New Delhi, Aug. 6 -- On Threads, the new album by Indian-origin music producers Baalti and Lapgan, yesteryear disco queen Runa Laila can be heard entreating a jyotishi (fortune teller) to reveal details about her love life. The beseechment, in Bengali, sampled alongside folk beats, is followed by a voice memo of Gaurav Nagpal-who goes by Lapgan-actually speaking with a jyotishi in person.

The New York-based duo of Mihir Chauhan and Jaiveer Singh , who make music as Baalti, say it's one of the most fun samples on their new record. It's a small example of their unique source material-Carnatic beats, club sounds, chopped Indian classical scatting. In the 1970s, rumours swirled that the 'Skylab' satellite would crash in the Kashmir valley. I...