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Todh Teri, the elusive producer whose name playfully translates to 'I’ll break you' in Hindi-Urdu, returns with 'The Return of Neela Devi', a new 12" vinyl on Berlin-based label Masala Movement. This release emerges a deliberate turning point: the beginning of a new vinyl-only series that departs from his celebrated 'Deep In India' edits and marks a shift toward original production, deeper storytelling, and more defined character worlds.
The record, that came out last month, is the sixth on Masala Movement and is sonically richer, more narrative-driven, and aesthetically bolder. The three-track EP builds around the character of Neela Devi, an archetype born out of the recurring motifs in Todh Teri’s earlier 'Sampadan' (meaning 'edits') series. Whereas 'Deep In India' was about reinterpreting golden-age Indian cinema through the lens of deep house, disco, and acid, 'The Return of Neela Devi' signals the artist’s evolution into a composer of fictional soundtracks rooted in South Asian imagination but refracted through global club culture.
The A-side, 'Maalgaadi 54', is a relentless 12-minute disco heater, layered with glam-era textures, syncopated percussion, and a cinematic energy that echoes the vibrancy of '70s Bombay. It’s a maximalist opener built for the dancefloor, yet full of nuance in arrangement. The B-side, 'Cosmic Dirt' pivots into a darker, smokier register. Drawing from spaghetti western aesthetics and analog synth grit, it conjures a sonic desert landscape where Neela Devi moves through mystery and defiance. The EP closes with 'Beauty Blues', a restrained yet emotionally rich slow-burner, folding in dubby atmospherics and playful melodic motifs. It’s a track that nods to a classic without relying on nostalgia, instead offering a confident, future-facing groove.
As with much of Todh Teri’s work, the record rewards close listening — down to the hidden locked groove, a subtle easter egg for wax diggers. The visual presentation, handled by Soju Aduckathil with creative direction by Masala Movement founder Manoj Kurian, complements the music’s conceptual imaginationn. The sleeve artwork, saturated in deep hues and minimalist typography, underscores the project’s cinematic ambitions.
A boundary-pushing producer with a deep reverence for the golden age of Indian cinema, Todh Teri has built a career on translating vintage cabaret, disco, and film soundtracks into modern club contexts — through immersive live sets and releases that speak to both nostalgia and invention. His work has lit up dance floors from Berlin to Mumbai, always staying rooted in a kind of cultural memory that’s been reimagined for today’s rhythm-seeking world.
If 'Sampadan' was about reclaiming and reinterpreting the past, 'The Return of Neela Devi' is about authoring new mythologies. It is the first signal of a new era where Todh Teri steps out from behind the veil of edits and builds a world that is fully his own.
Follow Todh Teri here.
