A second-generation American of East African Indian descent, Bhatia was born in
Hickory, North Carolina and grew up in
Raleigh. His interest in music began with two inspirations: his grandfather’s reedy, a capella renditions of
Ginans, and listening to
gangster rap on the radio. He began playing guitar in high school. After graduating from
Oberlin College with a degree in neuroscience and economics, in 2010 Bhatia moved to
Brooklyn, where he has remained. The composer-guitarist's first two albums,
Strata and
Yes It Will, were described as "transcending real sound in real time with the unexpected," and as "approximating life in the information age … profuse, immersive and immense." In 2014, Bhatia and drummer
Ian Chang became members of
Son Lux, expanding the former solo project of
Ryan Lott into a trio. They have since been heralded as "the world's most lethal band", and described as "thrilling... an ideal synthesis of contemporary forms". In the past few years, Son Lux has written, recorded, and released the album
Bones and its companion EP
Stranger Forms and have given over 300 performances in North America, Europe, and Asia. Bhatia has recorded with
Lorde,
Sufjan Stevens,
Heems, and
David Virelles, and on the soundtracks to the films
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,
Air, and
Afflicted. He has also recorded with members of the chamber ensembles
International Contemporary Ensemble,
JACK Quartet, and
Alarm Will Sound. In 2022, Bhatia and his bandmates in
Son Lux composed the original score for the film
Everything Everywhere All at Once. The score received nominations for
Best Original Score at both the
Academy Awards and the
BAFTA Awards. The soundtrack features contributions from artists including
Mitski,
David Byrne,
André 3000, John Hampson, and
Randy Newman. The film won seven Academy Awards, including
Best Picture,
Best Director, and three acting awards, and received additional accolades such as two
Golden Globe Awards, five
Critics' Choice Movie Awards, a BAFTA Award, and four
Screen Actors Guild Awards. As a composer, Bhatia has received commissions from various institutions, including the
Kronos Quartet,
Walker Art Center,
Public Records, the
Kennedy Center,
Jennifer Koh, Liquid Music,
National Sawdust,
Newfields, The Jazz Gallery, and the
Toledo Museum of Art. He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists across musical genres and disciplines, such as
Arooj Aftab, Holland Andrews, Michael Cina,
Teju Cole,
Sam Dew,
Billy Hart,
Marcus Gilmore,
Shahzad Ismaily,
Vijay Iyer,
Glenn Kotche,
Okkyung Lee, Qasim Naqvi,
Helado Negro,
Kassa Overall,
Cécile McLorin Salvant,
Valgeir Sigurðsson,
Alex Somers,
Moses Sumney, Rajna Swaminathan, Kiah Victoria, and
David Virelles. His contributions appear on recordings released by labels such as
Brownswood,
City Slang,
ECM,
Glassnote,
Greenleaf Music,
Joyful Noise,
New Amsterdam,
RCA, and
Temporary Residence Limited. Bhatia's collaboration with Thai director
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, titled
On Blue, was performed live by
Alarm Will Sound during consecutive nights at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music’s
Howard Gilman Opera House in 2024. Additionally, the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater toured a twenty-minute work set to selections from Bhatia's 2020 EP,
Standards Vol. I. Since the release of
Standards Vol. I, Bhatia has continued to engage with the jazz community, performing alongside artists such as
Ambrose Akinmusire,
Dave Douglas,
Ganavya,
James Brandon Lewis, and
Samora Pinderhughes. He has also produced debut recordings for pianist Chris Pattishall and trumpeter Riley Mulherkar. ==Discography==