Get Out

Abhishek Roychowdhury is the founder of Psychedelic Adventure, & Cycle Delic Goa. Listen to his journey from growing up as an army kid, to now promoting responsible use of psychedelics as a Co-Creator of the Psychedelic Society of India.

His musical journey started with a stint as a guitar lead part of a band that he was part of establishing. However, he gradually found his interest in the psychedelic genre of music. Under the alias of Cosmic Oneness, Abhishek has been playing at private parties and nightlife venues, and co-hosting gatherings for spiritual and celestial occasions, since 2005. 
Check the Facebook page
Listen to his sets on Mixcloud

Abhishek has taken to cycling recently and formed Cycle Delic Goa, a cycling community based out of North Goa.

Psychedelic Society of India is a community of like-minded enthusiasts of psychedelics, which serves as a resource for learning about psychedelics and consciousness. It's also a platform that connects plant medicines to their seekers.
See their website
Like their Facebook page

Timestamps for reference
02:22 Relationship with alcohol and tobacco
08:15 Addictions
14:45 COVID-19 and the pandemic situation
28:37 Power in the world, and dark entities
35:01 Abhishek's initial LSD experience
45:06 My fear of 'ghosts'
52:28 Do we have a purpose? Everyone and everything is sacred, and understanding a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle
59:45 Laws
01:05:06 Creators and creations; preparing humanity for extraterrestrial encounters and catastrophe
01:13:23 Nikhil's hallucinations
01:19:03 Seeking psychedelic experiences
01:20:15 What is the Psychedelic Society of India?
01:32:25 Psychedelics and enlightenment
01:37:42 Psychedelics and our capitalistic society
01:43:14 Mark of the beast and AI
01:48:09 Psychedelics as medicine
01:52:53 PSI and its work
01:57:40 Abhishek's learnings from psychedelics
02:04:37 Ayahuasca
02:12:12 Parallels between psychedelic ceremonies and religious ceremonies
02:14:06 Where is Abhishek currently, on his psychedelic journey?
02:16:25 Abhishek's musical journey - BPMs, dance, and psychedelic trance music
02:27:33 Cycle Delic Goa and Abhishek's interest in cycling
02:28:53 Mushrooms!
02:31:52 Growing up as an army kid
02:39:07 Are you also a marketplace, and do you host community events/ceremonies?
02:43:23 Future projects

Also mentioned in this episode
1984 by George Orwell - Acid - Adrenochrome - Agenda 21 - Alcohol - Amit Tida - Anunnaki - Archons - Arjun Nair - Arrival - Astral beings - Ayahuasca - Ayahuasca for prisoners in Brazil - Ayurveda - Ayush - Ben Stewart - Breatherian - Bruce Parry - Cannabis - Cari-Lee - Crop Circles - Cymatics - Datura - Darryl D'Souza - DMT - Dogon tribe - Dopamine - Ecstasy MDMA - Elementals - Elitom El-Amin - Elon Musk - Esoteric texts - Fantastic Fungi - Goa Gil - Goa Mountain Biking Tribe - Golden Teacher - Hessadalen - Ignatius Camilo - Indian Military Academy (IMA) - Indigo Children - Iquitos, Peru - Jeff Bezos - Jeffrey Epstein - Kamya Buch - Kodaikanal mushrooms - Kombucha - Kundalini - Lifting The Veil - LSD - Lucid dreaming - Lyrans - McKennaii - Morning Glory - Nag Hammadi - Nishith - Orb - Pachamama Cafe - Paul Stamets - Peyote - Psilocybin - PTSD - Robert Schwartz - Saddam Hussein assassination - Serotonin - Shiva Valley - Shrinath - Sirius - Sleep cycle - Space cake - Spiritual science - Star seeds - Sujit Nagda - Thank You Plant Medicine - The Day The Earth Stood Still - The Lion People of Sirius - The Queen's Gambit - The Threshold Boys Choir - Urine Therapy - Your Soul's Plan

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Angel Guides by Jesse Gallagher
Asleep With The Sun by Unicorn Heads
The Stoic and the Sailor by Unicorn Heads

All photographs by Abhishek Roychowdhury, Cycle Delic Goa, Psychedelic Adventure, and Psychedelic Society of India, unless otherwise stated.

Alexander Sukhochev aka Sashanti is a disc jockey and music producer, who's the creative force behind premier nightlife brands such as Shanti Goa and Soma Project, in Goa.

Visit his website
Follow him on Instagram
Like his Facebook page
Listen to his music sets on Soundcloud

Listen to his journey from growing up in a suburban town in Russia, and stepping into the nightlife scene in Moscow as a teenager, to writing a fiction based on his experiences in Goa, and hosting sought after parties in Goa for over fifteen years.

Sashanti has played a several legendary nightlife venues across the world, including Tresor (Berlin), Sisyphos (Berlin), Paradiso (Amsterdam), Chapeau Rouge (Prague),

After his first book, The Goa Syndrome (2007), which went on to be a bestseller in Russia, he is now involved in writing scripts and screenplays for movies both in India and Russia. His follow up book will be out soon.

Sashanti studied journalism and has covered stories for the Russian government. Also a photography enthusiast, he has showcased his work ranging from Full Moon scenery and his time with the Toda Tribe in the Nilgiris, India.

Dance to some of his productions, including these recent releases.
Rain - Andrey Semenets, Sashanti (dOP Remix)
Arabia EP - Sashanti/Andrey Semenets

SHANTI GOA
Shanti Goa was the winter residence of the club Shanti in Moscow. This chic bar, lounge, and art space sat on the scenic Ashvem Beach, overlooking the Arabian Sea. It was the spot to watch sunsets from while hanging out with cool people and listening to superb artists.

Art at Shanti Goa
When dOP played live at Shanti Goa

SOMA Project
SOMA Project is a nightlife brand in Goa, created by Sashanti. It had its residence at Teso Waterfront for a few years where it has hosted several parties on Sunday evenings for the 'it' crowd. This resurfaced as SOMA Life in Morjim, before retiring.

Riktam & Bansi party
Stefano Richetta party

Timestamps for reference
06:59 Sashanti inspired my move to Goa
12:55 How Sashanti set up Shanti Goa
17:33 Music scene in Goa in the 2000s
18:31 Understanding underground music?
28:05 Sashanti's journey in music
33:28 Shanti Goa to Soma Project, evolution
41:32 Beachside sunset sessions in Goa currently
45:24 Artists and artworks of Soma Project
54:51 Sashanti's book The Goa Syndrome
55:50 Sashanti's initial experiences in Goa
01:02:30 Influences of destinations on your own music
01:06:06 Sashanti's writing projects
01:16:01 Sashanti likes to capture moments
01:18:09 Sashanti's travels across India

Also mentioned in this episode
Abelton - Ajmer Sharif Dargah - Amnesia - Awakenings - Belarus protests (2020-2021) - Boom - Buddha Bar - Burning Man - Cafe Mambo - Caucasus Mountains - Charlotte de Witte - Chennakeshava Temple, Somanathapura - Club Cubana - Dancing Shiva (Nataraja) - David Guetta - Deborah de Luca - Denis Chernenko - Djuma Soundsystem - Downtempo - Dub Tempo - Electric Zoo India - Fall of the Berlin Wall - Fruityloop - Georgian protests (2019-2020) - Hacienda, Manchester - Hilltop - House music - Hoysala architecture - Ibiza - Ignatius Camilo - International Film Festival of India - Jean-Michel André Jarre - Lord Shiva - Klartraum - Kraftwerk - Leon Pereira - Manchester underground - Mathew Jonson - Nadja Lind - Nadja Lind and Klartraum at Shanti Goa - Nilgiris - Nina Kraviz - Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram - Pablo Hasél - Pawas Gupta - Pinaki & Alistair - Raimund Imo - Ritesh Gonsalves - Romeo & Juliet - Sergei - Shanti Moscow - Single malt whiskies - Latin America protests - Stefano Richetta - SulaFest - Sven Väth - Tbilisi - Techno music - Tito's - Todas - Tresor - Undergoa - Wolf + Lamb - Woomoon - Yapacc

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Drifting at 432Hz by Unicorn Heads
The Stoic and the Sailor by Unicorn Heads
Vishnu by Patrick Ptrikios

All photographs by Sashanti, Shanti Goa, & SOMA Project, unless otherwise stated.

Bipin Bhosale and Pooja Rani Bhatia are co-founders of Khoj-aao! They love to spend time off the grid, enjoy diverse foods, and travel to offbeat destinations. They're both certified in different levels of Wilderness First Aid, so rest assured you're safe in their hands.

Bipin's an avid birder, a SCUBA diver, and a slow travel enthusiast. Pooja's a divemaster, and a trained experiential facilitator.

Listen to their journey from growing up in the Western Ghats and the USA respectively, and meeting in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, to now showcasing the outdoors in Goa.

Khoj-aao! is a nature-based eco-tourism operator that offers customised outdoor experiences, currently in Goa and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Browse their website
Follow them on Instagram
Like their Facebook page

Get in touch with them for explorations across backyard nature trails, stargazing sessions, overnight camping trips, river boat cruises, and bird watching excursions in Goa. You can choose from half-day, full-day, and multi-day adventures.

Khoj-aao! intends to expose the younger generations to the outdoors with their interdisciplinary programs designed to take the classroom outside amid natural surroundings. 

The Khoj-aao! Young Explorer Kits are suitable for all ages, and are ideal to bring along for your own independent adventures in the wild.

They also organise workshops on topics including, snake awareness, backyard biodiversity, wilderness survival, and local flora/fauna among others.

Also mentioned in this episode
Amit Shetty - Andaman & Nicobar Islands - Bear Grylls - Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary - Birding - Bushcraft - Butterfly - Camping - Camping in the USA - Camping in India - Camp Monk - Damselfly - David Attenborough - Dragonfly - Dry bite (mock bite) - Dudhsagar waterfalls - First response - Flying Fish - Fungi in Goa - Geminids - Grand Canyon - Hiking - Hornbill - International Dark-Sky Association - International Space Station - Jio - Light pollution - Machu Picchu - Machu Picchu Trek - Mergui Archipelago - Mollem - Monsoon - National Historic Site - New species of ant discovered in 2020 - Nupur D'souza - Ohio - Parag Rangnekar - Paul Oxton - Paul Stamets - Pelagic birds - Pleiades - Poisonous vs Venomous - Ranthambore - Romulus Whitaker - Shashikiran - Space debris - Spiti - Stargazing - Starlink - Touch me not - Trail grading - Trail running - Trekking - Western Ghats - White-bellied sea eagle - Wilderness Survival Certification - Yondr

Timestamps for reference
04:31 Is it fun offering outdoor experiences?
08:55 Returning to similar trails and understanding the flora and fauna
14:41 Bipin and Pooja's introduction to camping
20:57 From camping to Khoj-aao
22:45 Trails in Goa
25:38 Encouraging guests to document their outdoor experiences
27:31 Different experiences offered by Khoj-aao
32:48 Goa is a year-round destination for nature-based experiences
36:25 Stargazing with Khoj-aao and personal experiences with celestial events
49:40 Interacting with like-minded guests, and their experiences in the outdoors
56:43 Uniqueness of the Goan outdoors
01:00:04 Inspiring guests to explore the outdoors on their own
01:04:23 Infrastructure for independent outdoor experiences
01:08:57 The cultural shift to keeping our public spaces clean, and respecting the native ecosystems
01:22:30 Development within local communities
01:33:30 Light Pollution, stargazing, and other experiences with guests
01:41:30 Young Explorers Adventure Kit
01:51:01 Snakes and stuff
01:53:55 Experiences in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
01:56:06 The beauty of marine life
01:59:30 Wilderness survival
02:13:38 Gears and gadgets in adventure sports and recreation
02:17:57 How Bipin and Pooja met, and the beginning of Khoj-aao
02:23:06 Bipin and Pooja's personal travels, and takeaways from running an eco-conscious travel business

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Asleep with the Sun by Unicorn Heads
First Class by DJ Williams

All photographs by Bipin Bhosale, Khoj-aao!, and Pooja Rani Bhatia, unless otherwise stated.

Sonia Filinto is a filmmaker and writer.  In addition to working on several feature films, she has independently directed Shifting Sands and Bread & Belonging.

Follow her on Instagram
Chat with her on Twitter

Listen to her journey from growing up in the beachside neighborhood of Calangute in Goa, and moving to different cities for work. Having recently returned to Goa, she now shares stories of people closer to home.

As a writer, she has contributed to various publications over the years. You can also read up more features and browse stories on her website.

Her latest film Bread & Belonging (2020) showcases the different facets of Goa's relationship with pao. Between natives who have been baking this bread as a family business, to migrants who have taken on this trade by filling in the void, the film explores the complexities involved in making this staple food every day.

Know more about Bread & Belonging

You can get a sense of the insider/outsider dynamics in Goa, through the lens of the ubiquitous local breads.

Keep an eye out for screenings of Bread & Belonging at film festivals and other intimate events near you.

Shifting Sands (2013) is a documentary that showcases lives of a native fishing community of Goa in the popular beachside village of Calangute, where Sonia was born. It captures the tides of change that has overwhelmed this coastal stretch, thanks to tourism, while the state keeps up with the growing demand of seafood.

Watch the documentary here, hosted by PARI

Also mentioned in this episode:
Alami mushrooms - Anika Proença - Armenia - Bangalore Iyengar Bakery - Bate Papo - Bollywood - Cabo de Rama Fort - Champagne Wine Trails - Floyd Cardoz - Fundação Oriente - Ganjam - Great Ocean Road - Jila Bakery - Kankon Pao - Katro Pao - Ladi Pav - Mamta Murthy - Mancurad mangoes - Moira banana - Nahoum and Sons - Neil Dsouza - O G Variar Bakery - Paowalla - Paris Pao - Pao - Poderachem Fest - Poi - Responsible Tourism Collective - Roads & Kingdoms - Saumyanda Sahi - Save Mollem - Sid - Smith Field Bakery - Stellenbosch - Sunaparanta - The Bombay Canteen - The One School Goa - The Paradise School Goa - Undo - Urak - Vada Pav - Wendell Rodricks - Wenger's

Timestamps for reference
02:05 Happy New Year 2021
03:56 Using the lockdown for developing future projects?
08:05 Poe, the equalizer
12:54 Sonia's relationship with Goan bread
18:02 Goa's local associations for bread
20:42 Certain professions, migration, and food
25:59 Vada Pav in Bombay
27:44 Pao vs artisnal breads
40:22 Getting to know the different Goan breads
48:04 Neo-bakers and traditional baking methods of pao
51:45 Sonia's biggest takeaway from the film
54:35 Migrants vs Expats
01:05:05 Reactions to Bread and Belonging
01:05:58 Shifting Sands
01:13:04 Travels and meeting people
01:17:30 Kind of stories that Sonia writes about
01:19:01 Travel influences, and stories closer to home
01:26:50 Travel experiences around local products
01:30:31 Sonia's introduction to filmmaking
01:33:35 Sonia's upcoming projects
01:37:17 Future of filmmaking
01:40:31 Finding a niche in filmmaking
01:43:17 Goa 2.0?
01:58:45 Sonia's favourite part of Goa

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
A New Orleans Crawfish Bowl by Unicorn Heads
Zodiac Structures by NomBe

All photographs by Sonia FIlinto, Bread & Belonging, Shifting Sands, and Nikhil Shankar, unless otherwise stated.

Waylon James Dsouza is an artist and designer, who creates avantgarde pieces of educational art based on substantial research via various vantages. He views our world through the lens of biomimicry, and integrates learning from nature into his work.

Follow him on Instagram
Check out his illustrations
Connect with him on Facebook

Listen to stories of his diverse practices from industrial design and installations to aquaponics and permaculture. His home terrace is an experimental space called The Botanical Lab, where he realizes his interest as an urban gardener.

Waylon's multi-disciplinary explorations result in elaborate exhibits that highlight symbolic materials. They offer sustainable solutions while carrying elements of philosophy, culture, and education.

Whether it's a rural community project, an urban planning exercise, a garden to table culinary experience, or an upcycled lighting fixture, Waylon has his pulse on the contemporary society.

You may find him planning nocturnal garden layouts, painting his next mandala, or performing with fire at an exotic location.



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Ama - Amche Mollem - Anup J Kat - Aquaponics - Arrival (movie) - Azerbaijan - Beach cleanups - Biomimicry - Canopy walk Castle Rock - Changwon Sculpture Biennale 2020 - Domus - Eternal Flame, Baku - Geoffrey Bawa - Humpback whales - Indica: A Deep Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent - Jago: A Life Underwater - Jiu Jitsu - Judo - Landscape design - Mangrove Boardwalk, Panjim - Marie Kondo - MeRoom - Miyawaki Method of land regeneration - Mycelium network - Paper wasp - Paul Stamets - Permaculture - Plogging - Potter wasp - Slime mold - Social engineering - Sperm whale - Star Trek: Discovery - Tabula Rasa - Taraporewala Aquarium - Tropical architecture - Visual architecture - Zorastrianism

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Timestamps for reference
02:36 Waylon's journey
18:10 More projects that Waylon has been working on
22:12 The Great Forgetting
23:21 More projects, especially one for Changwon
28:07 Making mandalas
29:23 Waylon's art expressions and mediums
30:51 Using art to educate, and why history is fascinating
34:53 My Mollem
36:42 Addressing conservation in Waylon's arts practice
37:35 Visual pollution & Sensory pollution
48:33 Understanding the term 'pollution' by definition
52:57 Is technology harvesting humans?
54:44 Mycelium network
57:30 Biomimicry as a lens
01:01:04 Bombay to Goa, breeding and domestication of certain animals
01:18:08 Nikhil's journey in brief
01:24:35 Learning about trees and different species
01:28:08 Coastal ecosystems
01:31:15 Sports and recreation through a responsible lens
01:35:05 Littering, before and after, the bucket analogy
01:38:44 Upcycling our products, Limca example
01:43:15 Conservation is a first world issue, and being vegan
01:50:37 Fire as an element
01:55:40 Industrial design, fluidity of nature, and public spaces
02:00:56 Rewilding urban spaces
02:03:42 Miyawaki method of land generation
02:04:33 What Waylon saw over the years
02:07:57 Waylon's upcoming projects

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Baila Mi Cumbia (Sting) by Jimmy Fontanez Media Right Productions
Sangria by Saidbysed
Tango in Mumbai by Quincas Moreira
Verve by Benjamin Martins

All photographs by Waylon James Dsouza, & WJD Illustration, unless otherwise stated.

Buland Shukla is an architect, artist, and acoustic consultant.

He wears many hats because he's curious about learning processes of how things work. He's keen about research in the field of acoustics ad architecture.

Expect to find him experimenting with different flours to bake breads, or making fermented sauces using myriad ingredients. As night falls, he might be entertaining a crowd with gypsy jazz tunes, or playing host to a listening session at his vinyl club.

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Audiophile Goa

Audiophile Goa is Goa's first vinyl record store and listening room, nestled in the heritage neighborhood of Fontainhas in Goa, India.

Music enthusiasts and hardcore audiophiles will be able to experience sounds from analog paraphernalia at this intimate retail space.

See their website
Follow them on Instagram
Like their Facebook page

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Copper Glow Audio

Buland Shukla handcrafts Hi-Fi analog audio systems made using wood and copper chassis, on request. You can place an order for custom-built turntables, vacumn-tube amplifiers, and speakers, from his boutique brand called Copper Glow Audio.

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Ferment Station Goa is Buland's home setup, where he makes products such as ginger ales, kombuchas, sauces, and sourdough breads using controlled natural methods of fermentation.



For The Record - Vinyl Bar
Inspired by the vinyl bars of Tokyo, Buland has created an intimate space for enthusiasts to enjoy high fidelity music on analogue systems, and handcrafted feni-based cocktails prepared using Indian craft spirits.

See their website
Follow them on Instagram
Like their Facebook page

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Under the umbrella of Heritage Acoustics, Buland offers his services as an architect, and consults on restoration of heritage spaces.

The Banjara Quartet is a music band that showcases Gypsy Jazz tunes. Follow their socials to catch them a live music venue in Goa, or on their tour.

Like their Facebook page
Listen to them on Soundcloud

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TIMESTAMPS FOR REFERENCE
04:07 Heritage architecture of Fontainhas
06:13 What attracts Buland to the architecture of Goa?
12:24 Timelessness in contemporary architecture
18:09 Do architectural ideas get executed at individual levels?
19:53 Public projects
21:43 Public access to showstopper structures
25:21 Modern architects who have created timeless structures
29:09 Buland's interest in Indian vernacular architecture and sound
35:54 Design and acoustic hotspots in ancient and spiritual spaces
39:41 Acoustical restoration of a church
46:45 Significance of acoustics in contemporary structures
49:07 What is Heritage Acoustics?
50:42 Some examples of awesome structures that Buland has interacted with
56:04 Urban planning and design
01:13:03 Influences from travels
01:15:03 Buland's introduction to architecture
01:18:21 Buland's musical journey
01:21:06 Form tabla to guitar
01:22:50 What is gypsy jazz?
01:25:44 How did The Banjara Quartet come together?
01:29:05 Buland's take on the contemporary music scene
01:39:24 Vinyl records and high fidelity music
01:43:23 The beginning of Audiophile Goa
01:48:15 Creating a listening and drinking space at For The Record Vinyl Bar
02:02:00 Fermentstation and understanding fermentation
02:13:51 Inclination towards vintage and old things
02:18:33 Influence of Vaastu Shaastra and Feng Shui in architecture
02:21:42 Sustainability and eco-conscious living scenario in Goa
02:33:54 Our impact on our immediate surroundings
02:39:35 Cultural dynamics in Goa

Also mentioned in this episode
Afonso Guest House - Antilla - Antoni Gaudi - Anumitra Ghosh - Anuradha Naik - Azulejos - Bauhaus - Big Butt Audio - Bombil - Braganza House - Buddha Bar - Burj Khalifa - Cafe del Mar - Cave paintings of Australia - CEPT University - Chamber music - Chichén Itzá - Colonial architecture - DAC (Digital-to-analog converter) - Designing Design - Django Reinhardt - Dr Manohara KK - Dubai - Duke Ellington - Edible Archives - Eiffel Tower - Elevator music - El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan) - Empire State Building - Fan-shaped cobble pavements - Fontainhas - Frank Gehry - Frank Lloyd Wright - Gothic churches - Gregorian chants - Guggenheim Museum - Gypsy Jazz - Houses of Goa - ICAR Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute - Iegor Reznikoff - Iggy the Bastard - Indian Music Experience - Izakaya - Japanophilia - Jazz kissa - Joseph Bar - Kenya Hara - Khola chilli - Koothambalam - Laterite stone - Lounge music - Machu Picchu - Mala, Panjim - Manasi Prasad - Mandavgarh - Manga comics - Marina Bay Sands - Micky's Place Agonda - Namghar - Naoshima Island - National Institute of Design Ahmedabad - Nilankur Das - Old Goa - POGO (Peope of Goan Origin) - Quetzal - Raj Bhavan, Goa - Robert - Sagrada Familia - Santiago Calatrava - Sourdough - Stéphane Grappelli - Tadao Ando - Tahir Noronha - Taj Mahal - Tallest skyscrapers in the world - The Church of the Light - The Statue of Unity - Throat singing - Thus - Uzbekistan - Vinyl bars of Japan - Weaboo - Yazd, Iran

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Cantus Firmus Monks by Doug Maxwell
Gypsy Dance by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena
Gypsy Stroll by Aaron Lieberman

All photographs by Audiophile Goa, Buland Shukla, Copper Glow Audio, Fermentstation, For The Record Vinyl Bar, & Heritage Acoustics, , unless otherwise stated.

Akash Sharma is an experimental artist, archaeoacoustic conservationist, and the founder of Sound.Codes.

Listen to his journey from growing up in Mumbai and studying computers and music, to now helping preserve sound heritage and acoustic signatures via multiple open-source projects!

Sound.Codes is a research lab that encompasses Akash's diverse interests. This entity showcases the world of sound through avant-garde multimedia projects.

See their website
Follow them on Instagram
Listen to them on Soundcloud
Like their Facebook page
Watch their YouTube channel
Chat with them on Twitter

Akash develops custom hardware and platform agnostic software to assist audio enthusiasts. Akash also builds his own field recording binaural microphone named as Kaan. This is available on a made-to-order basis.



Keep an ear out for his immersive audio experiences and interactive installations that pop up across the world.

Akash is an integral part of Algorave India, part of a global algorithmic dance culture movement. He creates live music using computer codes under the aliases Substance_D and/or Old Squirrel.

See their website
Follow them on Instagram
Like their Facebook page

Akash established a studio called KarmaQuad at the village of Kalga in the Indian Himalayas.  It features an quadraphonic room, an electronic lab, a woodworking lab, and an oven.



Also mentioned in this episode
423hz vs 440 hz - Abhinay Khoparzi - Acoustics - Acoustic levitation - Aguada underground watertank - Ajanta caves - Alex McLean - Anna - Arvalem caves - Ambisonic room - Archaeoacoustics - Archaeological Survey of India - Archaeology - Archive.Org - Arctic Code Vault - Area 51 - Arunachal Pradesh - Assam - Aum - Bärenzwinger, Berlin - Bhakti - Basilica of Bom Jesus - Buddhism - Campal - Carnatic music - Chalukya dynasty - Chalukya caves - Concert pitch - David Attenborough - Dhanya Pilo - EMF microphones - Equal Temperament Scale - Fibonacci - Fontainhas - Ganjam - Gharana - GitHub - Goethe-Institut Max Muller Bhavan Mumbai - Gong baths - Hampi - Hinduism - Hoysala - Jainism - Joshua “Tig3rbabu” Thomas - Kalga, Himachal Pradesh - Kinesthetic experience - Lodhi - Memory effect on water - Mimosa leaves - Napoleon Bonaparte - Neumann - Ninja - Northeastern Hill University - Orchestra setting - Penha de França church, Goa - Raia - Right to repair - Rivona caves - Samurai - Siang district - Sleep concerts - Sonic restoration - Sound healing - Sound heritage - SoundTrek - Sufi in India - Tambdi Surla temple - Tantra - The Musafir Stories (Meghalaya episode) - The Story Of - Usgalimal rock carvings - Vedic chants - Vittala temple

Timestamps for reference
05:00 Music and performing, as Algorave
07:17 What does Akash do in the realm of sound?
08:42 What is archaeoacoustics?
10:26 Use of archaeoacoustics in the modern day
11:53 How does gathering data for archaeoacoustics work?
16:20 Collecting audio data from a space
19:12 What is acoustic signature?
20:01 What is Sound Heritage?
23:55 Akash's work involves capturing sonic snapshots of spaces
26:19 Akash's first experience of resonating caves
29:18 Projects in the Northeast of India
30:53 Transitioning interest in sound into projects
33:00 Covering Goan archaeological sites for sound heritage
41:17 How can a layman experience sound heritage?
45:12 Some of Akash's favorite projects - Plantoid
49:10 Project with ITC to gamify nightclub experiences
54:23 Another highlight project
01:01:13 Kaan in a cage in Berlin
01:08:36 What is Sound.Codes?
01:11:14 Human-machine relationships
01:13:52 Humans, machines, and sustainability
01:18:49 Kaan - a binaural microphone
01:23:14 The beauty of binaural sounds
01:26:18 Spirituality, psychedelics, and civilizations
01:31:13 Sacred spaces and sounds
01:33:02 Acoustic levitation
01:38:19 Musical pillars in temples across India
01:42:00 The story behind 423 Hz cosmic frequency
01:45:20 Chants, 108, and cosmic frequency
01:48:42 Indigenous people and their relation to sounds in sacred spaces
01:51:55 Is there acoustic communication between plants and trees?
01:56:06 Sites, sounds, and emotions
01:58:44 Use of sound in healing and medicine
02:04:58 Archiving contemporary civilization digitally
02:11:30 Gharana music project
02:17:10 Algorave India
02:21:13 KarmaQuad
02:22:58 Upcoming projects

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
Orient by SefChol
Sonic by Lish Grooves
Sunset Riddim by Konrad OldMoney

All photographs by Akash Sharma, Algorave India, & Sound.Codes, unless otherwise stated.

Mrugaya Xpeditions is a nature-based experiential tour company based out of Goa, India. Sign up for day trips, personalised excursions, and study tours to discover the myriad flora and fauna of the Western Ghats. 

See their website
Follow them on Instagram
Like their Facebook page
Watch their YouTube channel

Curated by knowledgeable and experienced naturalists, you can expect to encounter the rich biodiversity of the region. These low impact tours are managed with responsible tourism practices, involving local communities, and conservation efforts in mind.

They also offer guided, small-group tours to birding hotspots across the country. 

Omkar Dharwadkar is a naturalist and wildlife photographer. He's the also the President and Founder Member of the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN).

Listen to his journey from growing up in Goa, and spending time alone in the forest, to now sharing his knowledge as a 'Bird Magnet' with discerning guests.

Along with local filmmaker Kabir Naik, Omkar has been creating a video series on the wildlife of Goa. They have covered the monsoon, amphibians, odonates, butterflies, and camouflage in the state. Watch their videos to learn more about the native flora and fauna.



Parag Rangnekar is a naturalist and wildlife photographer. He's also the Founder Member of the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN). Parag has specific interest in dragonflies and butterflies.

Listen to his journey from growing up in Goa, and spending his holidays exploring the forests of Amboli in Maharashtra, to now rejuvenating his ancestral house into a nature retreat, and offering a platform that showcases the region's natural wonders.



Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) is a non-profit society of birding enthusiasts in Goa. Join in for their monthly bird walks in the forests of Goa. 

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Aangan Village Stay is a homestay in Verlem,, set within the hinterland of Goa, India. Managed by the Verlem Eco Tourism Cooperative Society, you can immerse yourselves in the culture, cuisine, and community here. 

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Jungle Trails Homestay is a quaint accommodation located in Talde village, on the fringes of Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, India. You can explore the surrounding forests and 14th century heritage sites on nature trails with expert local guides.

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Mrugaya Nature Retreat is a bed & breakfast nestled amid the lush wilderness of Amboli, India. This eco-conscious accommodation features rustic interiors and offers three guestrooms with private sit-outs.  You can head out on nature trails to spot birds, reptiles, and amphibians in the forests around.

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Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN) is a non-profit society that promotes birding, and serves as an excellent resource documenting the various species of birds in Goa.

See their website
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Join in for their bird walks that happen on the first Sunday of every month. GBCN conducts regular surveys and also organises events that help in bird conservation.

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Also mentioned in this episode
All Goa Water Bird Census - Amboli - Asian Water Bird Census - Beach Fashion Week - Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary - Birding - Bird Atlas - Dr Salim Ali - Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary - Dragonfly - Dragonflies South Asia - eBird - Fauna of Goa - First Nations - Foundation for Environment Research and Conservation - Goa Gap - Heinz Lainer - India Bird Conservation Network - Inle Lake - International Dark-Sky Association - Invertebrate Conservation and Information Network of Southeast Asia - Jim Corbett - Kenneth Anderson - Kerala Tourism - Limits of Acceptability - Mahabaleshwar -Matheran - Matoli - Meat Eater - Mineral Foundation of Goa - Moken - Naitik Jain - Nilesh Cabral - Nirmal Kulkarni - Quiet Parks International - Rahul Alvares - Responsible Tourism Collective - Savio Fonseca - Serendipity Arts Festival - Shivdas Dessai - Shraddha Rangnekar - Spirit Bear - Tambdi Surla - Uttrakhand birds - Velips - West Bengal birds - Western Ghats - WWF - Zoological Survey of India

Timestamps for reference
03:25 Uniqueness of the Western Ghats
05:40 The Goa Gap
06:35 Documenting the natural history of Goa's Western Ghats
09:09 Heinz Leiner & Birds of Goa
13:07 Amphibians in Goa
14:48 Surveys about birds
19:28 Operations of GBCN
20:20 Monthly bird walks
21:39 Birding hotspots in Goa
22:21 Interest of birding in Goa from a tourism perspective
24:30 Possibility of spotting 150 species of birds in Goa over a three day trip
28:58 Infrastructure in natural spaces
32:56 Pricing and carrying capacity of natural destination
36:15 Community-based tourism as a double-edged sword, and Aangan project in Verle
44:03 Spirit Bear & First Nations
46:15 Jungle Trails Homestay
49:03 What's the intent behind Mrugaya Xpeditions
51:36 Story of Mrugaya
55:05 Hunting, foraging, and harvesting from forests
01:03:24 Different organizations that Omkar and Parag are part of
01:06:06 Making the best of the beach in Goa
01:07:29 Can Goa accommodate more small-group experiences responsibly?
01:12:55 Brand of destination Goa, and new approaches
01:17:49 Personal journeys and influences of Omkar and Parag
01:22:12 The Mollem issue
01:41:26 Government websites are so outdated in India, an IT hub
01:43:34 Goa Bird Festival

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
First Class by DJ Williams
Song of Sadhana by Jesse Gallagher
Sonic by Lish Grooves

All photographs by Omkar Dharwadkar, Parag Rangnekar, and Mrugaya Xpeditions, unless otherwise stated.

Bettymaya Foott is an astrophotographer and a dark sky enthusiast. As the Director of Engagement at the International Dark-Sky Association, she is instrumental in spreading the message of saving the stars!

See her website
Follow her on Instagram
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Know her on LinkedIn

Bettymaya also founded an Instagram page called Women in Astrophotography to encourage and empower women who are passionate about astrophotography, to be comfortable under the night skies.

Listen to her journey from stargazing on a trampoline as a kid and studying about environment and sustainability, to now capturing the beauty of our night skies and helping preserve dark skies.

Bettymaya is fluent in Spanish and loves camping and river rafting trips.

You can reach her for private online workshops on astrophotography, and tours across Moab.



The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a non-profit organization that protects our dark skies from light pollution. Based out of Tuscon, Arizona in the USA, it's a recognised global authority on night skies and light pollution.

See their website
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Chat with them on Twitter

IDA recognises dark sky places across the world under several categories such as International Dark Sky Reserves, International Dark Sky Sanctuaries, International Dark Sky Parks, International Dark Sky Communities, and Urban Night Sky Places.

You can refer to extensive resources on light pollution, dark skies, and related subjects here>>

Please refer to this interactive map that showcases the certified International Dark Sky Places

You can be a part of preserving the night skies in your own way by becoming a member, an advocate, a delegate, or joining an IDA chapter near you.  Understand how you can get involved>>

Also, as an individual, you can adopt smart dark sky friendly lighting solutions in your daily usage, and also encourage your local communities to take action. Read all about it here>>

Our night sky is a shared heritage for all life on earth. This needs to be conserved to enjoy and explore the wonders of the universe.

Know more about light pollution and how it affects our health, wildlife, and the world's diverse ecosystems.

Also mentioned on this episode
Adam Dalton - Airglow - Amanda Gormley - Annamarie Schaecher - Annette Lee - Antarctica - Arches National Park - Astronomical observatories in Antarctica - Astrophotography - Astrostays - Atacama Desert - Audubon, NY  - Aurora Borealis - Bangalore - Canyonlands National Park - Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative - Dark & Quiet Skies for Science & Society Conference - David Blaine - Deep Anand - Delhi - Delicate Arch - Dinosaur - DJI Osmo Pocket - East Canyon State Park - Effects of light pollution on wildlife - Elon Musk - Four Corners - Gates of Lodore - Glare - Goa - Guatemala - Halley's Comet - Hanle - Illuminating Engineering Society - International Dark-Sky Week - Intervalometer - Jeff Bezos - John Barentine - Johnny Harris - Ladakh - Lauren Scorzafava - Leonardo DiCaprio - Light trespassing - Mauna Kea Observatories - Megan Eaves - Milky Way - Moab - Moment Factory - NASA - NEOWISE Comet - New Zealand - Nightscape photography - Oprah Winfrey - Orion - Pentagon UFO story - Pete Strasser - Red Fleet State Park - Richard Branson - Rufus - Ruskin Hartley - Salt Lake City - Save Our Stars - Skyglow - Southern hemisphere astrophotography - South Pole Telescope - SpaceX - Starlink - Star Galaxy Discovery - Sun photography - Susan Ciarniello - The City Dark - Tribute in Light - United Nations - United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs - University of Utah - Utah - Utah State Parks - Venus - Vox Borders

Timestamps for reference
04:15 David Blaine Ascension
05:00 What is light pollution?
06:43 Engaging people to protect our night skies
07:43 International Dark-Sky Places program
08:47 Four different categories
09:58 Requirements to consider for a dark sky destination
10:19 Goal of the International Dark Sky Association
11:33 How can we as global citizens be part of protecting our dark skies?
16:01 How did I stumble upon dark sky reserves
21:39 Appreciating the night skies, and the human connection
28:08 Conservation is a first world problem
31:35 Astrotourism in Ladakh
33:11 Chapters and opportunities for engagement with the IDA
39:13 What is the International Dark-Sky Association?
40:18 The current team at IDA
43:34 How did Bettymaya gravitate toward the IDA?
46:22 Awareness about light pollution through popular media and education systems
48:34 Space explorations and experiencing the night skies from earth
50:17 Events and initiatives by IDA
52:21 Association of Friends of Astronomy Goa
53:24 Learning from indigenous communities about our night skies
59:41 Humans are nature
01:01:12 Light installations vs light pollution
01:04:05 How did Bettymaya start with astrophotography?
01:06:45 Learning curve for astrophotography
01:13:31 Being outdoors to capture a decent photograph of the night skies
01:17:30 Bettymaya's most dramatic destination for astrophotography, and her celestial subjects
01:22:00 Women in Astro
01:23:16 Can astrophotography include capturing the skies during the day?
01:24:11 Opinions about astrology as an astrophotographer
01:26:01 Influence of growing up in a dramatic destination such as Moab
01:28:12 Bettymaya's other interests in the outdoors
01:35:20 Contacts to reach IDA and Bettymaya

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
A Quiet Thought by Wayne Jones
Nebular Focus by Dan Henig
On Foot by Underbelly & Ty Mayer
Orbit by Corbyn Kites
Touch Tone by The Mini Vandals

All photographs by Bettymaya Foott, & the International Dark-Sky Association, unless otherwise stated.

Sephi Bergerson is an international reportage and documentary photographer. He has also authored coffee table books that cover street foods, wedding traditions, polio eradication and trucking, all across India. Currently based in Goa, India, h

See his website
Follow him on Instagram
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Watch his YouTube channel

Listen to his journey from growing up and studying photography in Israel, and travelling the world, to now working on a bunch of personal photography projects that allow for spiritual explorations.

Sephi stumbled onto wedding photography when on of his friends invited him to document her sister's wedding. Later, he went on to become one of most sought after artists to shoot wedding ceremonies among India's upper middle class.

Sephi first ventured into the bustling and chaotic cities across the country. He captured a delicious assortment of 50 street foods that are enjoyed in India. You can buy his book Street Food of India.

Portraits in Lockdown

Sephi used Facetime to create portraits of individuals, couples, and families during the historic lockdown period through 2020.

Horn Please: Trucking in India showcases the lives and realities of truckers in India.

SILK by Sephi Bergerson is a specialty luxury wedding photography service offered by Sephi Bergerson and a curated team of freelance photographers. Discerning couples can commission him to capture memories of your big day in a candid and photojournalistic style.

See their website
Follow them on Instagram

Also mentioned in this episode
23 Hours to Kill - A Canticle for Leibowitz - Adam - Aghora: At the left hand of God - Aghoris - Alfred Hitchcock - Ambassador car - Amber Bergerson - Analog photography - Andres Serrano - Ansel Adams - Arizona - ASMR - Bengali wedding rituals - Better Photography - Blade Runner - Carlos Castaneda - Chakras & Yoga - Chess - Conde Nast - Curlie's - David Bowie - Delhi Photo Festival - Devika Daulet-Singh - Elon Musk - Eva Bergerson - Exodus from Egypt - Facetime - Falafel (different types) - Glenn Richmann - Gordon Hempton - Greenwich Village - Jama Masjid - Jerry Seinfeld - Hyderabadi Muslim wedding - India - Israeli military - Israeli army knife - Israeli falafel - Jaffa - Jimmy Days - Josh - Kashmiri Pandit wedding - Ladhaki Buddhist wedding - Leah Bergerson - Life - Manhattan - Marijuana - Mick Jagger - Moses - National Geographic - New Mexico - New York - Old Delhi - Old Testament - Pharaoh - Pita bread - Piss Christ - Poi - Polaroid - Triumph Over Polio (polio eradication drive in India) - Prickly Pear - Quiet Parks International - Raëlian - River Nile - Roger Ballen - Sandro Botticelli - Scarface - Sex on the Beach - Shefi Carmi-Bergerson - Siddharth Dhanvant Sanghvi - Sikh wedding rituals - Street food in India - Sunaparanta Goa Center of Arts - Syrian Christian wedding - Tam Brahm wedding rituals - The Big Lebowski - The Birth of Venus - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly - The Leela Kovalam - The Teachings of Don Juan - Traditional Indian attire - Udaipur - Vada Pav - Vogue - Woodburns - World Health Organization - Yellow badge - UNICEF - Zone-system

Timestamps for reference
03:37 Woodburns Whisky
04:25 Sephi's bartending and other adventures in New York
18:06 The seed of Sephi's interest in photography
20:06 From analog to digital photography
24:49 Is it the art or the artist? Importance of working on personal projects
30:48 Shooting weddings in India
34:29 Documenting stories and photographs for the books
40:32 Street foods in India & in Israel - the book and more
49:55 Portraits of Lockdown, and remote photography
01:00:03 Is the party over for photography as a career?
01:04:54 Shooting for NGO projects
01:10:07 Learning about relationship while shooting weddings
01:13:45 Talking about religious rituals
01:19:15 Sephi's project on religion
01:27:23 Other controversial works on religion
01:30:26 Having a diverse portfolio
01:36:09 Religion reprise
01:38:40 Random ASMR of drinking water
01:39:22 A bit about quiet spaces and nature
01:43:32 Is religion natural? Is it an organism?
01:51:43 Questioning stories in religious scriptures
01:55:24 Are humans being harvested?
01:58:03 Psychedelics, religion, and art
02:00:56 The Overview Effect
02:01:50 Understanding patriotism, geographical and social sentiments
02:03:43 Humans and animals respecting each other in this ecosystem
02:04:34 Education, and our sources of knowledge
02:08:41 Sephi is still on a spiritual quest to find himself through photography
02:12:52 Sephi's idea of spirituality
02:19:05 A little backstory about Nikhil Shankar
02:22:01 More conscious stuff, the five layers of yogic experiences
02:27:28 Talking about Roger Ballen
02:35:31 A case for more art to be in public spaces
02:43:00 SILK by Sephi Bergerson
02:46:29 Learning photography in institutions
02:48:40 Influences of being a photographer on family life and parenting

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
A Quiet Thought by Wayne Jones
Angel Guides by Jesse Gallagher
Fresno Alley by Josh & The Overtimers
Song of Sadhana by Jesse Gallagher

All photographs by Sephi Bergerson, unless otherwise stated.
Sephi's black and white portrait by Joe McNally