Raf Reza^BD/CA

Based in Toronto, Raf Reza is a DJ, producer, and musical curator who bridges unexpected connections between contemporary electronic rhythms and sound traditions from the Global South. A key figure in Toronto's music scene for over a decade, he cultivates a fluid and deterritorialized approach to DJing and production, where Bengali folk music intersects with rave beats and dub textures. With notable performances in several clubs and festivals across North America, Europe, and the UK, Raf Reza extends his vision beyond the turntables. As the founder of Orphic Apparition label and former record store curator at Standard Time Record Shop, he plays a crucial role in refreshing underground aesthetics through deeply rooted listening and openness to diverse influences.

His debut album Ekbar, released on Telephone Explosion Records, crystallizes this pursuit: a bold encounter between musical traditions of Bangladesh and the sounds of British hardcore and bass music. Drawing on traditional instruments like the ektaar and bashi flute, Reza shapes a dialogue between rural memories and the powers of contemporary dancefloors. For MUTEK, he presents a live performance inspired by technological futurism in Bangladesh, where he reimagines traditional chants and instruments through an electronic and dub lens. This immersive set, blending sonic dissection and cultural speculation, envisions a future where village traditions fully embrace digital tools—and where the Bengali people's voice resonates at the heart of sonic innovation.

Raf Reza — Ekbar
Live | World Premiere

In Ekbar, Raf Reza reimagines Bengali folk through a dub-wise electronic lens. MPC, synths, and tabla drum machine break down mystic songs and village sounds into modular rhythms. A futuristic sonic vision of Bangladesh emerges—where tradition and machine coalesce in a vibrant act of cultural reclamation.