No one on this planet sounds like Aïsha Devi. Her voice is her most powerful tool in a repertoire that includes thumping beats and rave stabs, seraphic and guttural singing, mystical linguistics and corporeal sonics.
Born in Switzerland with Nepali Indigenous heritage, a transversal identity was forged, guiding both her personal and creative process. Dislocating pop culture is one of her basic tools, as is also evident in her mixes for Resident Advisor, FACT, NTS, BBC Radio and Mixmag.
In 2013 Devi co-founded Danse Noire, a label collective supporting insurrectional electronic music from around the world, where she released her breakout EP, followed by ‘Hakken Dub / Throat Dub’ in 2014, giving context to her universe alongside artists including Ruhail Qaisar, Yikii, and more.
In 2015, Aïsha Devi released her debut album, ‘Of Matter And Spirit’, a significant sonic statement rich in political and philosophical subtext. 2018 saw the release of Devi’s sophomore album, ‘DNA Feelings’, an acclaimed record addressing the impact of sound on an atomic level. On November 10, 2023 she released ‘Death Is Home’, her most personal and accessible album to date. While she currently uses music as her primary medium of expression, Devi’s practice is fundamentally interdisciplinary—she studied graphic design and collaborates with visual and performance artists as well as making her own interventions within the art world.
Photo: Cristian Andersson
Photo: Cristian Andersson
While she currently uses music as her primary medium of expression, Devi’s practice is fundamentally interdisciplinary—she studied graphic design and collaborates with visual and performance artists as well as making her own interventions within the art world.
Devi has worked closely with Chinese artist Tianzhuo Chen on a string of videos, as well as performances together with the Asian Dope Boys collective, most notably at The Barbican and The Broad Museum (LA). She has also recently composed for and performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra at London’s Queen Elizabeth Music Hall.
But Aïsha Devi is just as magnetic performing solo. With her mesmeric digital world-building and captivating stage presence she has bowled over crowds at CTM, Primavera, Unsound, Roskilde, Dark Mofo, MoMA PS1 and hundreds of festivals and venues from Japan to Mexico and beyond.
Presented with the kind support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.
