Mustavi: No Big Drop, Just Depth
Between the Lines
He doesn’t talk in genre tags. He talks in feeling.
To Mustavi, sound isn’t something you perform. It’s something you shape. His sets don’t rely on obvious builds or euphoric peaks. They simmer, swell, and suspend, hypnotic, tense, full of restraint. “I want people to feel fully immersed in the moment,” he says. “A deep connection to the music and the space around them.”
This is electronic music made by someone who doesn’t just want to be heard. He wants to be understood.
Between Cities, Between Scenes
Ask Mustavi where he’s based and he’ll tell you: “Somewhere between Toronto and Dhaka.” It’s not a metaphor. He moves between both cities, physically, creatively, emotionally. His sound, too, is a hybrid of influence and introspection. He fell in love with electronic music early, syncing songs to his iPod in Dhaka. But in Toronto, something clicked.
“Raves turned into therapy,” he says. “Just me and the speakers.”
Eventually, he rented a controller. The mixes were awful at first, “I spent hours trying to make one clean transition,” he laughs, but the obsession grew. His breakthrough came at a post-lockdown beach party. A friend heard his set and made a promise: “You’re talented. I’ll launch you in a year.” And he did.

A Sound That Holds You
What does Mustavi’s music sound like?
“Deep, hypnotic, immersive, with a darker edge.” His style sits in the moodier corners of progressive house, where groove matters more than hooks, and tension is built gradually, not explosively. “It’s about crafting sets that feel natural and seamless,” he says. “Taking the audience on a journey that is both powerful and emotionally engaging.”
There’s something cinematic about how he thinks through music. You feel it in the pacing. In the atmosphere. In the silence between basslines.
It’s less of a set, and more of a scene.
Movement as Muse
Everything about Mustavi’s creative process starts with motion. “Driving around with my puppy. Playing whatever feels right in the moment. That space where I’m not overthinking — that’s where a lot of ideas come from.”
Inspiration hits hardest when he’s not searching for it. Long drives. Flights. Movement through sound and space. And when he does name musical influences, they’re unexpected, not just DJs or producers, but film scores and TV soundtracks that evoke emotion with patience and subtlety.
“I love how they guide you emotionally without saying anything. That’s what I want my sets to do.”
The First Track That Changed Everything
Every artist has one.
For Mustavi, it was Jeremy Olander’s “Caravelle.” “It felt like a story unfolding slowly,” he says. That track didn’t just shape his taste, it defined how he thinks about tension, groove, and melody. “Watching his sets taught me the importance of flow and patience.”
That ethos carries through Mustavi’s own mixes: slow-building, textured, and emotionally layered. No shortcuts. No cheap drops. Just immersive control.
A Role in the Rising Scene
Ask Mustavi about the future of electronic music in Bangladesh, and his answer is clear: “We’re in the middle of a musical revolution.”
Pop-ups. Collectives. International bookings. There’s a shift happening, and he’s watching it unfold from both sides of the globe. “It feels like a new chapter,” he says. “I see the next few years bringing more collaboration, better spaces to play, and a scene that truly defines its own identity.”
And in that shift, he sees his own role evolving.
“There’s so much music people haven’t discovered yet,” he says. “I see my role as someone who introduces new sounds and helps others explore beyond what they already know.”
What Community Feels Like
Community, to Mustavi, isn’t about sold-out shows or headliners. It’s smaller. Deeper. More real.
“It’s the people who show up early. Who dance until the end. Who give feedback and push each other to grow.” The best moments? Not the biggest gigs, but the most intimate ones. The rooms where you recognize every face. The nights where the energy isn’t curated, but collective.
“Some of the best sets I’ve played were in places that barely had lights,” he says. “But the crowd was locked in. That’s everything.”
Behind the Decks, and Beyond
There’s one moment he still thinks about often.
“During a small underground gig, I caught someone dancing with tears in their eyes,” he says. “That reminded me how powerful music can be. It’s not just entertainment. It’s healing.”
That’s the kind of moment Mustavi plays for. Not applause. Not clout. Just real, personal connection.
He prepares with intention too: “No music on the day of. I like to keep my head clear, go for a drive or a swim. It helps me show up fresh, like I’m hearing everything for the first time.”
It’s not ritual. It’s reset.
Platforms That Listen
One thing that keeps him grounded is having space to be seen, beyond the setlist. That’s where he sees platforms like Arka Collective playing a key role.
“They give us space to share not just our music, but our stories, ideas, and intentions behind the art,” he says. “They highlight different voices. That’s how you shape culture.”
To someone who’s never been? “Arka feels like walking into a space that’s alive with creativity. Everyone’s there for the right reasons. You lose track of time. You leave inspired.”
What’s Next?
A few international shows. A return to his core sound. And an open horizon.
No big drops. Just momentum.