The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
DSandDurga is a Brooklyn house where every fragrance begins as a story David Seth Moltz wants to tell. Radio Bombay bottles the fragmented transmissions of a distant station, the way a radio signal carries across oceans and time zones. It is Moltz translating nostalgia and distance into something you can wear, beginning with woody immediacy and ending in sensory memory.
The note selection reflects Moltz approach to storytelling through smell. Cedarwood and sandalwood create a woody dialogue that feels both familiar and exotic. Iris adds a vintage powder quality, while peach brings unexpected softness. Boronia, with its complex green-floral character, provides the unexpected element that distinguishes Radio Bombay from straightforward woody fragrances.
The evolution
The scent moves from the immediate clarity of cedarwood and woody notes into a heart that feels like warmth found after travel. Sandalwood bridges both phases, first supporting the cedarwood, then softening as iris and peach arrive. Boronia adds intrigue before the drydown expands into something broader: coconut suggesting distant shores, ambergris bringing the brine of sea air, and fir anchoring everything to earth. Musks linger longest, ensuring the memory persists.
Cultural impact
DS&Durga, the Brooklyn house founded by David Seth Moltz and his wife Kavi Ahuja Moltz, brings a distinctive perspective to niche perfumery with Radio Bombay. The name evokes a certain audio nostalgia and references Indian incense traditions. The copper-warm sandalwood note anchors the composition in warmth and texture. The scent embraces powdery complexity and a slightly retro sensibility, offering an alternative to more minimalist woody fragrances. Radio Bombay represents a thoughtful approach to sandalwood, layering it with unexpected notes to create something both familiar and distinctly its own.
