For Manu, better known by his project name Obscuit, short for Obscure Circuits, Kappa CULTR is more than another gig. It’s home. It’s memory. It’s movement.

Long before the pounding basslines and immersive electronic sets, Manu’s world revolved around rhythm in its most traditional form.

“As a kid, I used to play percussion for bhajans,” he recalls. Raised in a household steeped in classical art, with a mother who is a classical dancer, his childhood soundtrack was filled with Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam compositions. The structured intensity of kritis. The precise geometry of rhythm. The kind that makes your body move without you realising it.

People often see bhajans and electronic music as worlds apart. Manu doesn’t.

“Electronic music may sound futuristic. But at its core, it’s rhythm. That’s the same foundation Bharatanatyam is built on.”

For him, the shift wasn’t rebellion, it was evolution.

Kerala’s psytrance pulse

Like many electronic artists in India, especially in Kerala, his gateway was Psytrance. 

Manu entered the industry formally in 2013, playing his first poster event under his own name. There was no project branding, no alter ego, just “Manu.” But by 2017, his techno-driven vision crystallised into something darker, faster, more intricate: Obscuit.

The name itself, Obscure Circuits, reflects the kind of sonic architecture he builds.

Obscuit doesn’t believe in predictable builds.

“I don’t like starting slow and then just building energy up,” he says. “I need dynamics.”

While many DJs chase relentless intensity, Manu prefers contrast. He brings the energy down unexpectedly. He lets the crowd breathe. He reshapes the mood mid-journey.

Not necessarily looking for an “energetic” crowd, just one willing to travel with him.

Why Kappa CULTR feels different

This isn’t his first brush with the festival, but this edition feels different.

“I think we’re pushing a completely different sound this time compared to the other editions,” he says. “Kappa is moving way forward. It’s super exciting.”

Kappa CULTR has grown beyond just a lineup of DJs and bands. For Manu, that evolution is what makes it special, especially in South India.

“Until now, people thought a music festival just meant DJs playing, you drink, you dance, and that’s it.”

But Kappa intertwines art, gaming sessions, food stalls, even arcade games that spark nostalgia. It’s immersive. Cultural. Multi-sensory.

“I’m most excited to finish my set and go try the arcade games myself,” he laughs. “This is all stuff we grew up with.”

“Kochi is different,” he says. “It’s more like a reunion.”

Having started clubbing at a very young age, Manu grew up alongside the scene. The dancers in front of him aren’t just fans, they’re old friends, familiar faces, strangers who became part of his story.

“I love dancing with strangers,” he adds. “That’s the essence of Kappa CULTR.”

Last day of Kappa CULTR 2026

Tonight, as Obscuit takes over the stage and the crowd surrenders to rhythm one last time, the energy of three unforgettable days reaches its peak. And at 10 pm, as the final track of this edition fades into the humid Kochi air, South India’s hottest music festival will take its final bow for 2026.

But Kappa CULTR has never really been about endings.

It’s about reunion. About strangers turning into dance partners. About arcade games, food stalls, art, basslines and memories colliding in one shared space.

As the lights dim tonight, Kochi won’t just be saying goodbye. It will be holding onto the promise of next year, waiting for the gates to reopen, for the bass to return, and for another banger of an edition to begin.

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