Not only is “My Friends Are Virgins” a much darker song compared to “Made Up,” it’s also released in Hindi and English. It allows me to keep learning and growing, while giving me the opportunity to explore various sonic terrains – which I really value.” He says about his fellow musicians, “There is a powerful intimacy working with artists who believe in your music. This collective created their experimental previous single “ Made Up,” featuring seemingly Carnatic fretplay and soothing vocal harmonies. By early this year, Pune-based Sastry included New Delhi vocalist Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, bassist Vinay Ravindra Rao (from blues act Triple Shuffle), multi-instrumentalist Jay Kshirsagar and percussionist-producer Yuvaan Makar to create an extended lineup for Kalika. While Sastry released a previous version of the song on his 2018 debut record Enter Kalki (featuring Maastricht-based trombone player Angus Foster, who returns for the new iteration), he also released another collection of songs in 2019 called Data Religion. With the latest track “My Friends Are Virgins,” Sastry met with seasoned composer and saxophonist Raghav Sachar, who ended up collaborating on the song that is an eerie, ironic lament on sexual repression in India. Formed in 2018 in Maastricht while composer Prannay Sastry was a student, Kalika has slowly added more remembers and collaborators with each project.

Raghav sachar shirtless