“Most South Asians growing up here had some version of a curfew,” laughs DJ and producer MOWGLI (also known as Amar Singh). “Your parents would be like, ‘Be home by 11!’ So, we flipped it to fit our narrative.” KERFEW MOWGLI
That flipped narrative is KERFEW, a now-national South Asian creative collective co-founded by MOWGLI. The group was born out of a desire for community, collaboration, and visibility and for MOWGLI, it mirrors his own evolution – from growing up in Karratha, a remote town in regional Western Australia, to creating a fusion of sets across Australia’s biggest cities.
When the idea for KERFEW first emerged during the COVID-19 lockdowns, MOWGLI was living in Perth and reflecting on the lack of spaces for South Asian creatives like him. “There are so many of us, who’ve grown up here, with roots elsewhere, and who are doing creative work. But there wasn’t really a unified platform for us,” he shares.
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A Zoom call with like-minded creatives from across the country, many of whom he had never met sparked something bigger than just a one-off event. “Unity was a big part of it,” MOWGLI explains. “We thought: instead of operating in silos, why don’t we do this under one umbrella? Then we can support each other across states, collaborate, and represent a broader South Asian creative identity.” KERFEW MOWGLI
KERFEW made its debut in Sydney in 2022 and has since redefined what a party can be. Their events are multi-sensory and intentionally layered where one room might pulse with DJs spinning genre-bending music, while another holds space for yoga, classical dance, or guided meditation. “From day one, it wasn’t just about the party,” he says. “We wanted to merge the traditional with the new. That contrast is our strength.” KERFEW MOWGLI
MOWGLI’s own music reflects this hybridity – raised in a Punjabi household where both spiritual and celebratory music was always present. He now draws on everything from Punjabi folk to hip-hop and Afro to techno. “Everything I do is rooted in feeling,” he explains. “When I build a set, I think about energy – how it rises, how it falls, what emotion it creates.” KERFEW MOWGLI
Even his stage name, MOWGLI, is a playful reclamation. “Growing up, the only South Asian characters I saw were Mowgli from The Jungle Book or Apu from The Simpsons. And I wasn’t going to call myself Apu,” he jokes. “Mowgli just felt right. Raised in the jungle, raised by wolves… it’s kind of a metaphor for finding your way in unfamiliar territory.”
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Today, based in Melbourne, MOWGLI continues to explore that territory, both as an individual artist and as part of KERFEW’s collaborative engine. “We’re all South Asian, but our experiences are different,” he says. “I grew up in WA and am Punjabi, others come from different cultures and grew up in other Australian cities. That shows in our music. It keeps things fresh.”
That rich mix was on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as MOWGLI performed at the Archie Party 2025, a late-night celebration of music, art, and culture, co-curated by KERFEW. Now in its fourth year, the event featured fellow KERFEW artists Jhassic and Munasib, with headline acts including Pakistani experimental group Jaubi and LA-based singer-producer Gayathri Krishnan. KERFEW MOWGLI
For MOWGLI, the setting offers a unique creative opportunity. “Club gigs are fun, but there’s an expectation to make people dance,” he says. “Here, I can stretch out, start slow, build an atmosphere, and really tell a story.”
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