fans have reached out saying how much they connect with the lyrics and the mood, and reviews cite the track’s ambitious production and its emotional resonance. For new listeners, expect a journey—both sonically and lyrically—with layers of shimmering guitars, dynamic vocals, and atmospheric elements that invite you to immerse yourself in the story.”
That was followed with a series of singles last year, including the powerful No Room For Conversation, the excellent Run and Mafia, which is more electronic before dropping into heavy guitars and a spinning lick teeing up a heavy electro-rock outro.
But the heaviest of the lot is undoubtedly their most recent release Broken, which features guest vocalist Munz TDT. It starts out with spacey synths before dropping into heavy guitars and vicious screamed vocals, which flow into a deliciously melodic chorus led by Shiyas’ vocals. The heavy guitars jump back in with a bouncy riff ushering in more screamed vocals, before a heavy breakdown with bending guitars and screams of “no more” teeing up a chorus. Chugging guitars and drawn-out chords set up another breakdown of stabbing guitars and a piercing synth sound, before a building cacophony of noise drops into another chorus. Stabbing guitars over synths support more screamed vocals before coming to a mellow conclusion. Check it out in the video, filmed at a gig supporting TesseracT in India, here:
The Space Is All We Have sound is inspired by a broad spectrum of music, including bands like Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, Deftones, TesseracT, as well as Indian acts like Skyharbor and Bloodywood.
And on what inspires them to write music, they explained: “We’re inspired by everything from daily life and personal struggles to philosophical concepts. Key themes in our music include existentialism, hope, dreams, mental health, and finding meaning in a chaotic world. We aim to write music that’s honest and relatable, but always layered and open to interpretation.”
Space Is All We Have is only the fourth Indian band we’ve interviewed, so we asked them for their insight into what we’re missing out on. “The Indian rock and metal scene is vibrant and steadily growing,” they told us. “Bangalore, especially, has a rich alternative and prog scene, with enthusiastic crowds and a healthy network of venues for live music. However, there are challenges—independent bands often rely on their own hustle for promotion and gigs, and mainstream attention is still building. That said, social media, festivals, and streaming platforms are helping boost visibility; the support from fans is heartfelt and makes the journey worthwhile.”
This year is shaping up to be a big one for Space Is All We Have, who are currently writing new material with plans for more singles and, potentially, their first EP. They also hope to announce several shows in Bangalore and beyond, with recording sessions and more collaborations with fellow Indian artists on the horizon.
And the band added: “We’re grateful for the community’s support and always strive to create music that connects on a deeper level. If you haven’t heard our tracks yet, give them a spin – you might just find something that resonates. We love engaging with fans on social media and always appreciate feedback, stories, and shared experiences. For us, making music is both personal and collective – a journey we hope you’ll join us on.”
You can follow Space Is All We Have on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud and YouTube.
Listen to Space Is All We Have and more new music on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Rock and GigRadar Metal
GigRadar 