Sabrina Gulmohur Adeni
Culture Code Landscape - Adi+Suhail Delhi –based, Alternative Fusion act Adi + Suhail with their debut EP Culture Code Landscape are my happy discovery of the month. I have a soft spot for electronic-influenced renditions of classical music and the first track Naina was the perfect open into the mood of the album. The bluesy version of the folk song Dil Tere is wonderfully accompanied by Adi’s bendy guitar sound. Suhail’s dreamy vocals and soothing sarangi make the track Laage Re a predictably popular number. They immediately break out of the predictability with Jogiya, electronic jazz meets sufi. With Qalandar, all I can say is: wait for it! This incredibly catchy and upbeat track comes out of nowhere, promising to be a crowd-pleaser at live performances. Don’t be surprised to find yourself humming Zindagi like I did, it has powerful lyrics and a memorable melody. Adi + Suhail are an electro-folk outfit who complement each other’s styles very well and Culture Code Landscape is a strong and eclectic result of their partnership.
Recommended: Naina, Zindagi, Qalandar
Manifest - Klypp Klypp, made up of Faheemul Hasan & Karthik Basker, is an electronica experiment and Manifest is their debut EP. A 4-track album with minimal, deephouse influences, Manifest is an easy, soothing listen. The opening track, Be, is a downtempo recording laced with trippy vocals that really sets the tone for the EP. Be is followed by Dissolution, which builds up and plateaus quite neatly with clean percussions and smooth voice-overs. If Track 3, Thoughts, is meant to represent a wandering train of thought, it does so perfectly, the gentle bass and linear vocals do the track justice. Manifest closes with the ambient recording Weather, reminiscent of Tycho; this track is a soundtrack to rainy days and autumn. Klypp’s firstborn Manifest could seem unremarkable, but it captures the essence of the stripped-down, basic nature of minimal electronic. All in all, Manifest is an album to daydream to.
Recommended: Weather
All Ball - Madboy/Mink Madboy/Mink are a funk/electro swing duo comprising Imaad Shah and Saba Azad. All Ball opens with Alley Cats, a shining example of electro swing, with catchy lyrics and a strong retro swing vibe. Track 2, aptly named Lemonade, is a khatta-meetha fusion of a disco bassline and flirty vocals. Parov Stelar is an audible influence in the next track, Taste Your Kiss. A special shout-out to the solo at the end of Taste Your Kiss, ties the track up nicely. Right off the bat, Funkenstein, lives up to its name, a monster child of old school funk and synth, but the repetitive lyrics somehow make this track forgettable in the mix. The album closes with Pimp the Disco, an interesting experiment in sampling and dirty-electro on Madboy’s part and Minx really nails her punk, Parisienne vibe in this one. Imaad’s fervent, funky melodies and Saba’s coy, playful vocals lend a perfect retro spin to this record; All Ball could easily be the soundtrack to a Gatsby party.
Recommended: Alley Cats, Lemonade
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