Lil idli is the experimental pop duo of vocalist Ranjani Prabhakar and producer/percussionist Deepak Gopinath. Their compelling and soulful style seamlessly weaves together a unified sound reflecting their hybrid cultural roots and artistic identities. Combining Prabhakar’s insightful lyricism and radiant vocals with Gopinath’s knack for exploratory and textural soundscapes, the colorfully expressive vibes of Lil Idli gently ask us: why are we here and what do we owe one another?

Prabhakar got her start in the classical arts, training as a child in Indian classical voice and Western violin. Her evolution into songwriting blossomed through a search for resonance and fluidity in divergent cultural and aesthetic worlds, through a tapestry of synths, moving melodies, and pop idioms. 

Gopinath is a producer, composer, and percussionist who started as a small-town drummer in Kerala, India, and made his way to the Berklee College of Music and the Georgia Tech Music Technology program, where he focused on avant-garde electronic arts and assistive robotics, respectively.