The Score Magazine, January 2013

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 01 - January 2013

thescoremag

@highonscore www.highonscore.com

` 50/-

India's NATIONAL Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

Feature

Rum&

Coke a confluence o f influences

YouTube

Gaana Waala The song and the parody

Cover Story

SONU NIGAM talks about how his karma caught up with him

Muzik Lounge

Vijay

Rathinam The AM studio Sound designer talks from the ground up

Modi Digital

Band of the month

Agam The inner self awakens

Focus On

margazhi A quick glimpse of this years action packed season

The bottom line: The third and best leg of the nh7 weekender culminated bangalore-style

A 12-Channel 96 kHz audio interface with one MIDI input and 2 MIDI outputs

OUTPUT 1/2

INPUT 1

INPUT 2 (HI-Z) MIDI OUT 1/2 OUTPUT 3/4

MIDI INPUT

INPUT 3/4

the edit PAD Managing Director Ajay Prabhakar

Director, Business Development Pragash VM

Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan

Associate Editor Siddharth Venkat

Marketing Manager Sneha Ramesh

Regional Marketing Manager, BLR Subikka GS

Content Support Nilankur Dutta Shresht Poddar

I

t’s incredible how the music scene comes alive during November and December. Estimates show that nearly 10 lakh people from all over India have gone to indie gigs, rock shows and trance concerts during these two months alone!

We’ve had at least one platform for artists to perform on every week these two months. This massive mobilization can only mean one thing: the music scene has finally come of age in India.

But it isn’t all good. Unlike developed markets, musicians in India can only generate income through actively playing gigs. And all the investments in this field are geared towards setting up more festivals which heavily depend on sponsorships. iTunes might be a key game changer. They have entered the Indian market with full gusto and could make it incredibly easy for musicians and bands to generate income through a mature sales platform. Young music based start-ups like OkListen and TunePatrol are doing much to get the scene going too.

We’ll figure out where the times take us. Until then, do write back to us with your views and feedback!

Creative Director

AJAY PRABHAKAR

George Vedamanickam

Managing Director

Design

Vaishali Menon

Illustrations

Kappansky Nilankur Dutta

partners

Event Support

Siddharth Raghunandan

Photography

Harsimran Basra Subash Chandrashekar S. Sriirama Santhosh HIGH LIGHTS www.highlightspro.com

http://www.motherteresafoundation.org.in The Score Magazine is proud to support the Mother Teresa Foundation and urge our readers to join us in giving back a fraction of what we have been given.

Don’t use logo with box

http://www.highonscore.com For Advertisements and Feedback

Use logo like this

DISCLAIMER: Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

“The Score Magazine” is wholly owned and published by

contactus@highonscore.com

+91 9500012975

Registered Office: 38/23, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004.

i nside

cover story: sonu nigam

8

On the completion of nearly 20 years in the industry.

of rock and fusion

16

24 MODI DIGITAL’s Band of the Month AGAM: Awakening the Inner Self

A look at Post-Rock across the world.

youtube gaana wala song 14 Meet the makers of the best parody in years!

Quirks & Queries

bollywood scorers

40

18

We’re profiling Pragnya Wakhlu this time, She talks about the pros of managing oneself.

EDM: eLECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

44

A recap of Bollywood’s last year, with Awards!

Is it the new pop of today in India?

The coolest things about folk rock

12

From Woodstock and beyond.

Marghazi A new resurgence

prateek kuhad thomsun music star of the month

34

32

Heralding in the new season of music!!

Meet our Thomsun Star of the Month

sandhya r

Soaring on a

Different level with

Sonu Nigam Even after 20 years, nobody quite brings home the melody like Sonu Nigam on a ballad.

An enlightening session with the vocal sensation SONU NIGAM!

8

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

I

t seems ironic because just like a fad a sound too can become irrelevant. Just as you and I are about to shake our heads and go ‘Sonu Nigam is too yesterday’, you have a release of Indian Levels – a desi spin on house mogul Avicii’s smash hit, Levels. This version has the same bed but with Sonu’s vocals and a new video for the same. The story of this liason is pretty straightforward. “Avicii and Universal approached me”, recalls Sonu. “I had heard the song but I didn’t know it was called Levels. They then asked me to compose… And I knew Avicii was big so I thought it would be a good collaboration.

I get to keep my identity – since it’s his track and my lyrics and composition. It seemed good for both parties. It was recorded in May and we shot the video in 2 days in LA.” Aah, fusion music. You abused concept. This song doesn’t really seem to serve anything. Like most collaborations, it seems inconsequential. Contrary to whomsoever’s belief, one single with an international artist rarely opens you to global recognition or vice versa. Especially when it is so indistinctive. I’ll be damned if Avicii is roped in to do a Bollywood soundtrack or Sonu gets featured on the Ryan Seacrest Show. Instead of coupling a gargle fest with something we already liked, the duo should have just worked on a new track altogether. Why not a mash up with an artist in your own backyard? Assuming that collaborations are not for the moolah, at least in this case there’s innovation and the allure of exotic roots. “That’s a good idea! See, It all depends on what comes my way,” he reasons, “I choose a song according to its own capacity.

People should remember me in terms of quality. Music comes and goes every 2 months and only some things remain in the heart of people.”

“

Even though Indian Levels seems like a blatant contradiction to this, for most of his career, Sonu Nigam has meant this. It was not just his Bollywood hits but also his solo outings that really worked commercially.

Avicii and Universal approached me, “I had heard the song but I didn’t know it was called Levels.

T hey then asked me to compose…

And I knew Avicii was big so I thought it would be a good collaboration. It was recorded in May and we shot the video in 2 days in LA.”

Indian music has always been more than just music & lyrics. It’s the emotional, soul stirring aspect that defines the essence of an authentic Indian where the task of evoking emotion, has traditionally always rested with the voice. This should explain why in our country, mainstream success for a singer seems doubly elusive. But very few make it unanimously to the hearts of people. This is also why an Indian X Factor seems pointless because every talent hunt in our country or every singer in our country’s success is subconsciously driven by this factor that is soul.

Sonu Nigam was the master of soul ever since he first burst into the scene with his cover of Mohammed Rafi hits.

“I have been performing since I was 4. I used to sing with

What really did it for me was Yeh Dil from Pardes. The pained defiance of SRK, soaring in a swanky sedan (and white tux!) has been forever exemplified in my memory only because of Nigam’s rendition. “It’s Nigam and not Niigaam,” a confirmation from the man himself just as we start our mobile phone rendezvous.

“Everyone was into numerology at that time and I had decided to give up all materialistic things; to unburden myself with anything artificial. But I realized that if one is meant to go through hardships, you can’t escape your karma.”

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

9

a lot of orchestras. We used to call them programs, not events.

It was not as interesting as today’s scene,” reflects Sonu. “I was very good in studies, my foremost interest was actually science… Discovery Science used to be my favourite channel until recently. I thought I’d take up IAS but by the age of 16, I started winning several competitions in Delhi. My father and I felt that music was an exciting career option and when your hobby can be a profession then why not?”

It’s believable when he recalls it all like it was the most obvious way about I did not edit the part where his father asked him about the practicality of such a career or ‘who will marry a boy without a double degree?!’. Yes, today’s scenario is definitely more complicated not just because we have edgier parents. This soul - the very factor that made you a household name with the audience - seems to have given way to absurdity (read nasal twangs of a Gujju kind). And please, the concept of a household name is outdated. Times, tunes and tastes are not that fierce and boy, are they fickle. “Today it is interesting voice quality that works; the more different the voice, the more you are approached,’ he observes. ‘Narendra ChanchalJi, for instance (of Bobby fame), was always given a character’s voice, never that of a hero. But today, a shrill voice like his is acceptable. Times have changed. Even Rahat Fateh Ali Khan earlier wouldn’t have voiced a Salman Khan’.

Breaking conventions has been commonplace for Sonu Nigam. Through the years, he has only made his career more exciting for himself. “Too many people love you for too many different things. There are those who only talk about my comedy sketches, some only my albums. There is an actor in me too. Whatever I’ve done, making people laugh or cry or even these performances at awards functions – I’m acting there.”

However, there was a time when the act got a little weak – his stint in feature films. Forgettable roles in cringeworthy flicks like Jaani Dushman and Love in Nepal could have been avoided. It was his personality and eloquence that won us over and not the brooding (cleavage baring!) banyan avatar.

Like a true performer, it’s clear that Sonu Nigam as at his best when he needs to be on his feet; a challenge faced by many singers. “Today when you hear a film song, you can’t make out if they (singers) are good or bad because everything is corrected. The real litmus test is a live performance.”

It was with this spontaneity that he held together one of the most established TV shows of the 90s, the singers reality show Sa re Ga Ma Pa. There were other times when his initiative manifested positively - like in his solo projects, be it Soona Soona or the chartbuster, Bijuriya. He was able to pull off winning versatile tunes and several avatars in his own videos. He most recently struck gold in his Kannada ventures. The kind of success he garnered for Mungaru Male in 2006 was a milestone for any singer, let alone one with roots in Bollywood. “The music of Karnataka is a very pristine space,” he shares. “I hope it doesn’t become as trashy as Bollywood where today, all that one wants is a so-called Sufi song or item songs; like instant noodles. Sincere musicians are not getting their dues.” As for Sandalwood, “Beautiful melodies,” he gushes. “The lyrics are so very meaningful, the similes, the concepts are all mostly romantic but deep.”

With 2013, his career would have spanned two decades.

“It has been a great journey,” he says “These days careers are very short. I has just made me all the more humbler”. I suggest marking this milestone with an autobiography. He replies “Maybe I will. There are certain unanswered spiritual queries in my system… I’m getting there... It won’t be about my achievements but my understanding of life. Not just the superficial aspects.”

10

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Fame maybe the light at the tunnel for some but with Sonu Nigam, it seems like his quest for the light has just started. Over the years, we have always been reminded that there is more to him than just a singer, a presenter or an actor. Even if he delves into a more introspective mode, the tunes shall keep coming and you can be sure that Sonu will create his space in the entertainment world.

The career is just one aspect that we scan but in twenty years the evolution of Sonu Nigam the individual is something I for one can’t wait to read. Or in this case, even hear or see!

Which genre of music is the most misunderstood?

TAKE

5

Which songs do YOU think are your biggest hits?

Main Hoon Na, Yeh Dil ,Main Hoon Na, Suraj Hua Maddham , Kal Ho Na Ho, Bijuriiya – this one is actually my biggest audience pleaser.Also, Agneepath’s Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin is the first song where I have seen people cry and give a standing ovation.

Classical music in our country! It’s not our fault but people just don’t understand it. You can become a light music singer with the gift of a great voice; I’m a popular singer because people like my voice quality. But you need 7 to 8 hours of practice a day to become a respectable classical musician.

Live performances that are special to you This year in Canada and America, we had the Close To My Heart tour with around 40 members. People laughed and cried towards the end of the show and we received standing ovations; it was something else! I felt lucky to do this. Then Egypt in 2007 in the pyramids; it was a private event.., Amazing! The sphinx was above the stage. Memorable performances include one I did under the Qutb Minar and the Taj Mahal.

We are all in love with Nevaan Nigam! Would you like him to follow in your footsteps as a singer?

Nevaan is a very versatile kid; ever smiling. He is a great painter and a dancer. I want him to be contented, not insecure and aggressive. Ideally, I would want him to become a sage and work towards renunciation. I want him to be free of burden, stress and worldly attachments.

What are the 3 most overrated things in life?

Legacy. This is something superficial.

For instance, Rafi saab left us; I love him, people love him and I always wanted to keep his spirit alive. But it’s a hoax. How does he enjoy this? I’d rather do my job peacefully and not take these things too seriously.

Love, I believe, is misunderstood.

Responsibility. You have to be at peace…

No owing to anyone except yourself!

Everyone has his own karma. One can’t take guarantee for anyone.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

11

Louis Armstrong once said, “all music is folk music. I ain’t never seen a horse sing a song.” Keep in mind that Louis Armstrong lived in a world without Lady Gaga. But the old timey, gran-pappy style folk rock has nearly sung itself to extinction.

In retrospect therefore, here are the coolest things that would not have been in the world, but for folk rock and her merry men.

The Coolest Things About 12

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Folk Rock Illustration: Nilankur Dutta

nilankur dutta This Machine Kills Fascists Is indubitably, the most badass thing you can call your guitar. As long as you are a musician of Woody Guthrie’s métier, that is. Otherwise it makes you look like a pretentious perforation.

Since then, the phrase has echoed through the annals of musical history. Like Pete Seeger’s banjo reads “This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces It to Surrender”. Or Rob Baker’s guitar, from The Tragically Hip. Most memorably perhaps, satirist Roy Zimmerman’s song “This Machine” which goes: “This machine drives neocon, jingoistic, warmongering, theocratic, faux-populist, antiintellectual, drill-a-holic, social darwinist, racist, sexist, isolationist, derivative insecureties, taxcheating, C Street, hard line, strip mine, tea-bag, confederate flag, Birthers, Flat-earthers, hatespeak, crypto-fascists, and Brit Hume screaming from the room” Maybe you, with your skills, could go with, “this machine kills everybody who listens to it.”

Folk Rock is the mother of about approximately ten million different musical styles.

Among them are the much beloved progrock of all my hipster friends, and also folk metal, which is basically metal with a horn section here and some violins and bagpipes there. There is also psychedelia, without which you just can’t smoke that good shit.

The Woodstock Nothing needs to be said about the legendary status of the Woodstock festival, 1969. With enough talk, conversation always returns to how legendary it must’ve been dude and like Jimi Hendrix ma’an, he’s god ma’an.

Less accreditation is given to the folk rock influences in the festival. A look at the Woodstock lineup reveals it to be filled with folk-rockers, like Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, CCR, and Joan Baez (who was, like, six months pregnant, duuude.) So minus the folk rock, Woodstock is mostly Ravi Shanker playing his Tabla solo in Jhaptal and that Scottish Psychedelic band that plays “world music.”

The Classiest Finger ever given Entire telephone directories have been exhausted for Folk heavyweights like Bob Dylan or The Byrds and CCR (who, you should get yourself intimately acquainted with right now to experience a much higher standard of living).

But in my opinion, the best, and perhaps the most contentious thing to come out of the folk movement is the little band called C S N Y. Please go ahead and read the complicated bio’s of all these musicians to learn of their acumen.

But that is not going to make any difference until you’ve heard By the River, and Teach Your Children, and heard them out Simon and Garfunkel-ing Simon and Garfunkel. Or listen

to Ohio and see the Dixie Chicks-George Bush argument repeated with much better music and such incredible music.

This here then, is the song that perfectly embodies the American Counter-culture. All that youth and the rage and the disillusionment, all within 3 minutes. This is the stuff that John Lennon stayed in bed for a week for.

Also, it is the most brilliant fuck you offered to an American president ever.

The Prolific Promiscuity of Folk Folk Rock is the mother of about approximately ten million different musical styles. Among them are the much beloved prog-rock of all my hipster friends, and also folk metal, which is basically metal with a horn section here and some violins and bagpipes there. There is also psychedelia, without which you just can’t smoke that good shit.

And in the more, um esoteric section, there is medieval folk rock: the best example of which is perhaps “Brave Sir Robin” from Monty Python’s The Holy Grail. On a serious note, listen to this band called Amazing Blondel, who go on for a bit about dew and locks of hair and kissing.

There’s also Viking Metal, which sounds like the most extreme kind of music ever written. And then Folk Metal inbred with Medieval Folk to produce something called Medieval Metal, which sounds more like a suit of armour than a musical style. This goes on for about it bit.

So think about it, your favourite musical style probably wouldn’t even have been here if it weren’t for folk rock.

Ahoy There, Zombies I started this piece by saying that Folk Rock is extinct (most probably, at this point I have the attention span of a sexually repressed goldfish), however, like zombies, some pockets of resistance spring up here and there at times. My personal favorite is this Swedish guy called The Tallest Man On Earth, who sings American folk music of Bob Dylan and Woodie Guthrie legacy.

There’s also Leo Kottke, who is ancient, and whose voice sounds like, “geese farts on a muggy day” (in a nice way) and whose strange-ass monologues will make you LOL. There’s Devendra Banhart from Venezuela, who sings of spiders and butterflies and cripple crows while as high as a kite (again, in a nice way).

Islands of good music in the middle of an ocean of dubstep and Pitbull inanity.

It’s like finding old friends in the Lost and Found. Stuff to live for.

Lest I Almost Cut My Hair.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

13

shresht p

PSY’s Gangnam Style may have become an international rage but our very own Indian viral Gaana Wala Song has been giving it tough competition. Taking a major dig at Student Of The Year’s love ballad, Ishq Wala Love, this video has rightfully become THE internet sensation by securing over 1.6 million hits in the span of a month.

Parody of the Year GAAN A WALA SONG

14

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

LET US BACKTRACK A BIT. October 2012 saw the release of Karan Johar’s “holiday” film, Student Of The Year (SOTY) starring an array of newcomers - namely Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt & Siddharth Malhotra. The movie boasted of a peppy soundtrack by the youth-favorite Vishal-Shekhar who composed the love anthem, Ishq Wala Love. With lyrics that were barely understood by anyone yet were quoted all over Facebook, the song managed to become an instant chartbuster. Sitting in one corner of Mumbai, a group of friends - Arunabh Kumar, Biswapati Sarkar, Anandeshwar Dwiwedi & Amit Golani - stumbled upon this song and burst into unending laughter and decided to rip apart this song with their own chatpata version. And that gave birth to the nowfamous Gana Wala Song.

“

I basically started T VF to prove to the so-called decision makers of the entertainment Industry, that “experimentation is everything in creativity & the young & restless like us don’t need to wait for decades to showcase their work to their audience.

The Viral Fever (TVF) is India’s 1st Online Television for youth entertainment In India. It was founded by Arunabh Kumar in December 2010 and became operational from August 2011. TVF has a core team of 8 presently and is the first & biggest Online Youth Entertainment Network in India. The team mostly consists of young and very young people fresh out of college. Their motto is “Lights, Camera, Experiment!!”

ARUNABH KUMAR TALKS

I never planned to start anything in my life. I have always been more of a wanderer who has a drive for creation.

I was trying to create some TV shows and some films which did not have any takers. Funnily, when I used to bounce it off directly to my audience, they used to get excited. Too much creative inertia seems to have crippled our Entertainment Industry. When I realized that I have the Internet at my disposal, I decided to create and distribute my content online.

Q) So, Gaana Wala Song! Tell us everything about it.

We were watching the trailer of SOTY in our office, when Siddharth Malhotra popped up suddenly and sang ‘Ishq wala Love’. All of us just burst out laughing and we decided instantly to do our own version.

Once the song came out, it was funnier than what we had imagined.

Biswapati came up with a rough draft and all of us sat together and finally developed a new version. We recorded and uploaded it on the very same day. It now has almost equal number of likes as the original on YouTube without us having spent a single rupee on publicity.

Q) What kind of music do you listen to?

We are music lovers and our tastes range from Rock to Jazz and Sufi to Bollywood. We also pay a lot of attention to the lyrics of these songs as you might have already guessed.

Q) You had the option of a lot of songs to rip apart. Why Ishq Wala Love?

We chose this song because of the sheer audacity to think that any phrase which a media conglomerate can come up with, however stupid it might be, has to become a rage amongst the youth. They are willing to spend millions to make sure that the song is played over and over till you start humming it. The success of this video only shows that people can realise that what is popular might not always be good.

Q) What’s your favorite part of the song?

It would be a part that was almost left out. ‘Jinke dad hain director, woh pehnege same colour’. It is a nice observation. In almost every Karan Johar film, the lead pair is shown wearing the same colour while romancing to create a gelling effect. This time around, the lead pair happened to be kids of two famous directors, so the joke was just asking to be exploited.

Q) You do know that Siddharth Malhotra & Manish Malhotra are unrelated right (wrt the lyrics Manish Chacha)?

We do now. Back then, there were a lot of rumours about Siddharth was Manish Malhotra’s nephew, so we went with it. Of course, a lot of people didn’t know that and they couldn’t figure out who the hell Manish is! We never cared to explain and people started having their own interpretations which helped the video in spreading.

Q) Have the makers of Ishq Wala Love contacted you in any way post the release of your parody?

Vishal Dadlani tweeted “Yes, I’ve heard Gana wala Song. Want to hire the lyricist”. Also, we found out through a friend that Karan Johar saw it and laughed a lot. It is good to know that a lot of these people took the video in the right spirit. Bollywood is becoming more open and progressive. People are learning to laugh at themselves.

Q) What’s the best & worst piece of criticism you’ve ever received for this track?

Best would be ‘Better than the original’ (which we think is true).

Worst was a 13 year old girl who said ‘How could you do this to Varun and Siddharth? It is their debut film’. A lot of fellow YouTubers took her to task till she finally deleted the comment. We feel bad for her.

Really.

Q) What other songs / movies / shows do you wish to make a parody of in the future?

A major misconception about TVF is that we primarily make parodies. We aim to change over the coming year. Whenever all of us have a unanimous angst against a particular show/movie/ song which takes the audience for granted, we come up with such parodies. Nowadays, the item songs are really bothering us. They are shot and executed in the same format and everything in them is almost the same. Moreover, a lot of them perhaps have lyrics which could be written by an eight year old.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

15

Of rock& fusion

In a world of fusion and mix and match we often tend to forget that the emergence of rock n’ roll in the 1950s was itself a fusion of blues, gospel and country music.

Since then, there has been a wide crop of double worded doppelgangers like progrock, folk rock, Carnatic rock, pop rock, ambient rock, punk rock, and a host of other genres born out of some form of hybridity. Among these doppelgangers, the most vaguely described is post-rock. The term has lent itself easily to the misunderstanding that all that comes after rock is post rock. It has been used since the 90s as a blanket term for un-categorizable experimental music. This is probably why earlier bands like Cul de Sac, Mogwai and Tortoise have largely rejected the term.

16

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

krupa shah

Origins

Post-rock, a term coined by the music journalist Simon Reynolds in 1994, was the dominant form of experimental rock during the ‘90s in the U.S, U.K and Canada. It was a loose movement that drew from greatly varied influences like jazz and ambient and nearly always combined standard rock instrumentation- two guitars, a bass, and drums- with electronics. It came about as a more structured, cerebral reaction to the vital, emotive power of earlier rock music and was more concerned with pure sound and texture than melody or lyrics. This is the reason it was usually instrumental and used vocals as secondary devices.

The pioneering albums to set the post-rock trend are credited to the English band Talk Talk and Louisville, Kentucky band Slint whose musical ventures Laughing Stock (1991) and Spiderland (1991) respectively incorporated influences from Velvet Underground and Krautrock from the late 60s. The unconventional rhythms, the use of a trailing electric guitar, background synths to create a spacey, trance-like atmosphere are some of the most salient features of the genre. In more recent trends, drums are used to create what is known as a ‘wall of sound’- catastrophic crescendos avalanching into a hush effect- as is the case in God is an Astronaut’s Snowfall. At the same time, traditional rock elements like a persistent bass and a vigorous tempo are softened with the effect of keys. The peculiar band names might also be an idiosyncratic post-rock phenomenon; from Tortoise to To Rococo Rot, Labradford, Cul de Sac, Flying Saucer Attack, Third Eye Foundation and more recently This Will Destroy You and And So I watch You From Afar.

Trends In today’s fusion culture especially on the Indian music scene, post-rock has seeped into fusion made out of various traditional styles of music. The two most common outcomes of this appropriation have been Carnatic rock and folk rock. The reason for these appropriations could have been that post-rock as a genre from the West would not have survived in its original form. It would have been too removed culturally and musically from the masses which have been conditioned by decades of indigenous folk/pop music. At most, it would have been appreciated by an urban niche exposed to the likes of Mogwai, Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky. Even so, experimental music in keeping with earlier post-rock structure does exist in the form of bands like Bangalore-based Lounge Piranha, Chennai’s FRANK’s GOT THE FUNK, and Kolkata’s PINKNOISE.

With so much variety born from variety, rock fusion is the most certain norm of the day, whether through post-rock, Carnatic or folk. Maybe that is a good thing as fusion is increasingly becoming a way to preserve styles of music that would otherwise become obsolete.

Carnatic and folk rock have both struck a deep chord with audiences by incorporating regional languages across states and in the process given rise to a kind of cultural exchange that only music and fusion can achieve.

Indian Post-Rock and Fusion On the Carnatic experimental front, after South Indian Carnatic musician R. Prasanna pioneered in performing Carnatic music on the electric guitar there have been many exponents in this tradition from the late 90s. Bands like Hamsadhwani, Agam, Kerala-based Motherjane and even the recent Chennaibased Swara Sutra with its instrumental debut EP ‘Indulgence’ have all hewn their own paths through the labyrinth of Carnatic rock.

On the other hand, self-professed Carnatic rock band Agam uses rock with Carnatic music with a conscious motive to repackage the rock n roll experience in an Indian context. This kind of fusion also makes Carnatic music more accessible. Think, Agam’s Malhar Jam performed at Coke studio. In a strange inversion, there is a moment in the song when with the onset of a Western riff, the drummer produces the sound of the dholak. The novelty of this kind of fusion lies not just in a mix and match of two different cultural and musical styles, but in the adeptness with which the local flavor is enhanced and made recognizable in a completely new context.

Folk rock has also been open to post-rock influences for structural reasons. The cadence of oral narrative traditions that make up such a large part of folk music whether celebratory, soulful or nostalgic are musically similar to the repetitive fabric of post-rock. As pioneers of folk rock, Indian Ocean recognized this and also gave rise to regionalized folk rock through immensely influential albums like Desert Rain (1997) and the lyrical Kandisa (2000).

The Raghu Dixit project, a recent but prominent presence in the folk rock arena has produced multilingual compositions based on common themes of joy and sorrow in the true folk sense. His all-encompassing, booming voice is itself the bedrock of his folk renderings. The Assamese Papon’s East India Company formed in 2007 is firmly in the folk rock groove with tracks like Omo, which actually begins with the fluid whisper of a taanpura and turns into a Kale-esque racy track. Recently the Kannada band Swarathma’s brilliant track Aj ki taaza fikr from their new album Topiwalleh tackling sensationalism showed that folk rock could also be used for a social purpose. The song has an audio collage from various sources including news, famous speeches, movie dialogues and songs.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

17

A funny experience while gigging: I was playing with our rock band in Pune called Nightshift. Our bassist is a very senior musician who had a bit of a drinking problem.

He came to the stage drunk one gig night. We started playing Come Together by The Beatles and he kept hitting the wrong note on the main riff and laughing. We started playing but it was sounding so terrible with the off note ringing that we tried to cut short the song .Our bassist of course who thought he was playing like a pro kept playing and wouldn’t understand why we wanted to stop. He played even after the song was long over. :P

18

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Favourite food, cuisines?

I am a total foodie..fav cuisines: South–east Asian & Kashmiri cuisine

siddharth v A bad experience while gigging : Once we played with sound that kept going off in the middle of the set. It’s just a really embarrassing situation for the vocalist to be cut off suddenly in the middle of a vocal line. Most of the time we just keep playing the song acoustic when that happens.

Other hobbies?

Running, Field Hockey (National level),Adventure sports(Skydiving),Aqua Aerobics

1. You have been playing as a singer-songwriter in the scene for the past few years. How easy/hard has it been trying to gain acceptance and popularity?

The Singer/Songwriter thing has happened more out of compulsion after I shifted to Delhi last year. I didn’t know many musicians or many venues. I had anticipated this and decided to put together a solo acts. It has taken time and I think I’ve been able to build a steady base of fans in Delhi.

2. Promoting yourself without a label must’ve been hard work. Do you think it pays off instead of the standard manager-record label route?

I think when one releases an album independently it’s transparent and profitable. It also helps one learn a lot about the process. As far as a manager goes, I’m able to get more shows by myself than an artist management company that promises me shows. You need to put in a little hard work, make a good profile, make some calls & show a little commitment to getting your own work.

3. How has the work with Mousai been? Any impediments while organizing events? Has it helped you kickstart your own solo act promotion?

Mousai is a baby I founded in 2008; my first entrepreneurial venture after creating the business plan at IIM-B. The idea was to integrate music and movement with learning to create a fun, right-brained learning approach. Mousai hasn’t really got much to do with my solo act promotion but it’s helped in the reverse way, I get more credibility as a facilitator who specializes in Music since I’m also a musician by profession.

4. The Seattle “Wine, Women and Song” gig must have been a revelatory experience for you.

It was a huge encouragement to receive praise from Shubhaji .

Shubhaji is someone I really look up to for her commitment to helping other musicians on the Indie scene. She said I have a nice voice & was kind enough to extend the offer to release two of my singles with her label Underscore records. My music got selected for an English documentary Monsoon Theater thanks to this. I also got an opportunity to play in the prestigious Baaja Gaaja festival in Pune.

6. Are you excited to play at Ragasthan? The show is expected to generate a lot of traction and listeners. How important will this be for you in this stage of your music career?

I was very excited to be playing at Ragasthan. I’ve never seen a desert in my life and playing under the open sky in a barren desert was like an enchanting dream. I just got back from the festival last week. We stayed in a tent, rode a camel into the sand dunes and released lanterns into the sky at night.

7. Locally, what artists do you enjoy collaborating with most?

Recently I collaborated with a very talented Flamenco Guitarist from Vietnam, Thu Le and another multi-talented musician Asya from Russia. She plays the didgeridoo, tabla and flute. They’re both based out of Delhi. We created a medley of Russian, Indian & Mediterrenean music. Sounded pretty interesting and it was a lot of fun. I also like collaborating with Indian instrumentalists. I really enjoyed playing with Praashekh Borkar who’s recorded the sarod on one of my tracks Naïve.

8. What kind of Indie music do you listen to mostly?

The Seattle gig was my debut performance as a solo artist. I played my originals for the first time in front of a packed bar. I was accompanied by a very talented guitarist and friend Caglar Pir from Turkey on the lead guitar. We received an overwhelming standing ovation after our performance. Some listeners at the bar came and told me that they liked the way I spoke about why I wrote each song and the story behind it before I played. I do that even today. It helps people to connect the dots better.

with Pragnya Wakhlu

5. What was it like, receiving praise from Shubha Mudgal while still coming up? Did it increase your network and reach in any substantial way?

Of the all the Indie bands I’ve heard I really like Junkyard Groove. I also like Advaita, The Raghu Dixit Project, Lounge Piranha, Papon & the East India Company & Shafqat Amanat Ali. I caught a new band Stella by Starlight at Ragasthan. Liked their stuff too!

Pragnya Wakhlu is a an award winning singer-songwriter and guitarist from India. Her solo act is unique as she makes use of live looping & uses her guitar as a percussive instrument. Find out what really makes her tick!!

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

19

Buying a piano can seem like a daunting prospect. Such a huge instrument can never be purchased impromptu.

With so many versatile parts and pieces, and with the headache of tuning a piano, one must be very cautious indeed while selecting a piano of choice.

Look out ! for our Black & White Note Festival in December, where we have fabulous offers on Pianos and Korg digital pianos and keyboard across all our stores..

Size Matters.

Larger pianos have a better tone and action, get the tallest upright or longest grand you can accommodate.

Ask your teacher.

Most piano teachers are familiar with the brands available locally and are a valuable source of advice.

Look at several brands.

Trying a few different brands will give you a better idea of the variety and prices than just looking at one particular make.

After sales and support.

Many retailers are happy to sell pianos without knowing how to fix them. Ask the retailer who they have available locally to maintain the piano after it is sold. Ask specifically about what qualifications their technicians hold.

Traditional is best.

The piano was invented in the 1700s and has evolved fully over the last 300 years. The finest manufactures still use traditional manufacturing techniques. Most technical innovations in piano design lead to other problems in the long run and most are abandoned in favour of the original design.

Get the best you can afford.

Buying the cheapest is not always the best idea. Quality instruments, especially grand’s can be a good investment, as well as a pleasure to own and play.

Think about where the piano will live.

Pianos are very sensitive to humidity changes and careful thought needs to be given to where they are housed. Ask an expert about the best location in your home for the piano, it may affect your ultimate choice.

Choose an attractive instrument.

Pianos are available with many different finishes, from natural wood to sleek black or even funky red colour. You will have to live with this piece of furniture for many years so make sure you are happy with the aesthetic qualities as well as the tone.

Consider renting or buy back schemes.

Piano lessons can turn out to be a flash in the pan. Many good retailers offer excellent buy back, or rent to buy schemes, for those who don’t wish to commit to a purchase right away.

Educate yourself.

Piano technicians study for 3-6 years. So take some time to look up the basics of how a piano works and how it should be maintained

And the BEST PLACE to get all this under one roof is Furtados, with its showrooms in every location, and a multi brand piano showroom that they are, they can offer you a wide choice of brands and models to suit your taste, preference and budget.

Siddharth V

«««««

Indie Reviews Big Bang Blues - Bigger than Blues After several line-up changes, the blues outfit has released a 5-track record that really hits the spot. If your musical interests spawned from an age of Black-blues, harmonicas and vinyl, then you’re bound to like this album. Although clichéd and extremely generic, Bigger than Blues has some beautiful compositions that will make you reminisce of live music in the cafes of 60’s California. Ipshita Roy’s powerful vocal range completes the stereotypical, bluesy background and moulds it into killer tracks.

Top Picks: Disrespected Blues,

Moonless Nights

«««««

The classic vibe of a blues group is not one that can be competitive or put on a scale. If there is soul, there is music as far as blues is concerned, and Big Bang Blues have a lot of it. Some wacky keyboards and guitar, mixed in nicely with a solid drum and bass background reflects the feel of the band. Add a scintillating voice on top of this and you get Big Bang Blues. Disrespected Blues and Sweet Bridge have some cool lyrical themes and question the presence of Blues in today’s society from a very debatable angle, and also the emotiveness of fear and betrayal, which is brought out beautifully by Roy.

www.oklisten.com/bigbangblues

Something Relevant - We could be dreaming The second album by the troupe, We Could Be Dreaming is one of the catchiest Indie Albums to date. These guys have a fab back story. After releasing their first album, the enrolled at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music for further studies. On completion of the course they searched and found a killer jam space in the form of a cotton press basement in Mumbai, where the album was conceptualized and recorded.

Top Picks: Liar Liar, I Can Swim

The saxophone adds a really cool feel to the general tones of the album, especially in tracks like Liar Liar and Digging for Water. The variation in instruments such as in the song I Can Swim shows how the “India” touch has been brilliantly and successfully mixed in to the pot. All in all, the album is definitely a milestone in local music as the production process has been purely independent and non-commercial, but the appeal and catchiness of the songs is more than enough to send them mainstream. I strongly suggest you purchase this album, if you haven’t already!

www.oklisten.com/somethingrelevant

«««««

Bevar Sea - Bevar Sea With some trippy artwork and 2 years of hardcore jamming, this stoner doom outfit has released an insanely well-recorded album. With only 4 songs, the total running time isn’t too much, but it will blow your head straight off! The band name means “bastard” in Kannada and each of the songs has some amazingly trippy artwork by Chacko, the guitarist. Starting from The Smiler, with some clean vocals but incredibly heavy riffs, the album moves on to Abhishtu, a hilarious number about a serial-killing biker, which is already a crowd favorite after they released their album at CounterCulture last month.

Top Picks: Mono Gnome

The album closer, Mono Gnome, is thematic and spans 17 minutes! This song is very different, both in terms of length and style, and is an indication of the kind of music we could possibly expect from Bevar Sea in the future. Finally, the mature procedures by which the band promoted, marketed and put out their work, prior to release, also demands some appreciation.

Creating a social media awareness of their album launch probably brought a lot of fans back into the metal scene, so kudos to that!

www.oklisten.com/bevarsea

22

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

From Electronica to Folk, from Metal to Blues, we take a look at some records that have hit the stands of late:

«««««

Hasback Hashish - The Grinning, Naked Bunch A lot of work and time has clearly gone into the making of this album. With synths and samples hitting you from every angle, Ashish Sachan has adapted the feel of a live gig and managed to put that into a record. The dance-y vibe and fusion of multitudes of instruments take you from the middle of a forest to a subterranean ocean. After focusing a lot on AV effects during live shows, the album is a good way to see how he really sounds minus the visuals. The prominent heavy bass and slight hint of dub through most tracks, like in Lather, Rinse, Repeat is a very pleasing sound.

A fan of Zelda Fitzgerald, Ashish clearly tries to create soundscapes for the audience, pushing out sound in sequence to recreate events and environments in the listener’s mind. The opening track Analog Air is one such example. However, for the trance fans, this album does keep a steady electronic beat going throughout, making it a worthwhile collection for the dance freaks.

Top Picks: Analog Air, Cascade www.oklisten.com/hashbackhashish

«««««

Pragnya Wakhlu - Journey to the Sun A soulful blend of folk-rock and mixed very well. Conceptually moving through a range of emotional motifs, the light acoustic guitar that is permanent fixture to all the songs really mellows down the sound into one hell of a soothing album. With features on the sarod and flute, Journey to the Sun is very well compiled indeed. From the slow and trippy Dreamcatcher, to the bluesy Free Hugs, the folk element has been combined well to produce a very melancholic but also optimistic sound (did that make sense?).

In the Rain, probably my favourite song on the 7 track record, clocks in at 5:13 and starts with a groovy bass and swings into a fast-paced Indian beat complete with flute solos. Some of the songs were written with her Pune band Soul Strings and have a very “jamming” vibe. Rise, featuring Sanjay Joseph has a really groovy outro solo in it too!!

Top Picks: Dreamcatcher, Rise

«««««

www.oklisten.com/pragnyawakhlu

Jason Zac Band - Back in Time The insanely talented keyboardist of Allegro Fudge (and hundreds of bands before that!) has really swung into a niche of recording. With 2 albums already out over the last 4 months, Jason Zac Band, along with all the musicians playing in session, has really put out some quality music.

In Back in Time, the sound explored is very ballad-style such as in The Funeral and the Twist, with flowing pianos and powerful choruses.

Top Picks: Promises, Misfit,

A mixture of blues and folk is what prominently seems to emanate from the feel of the entire album. Misfit Gathering and One Voice are soulfully mellow, and the recording, top notch. Jason Zachariah has now gone ahead with recording a host of other songs in the studio, including a few for Allegro Fudge, and crazily enough, a Christmas Carol album, barely a few months after the Back In Time! The album is a must listen for those who enjoy the soft nature of tones that a piano can truly reach if played with enough feel. Roots and Promises are two other tracks that echo off a Queen or Elton John type groove.

Gathering

www.oklisten.com/jasonzacband The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

23

Band of the Month

MODI DIGITAL, Distributors of RME, SPL, Neumann, Reference Laboratories, Tube-Tech, Rosendahl, HHB, Da-Cappo, Merging-Pyramix, Violet Design and dealers of Genelec, Sonodyne & Gefen.

24

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Premier Digital Mastering Studios, Mumbai’s premier music Mix & Mastering facility. Inaugurated & blessed by AR Rahman.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

25

ganesh

jagdish

supriya t

Time is hard to kill. Music, however, as many of you would have experienced has a way of charming life.

Long talk small, we see Agam growing and really can’t stop smiling because of their songs.

harish

swamy

They kicked off in 2007 by first auditioning for Sun TV with the hopes of getting some equipment. The band dabbled with their sound; setting a newness to their vibe. With that, came in appreciation ensuring continuum of their unique sound. For lack for words termed Carnatic Progressive Rock. Agam is Tamil for “Inner Self”. Luckily, the Inner Self doesn’t require language. The base is in the punctilious scales and conscientious depth of Carnatic music with the idle movement and reconnoitre-esque tonal ways of Rock music. Add to that the promiscuous nature of progressive rock sounds; what with the teasing tempos and dynamic contrast between sections.

BEING

BEARING

What was the most definitive moment for you whilst playing?

Do you feel the tag of being a contemporary Carnatic rock band limits self expression? Does it come out of sheer practice or born of instinct?

Vignesh: When the 3 fenders stand in a line and play the prelude for Swans of Saraswathi.

Jagdish: The first gig with Agam at SIT, Tumkur, had a strong crowd of 1k+ roaring and singing to our tunes.

Harish & TPK:

Playing progressive metal on a traditional Carnatic song “Swans of Saraswati” (Bantu Reethi Kolu) at a venue like Hard Rock Cafe.

Ganesh: Playing our track Malhar Jam at Coke Studio Season 2 Swamy: Our first live gig at Kyra, Bangalore. Everything fell in place on that day and it was thrilling to play an encore during our first live gig!

Siva:

Each and every gig is an exam for us, sometimes I carry a load of instruments where I get 1 microphone for the whole setup, sometimes I will be with only one instrument with me without knowing that that was a real mega event.

Did you have to compromise on your ideals to get where you are?

Vignesh: We compromised on some sleep, lazing around and wasting time to get where we are. I think, if you are action-oriented, success is always at your doorstep.

Ganesh: Not at all. That’s the beauty everyone has their own way in the band and each one gets the space to do so. That’s probably we know each other before even forming the band. We all were friends and college buddies before coming together musically as a band.

Hence we know how to respect each other’s ideals.

26

Jagdish: Not unless u want to be limited by it, Me being more of a Metal/Heavy-Metal guy, am still be able to bring out my elements to a song as much as anyone else and it’s great to see it all gel along to create something of another level.

Swamy: Not at all, actual it helps us to express our identity and passion in the best possible way.

Ganesh: NO.. NOT AT ALL It’s these three elements that define our sound. I believe there are more amazing things that we can do by marrying these two genres of music together which we are yet to explore. There are no limits to this exploration!

TPK:

Carnatic and rock are two diverse genres in themselves.

There is no way by which limits can be defined to any music genre. The 2 diverse thoughts only complement each other.

Harish: I find the genre that we play liberating than limiting.

I’d say we haven’t even scratched the surface of what we could do with carnatic music and progressive rock.

Siva:

No, music has no limits, this is just a tag, we have more space within that to express what we want to. It is so open that you can do wonders.

Is it a good idea for us young people to invest in bands?

Vignesh: Of course! No questions about it. Choose the bands that you believe in, make the right kind of deals (be fair), meet at the mid-path with the bands and try to evolve a long-standing partnerships. There are only good things that will come out of such efforts.

MODI DIGITAL is India’s foremost video & film consultancy and equipment marketing Company.

Turnkey solutions for film and video studios, Marketing of video equipment, Technical consultancy service for studios, Service and maintenance of equipment, The Score Magazine Supplying equipment to FM Studios www.highonscore.com

siva

Swamy: Absolutely, the market segment seems to be growing and it will be one heck of a career where one can follow their passion and effectively drive their economic engine and keep the investors happy, if carried out wisely.

TPK:

The independent music scene has been much better than before and we see a lot of bands coming up. We have also some big names that are doing really good both in national and independent scene. This market has a lot of potential which if properly invested could benefit both the artist and the event management companies monetarily.

BOPPING Are special moments accompanied with background music (even if only in your mind)?

Vignesh: Yeah, raag Reethigowla plays in my mind. Sometimes it is plain chords – E, F#m, G#m progression.

Swamy: Mostly has been in my dreams.

Ganesh: Not really. But when I have to compose for short films or jingles, I do run through a real life incident in the mind with a BGM that would fit more aptly!

Harish: Listening to Hariharanji’s ghazal Log kehte hai ajnabi tum ho brings tears to my eyes. I have raag patdeep playing in my head at least 5 times a day.

What do you see is the function of music?

Vignesh: Music is an experience where the performer and the listeners go into a virtual plane where they are all in the same wavelength. That’s what “striking the chord with the audience” mean too.

Jagdish: A form of self-expression, a timeless companion.

Swamy: Healing!

Ganesh: Simply to pleasure the senses.

TPK:

Inner peace.

Harish: Every note that you play should have a lasting impact on the ears that they fall on. It could be through technical prowess or absolute simplicity. What’s important is the amount of sincerity and honesty that you bring along while playing music.

Siva:

Music is everything. It reaches people as how they take it. Various forms of music does different magic in the lives and mind of people listen to it. For a sage, it takes him closer to the god. In temples music is used to wake up the God (Suprabatham)to make the God sleep (Dolotsavam) Iliayaraja’s – Music Director songs can be set as an example of functions of music.

t praveen kumar

vignesh

WORD ASSOCIATION Philandering: Vignesh: Scoring!

Jagdish: Phil Collins (not to be confused with the TPK:

real meaning :P) Disgusting.

Humbug Vignesh: Humbucker!

Jagdish: Humbucker!

Swamy: I hear a lot of it! (I’m not saying where

though J) Ganesh: Steve Martin TPK: For some reason, It sounds similar to humbucker pickups.

Pot luck Vignesh: Fusion Jagdish: Volume Pots Swamy: I’m very sure you are not referring

to food (in literal terms) here.

Harish: Ganja and assorted contraband goods.

Siva: Today’s Film music scene.

Six nix Vignesh: Cocktail.

Jagdish: Six Strings.

Swamy: Is that a typo!

Ganesh: Yuvaraj Singh.

Harish: A bakery in Kerala?

Photo credits : Harsimran Basra Premier Digital Mastering Studios, located in the heart of Bollywood at Andheri, Mumbai is dedicated to delivering very high quality services to the Music fraternity. Mixing, Mastering & Overdubs being its mainstay, PDMS is also into music production from scratch, Scoring & Sound designing for films with it’s talented team of The Score Magazine Musicians & Engineers. Equipment, Acoustics & Ambience are a state apart from the rest! www.highonscore.com

27

siddHarth v

FEST FOCUS An array of 60+ bands over 2 days and at 6 different stages.

Day 1: Day 1:

Some cool merchandise stalls and some awesome beef burger joints supplemented the crowds during the mid-gig breaks. The Bacardi Buckets were also exceedingly popular. For Rs.700, one would get a full bucket of the cocktail drink of their choice.

In anticipation of Testament, all the bands really jived together nicely. Blackstratblues, earlier on in the afternoon set the groove in motion with some insane swinging blues. Mendonsa was on top form, as usual.

Shaair + Func and Pentagram ripped apart the Wolves’ Den, with Dadlani belting out Tomorrow’s Decided live!!

Vishal Dadlani had promised his Twitter fans something special at the gig, and sure enough, Scribe’s singer Vishwesh got up on stage and proposed to his sweetheart Neysa Mendes, causing fans to erupt! Bruce Lee Mani and Friends played Meter Mele one and a Half and Paper Puli, among others. A killer set in all. Parikrama, on the Bacardi stage were incredibly tight and the violinist was in top form. Consistent to their Tolkien trip, they released a new song in anticipation of The Hobbit movie. The song seemed to be moulded out of the very roots of the misty mountain itself; it amazes me how these guys can keep coming up with good stuff!! Kryptos were their usual heavy self on the Black Rock stage, and although people disliked Blek and Sky Rabbit, I personally felt that they kicked ass!!

Finally, Fink took the Dewarist and they were epic!! The Bangalore music crowd is a very diverse group and they can surprise you with their musical tastes. Chanting along to Fink songs was a brilliant and yet again impressive display of the collective knowledge of the city. It was Perfect Darkness all over again!

When Testament took the Black Rock stage, metal heads geared up to watch a band they had only heard during drunken night-outs with their friends. Now they were prepped and ready to groove to Testament live! And what a gig it was… with decades of experience, the band’s sheer stage presence was enough to turn a non-metal head into a metal-head! I returned peacefully home to serenity.

28

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

NH7 was a wonderful amalgamation of food, music and festivity. From the trippy visualizations on the Eristoff stage, to the growling tones of the Bacardi Arena, people had ample choices and chances to see precisely what they came to see.

Day 2: On Day 1, the venue was pretty easy to locate, although following the trend of music festivals way outside the city, NH7 boards were put up every step of the way. However, on the second day, someone had removed all the boards on the main road, and we spent a good half hour figuring out where the turn was.

Day 2 saw The Shakey Rays, The Bicycle Days, Swarathma, The Raghu Dixit Project and Scribe among several others. The Swarathma set was full of fun and festivity, and they even dedicated a song to Amit Saigal and Gyan Singh. But I felt The Raghu Dixit Project were simply and aural treat, delivering some really mean sounds. Scribe were good, but they failed to get the crowd really riled up. An attempt to organize a Wall of Death between two songs just resulted in a chaotic group of moshers. However, their sound was tight and fresh, especially when Amrit Rao of Live Banned came on for an impromptu groove to his only Pattai Rap! Godess Gagged played a tight set too, with some impeccable tones which I hadn’t heardcome out fully with bands on that stage on the first day.

On the Dub Station stage, which was mainly filled with drunken dancers feelin’ the vibe, I really liked Ox7gen and on Day 2, Ziggi Recado, whose dub sounds droned on and on!

Pink Noise and Indian Ocean were on almost simultaneously on two different stages, but I managed to catch a few songs of each. Indian Ocean were their usual groovy self, and saw a really huge crowd turnout, but I was very interested to catch Pink Noise. Pioneers of the Calcutta Rock movement, this band is the reason why there is so much good rock coming out of the north-east, and they didn’t fail to disappoint. Dedicating the whole set to Gyan, their bassist, a sweet old man who sadly passed away a few months ago, they didn’t even bother to try and replace him. Instead they sampled his bass and played on, with a host of guest musicians from Bruce Lee Mani to Susheela Raman to Randolph Correia.

Midival Punditz closed off the Wolves’ Den with the last show and gave everyone a funny and entertaining set well worth remembering.

Aaaand finally, Periphery took the stage at the Bacardi Black Rock Arena! I have been an ardent admirer of Bulb and Misha Mansoor for quite some time now. His licks, reminiscent of Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders are impeccable. Often on the mixolydian scale, his Djent sounding 7 and 8 string guitars paved the basis for Periphery to form in 2005.

In the flesh, they were amazing! With vocalist Spencer alternately imitating Bane and coaxing the crowd to go wild, they played a few songs from the new album Periphery II: This time it’s Personal too! Three guitarists on stage is a hard task to set sound for, but they were impeccable with the solos, acoustic patches, and Djent-based rhythms.

Misha Mansoor is pretty well known in the city.

Bangalore’s diversity again means that a good number of hardcore Periphery fans showed up, chanting the lyrics along with Spencer.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

29

sai adithya

Of Musical Rum&

*Sitar intro* I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me * sitar plays throughout*.

George Harrison first used the Sitar in the track Norwegian wood from the album Rubber soul.

Coke

A confluence of influences: George was inspired by a good friend the late Pandit Ravishankar to use the Indian instrument in the song. This was the first well known incident where music crossed barriers. Over the years there has been a lot of Indian influence in western music and vice versa. Take for instance the very famous Guns N’ Roses song Pretty tied up where a trippy Izzy Stradlin picked up a broom stick and made a sitar out of it to use it in the song. Such was the fascination of the west towards India. Over the years Indian music has seen a lot of musical exchange some really fascinating collaborations. Here we look at a few Indian artists who have made magic/music with various artists from the west.

A.R Rahman A.R Rahman is and always will be the face of Indian music. It all started with A.R Rahman joining hands with famous musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber for the musical Bombay Dreams which had a few of his famous older compositions like Shakalaka Baby and Chaiyya Chaiyya in it. In 2003 Rahman composed the music for the theatre adaptation of the famous J.R.R Tolkien book Lord of the Rings with a Finnish folk band called Värttinä it took them almost three years to finish that. In recent years Rahman has brought in a western flavour to Indian cinema by making Kylie Minogue “Chiggy Wiggy” to his tunes in a stinker of a film called Blue (this set the ball rolling for many more artists singing in Indian cinema).

Rahman also collaborated with Vanessa Mae for a track called Ragas dance in Mae’s musical. Recently the big daddy of rock and roll Mick Jagger, soul singer Joss Stone, Reggae artist Damian Marley (Bob Marley’s son. Round of applause for guessing) , Dave Stewart and Rahman formed the band Super heavy a unique combination of people with contrasting characters and musical styles but people who were united by music (I’m trying to add some philosophical feel to the article by talking about unity in diversity and all that). British-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A sang a track called Paper Planes for A.R Rahmans Oscar winning project Slumdog millionaire.

Last year, well known guitarist Orianthi Panagris played that killer riff for the popular number Sadda Haq from Rockstar.

Quite a list innit?

30

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

VishalShekhar Vishal Dadlani popular lead singer of Pentagram and Shekhar Rajvani are both brilliant in their own right.

Well, they brought in popular Senegalese rapper Akon (yes, that fellow who smacked that and all) to sing for two of their compositions Chammak Challo and Criminal”( I bet you guys are singing Cree-mee-nuul in that nasal voice) from the nuke bomb of a film called R.A One .

Vishal then collaborated with Grammy award winner Imogen Heap for the first episode of the popular music documentary show The Dewarists for a track called Minds without fear based on Rabindranath Tagore’s poem.

SalimSulaiman Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam & others

• Sunidhi is probably India’s most versatile singer.

She collaborated with pop sensation Enrique Iglesias for a special edition of his hit number Heartbeat.

• Sonu Nigam- (Again, I’m avoiding the extra I’s and aa’s to save paper. How eco-friendly I am) lent his voice for a Britney Spears track called I wanna go. The versatile singer has recently collaborated with popular Swedish dance music sensation Avicii for a track called Indian Levels. Way to go Sonu Saab • Sandeep Chowta was born in Ghana, brought up in Nigeria and Bangalore. Which means he does have a truly international feel to himself right? Popular Tollywood and Hindi composer Chowta formed a music group called AOMusic along with Richard Gannaway and Jay Oliver.

• Shaan, the man with a voice like nectar did a few himself. He did the Indian version of the cult song One Love by Blue for the film Rakht another of those films which sank without a trace. He also lent his voice for the title track Shuruat for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Shaan‘s album Tishangi saw him collaborate with Michael learns to Rock (MLTR) (familiar name ain’t it?)

Pritam (hehe) When the world does so much, will you Pritam Dada stay behind? He brought in Snopp Dogg for the title track of the super hit Singh is king, I’m conveniently avoiding all the extra K’s, S’s and I’s from the title of that film to save paper .

Salim- Sulaiman are another popular duo in Indian cinema. They have a fair share of cross over projects too. They remixed two Lady Gaga tracks Judas and Born this Way. Honestly, I consider Pakistani and Indian music almost one. We have had so many people from the other side of the border sing in India and we cannot claim to be separate. Well, musically atleast (another philosophical twist). Well coming to the point rapper Bohemia also performed a track called I got the picture for another stinker of a film called 8 by 10Tasveer. (On a side note, our man Bohemia also performed for another Akshay kumar film, a stinker that called Chandni Chowk to China. He did the title track if it interests you) The duo also composed an anthem with South African singer Loyiso Bala and Kenyan singer Eric Wainaina for the FIFA world cup 2010. Impressive to say the least.

If famous cricketer/singer Brett Lee singing along with Asha Bhonsle is counted as collaboration then that tops a wonderful list of musical confluence. Err.. and about the title, I just wanted to show that music can combine despite linguistic and genre barriers to end up like a match made in heaven.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

31

Marghazi A new resurgance

It’s that time of year again. Music is made throughout the city of Chennai once again as the Madras Music Festival comes back in full force this December.

The six-week long festival which had it’s beginnings in 1928 has blossomed into a cultural extravaganza that hosts kutcheris of hundreds of rasikas, local artists as well as those of the Indian International Diaspora. For rasikas this is a time to catch their favorite musicians. For young/new musicians, this is a platform to showcase their talent and skill. In this article, I’d like to give you a glimpse of this action packed season.

Origins Around the later part of the 1920’s, all high class Indians in Chennai were on a holiday. Under the British Rule came British holidays and Christmas was no exception. The government missionary had slowed down in its’ function and had come to a halt on the last ten days of the year. So all the elites, be it the lawyers, doctors, and those of high posts in the government got together and wanted to do something. Anything that would infuse culture into their society again, and bring back cultural pride in the youth. They created a platform to bring artists from all over South India into one central platform to conduct concerts and discussions with academic rigor. This thought and ensuing action solidified and has evolved into the music season through multiple sabhas in places all over Chennai such as Mylapore, Triplicaine, and T-Nagar.

In 1927, a resolution was passed by the Indian National congress to establish the Madras Music Academy. From 1928 onwards, the Academy began organizing a Music Season every year during the month of December. What was originally a ten-day festival became a six-week musical extravaganza consisting of Music Concerts, Harikathas (musical storytelling), lecture demonstrations (otherwise known as lec-dems), and award/title ceremonies. As the years passed, the festival has also made way for dance and drama. Regarded as one of the world’s largest cultural events, concerts typically happen over the course of the day beginning as early as 5 a.m. in the morning (such as Prabhat Sangeet which hosts concerts at Luz avenue) to as late as 10 p.m. at night. Concerts range from the standard concert format to thematic oriented presentations.

Sabha Culture In the early years, there was Parthasarathy Sabha (this first sabha in Chennai), Rasika Ranjani Sabha, Music Academy, Krishna Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal, Indian Fine Arts, and Mylapore Fine Arts. Today, there are over 200 registered sabhas in Chennai alone.

The sabhas typically organize performances as a part of their sabha’s season series. Every sabha has an inauguration function followed by the series that lasts around 1-2 weeks. The last day of the festival is usually set aside for awarding titles to both senior and promising artists. Most sabhas either own a hall like the Mylapore Fine Arts Club, Parthasarathy Sabha, and Music Academy, etc. Then there are sabhas that rent halls such as organizations like Karthik Fine

32

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Arts, Mudhra, and Music Circle. In each hall there is a main and a mini hall. Depending on the budget of the sabha and the availability of the hall, sabhas hold their series in one of the two halls.

So how does an artist get an opportunity to sing in these sabhas?

Applications for young artists begin as early as February in certain sabhas for a slot during the season. Due to the overflow of applications from local artists and ones from abroad, some sabhas require more than just an application. Sabhas typically like to see artists that have been performing year-round and so it is upto aspiring artists to keep updating their music resumes with more performances in preparation for the season. As for NRI’s, those who are meticulous and goal oriented make their way to India a minimum of twice a year, once in the summer to take part in summer series and competitions, and by doing that they create more opportunities for themselves. Aside from coming in the summer, there are many NRI’s geared series during the season, the most popular being Hamsadhwani in Indhira Nagar. More recently, Karthik Fine Arts, the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, and Brahma Gana Sabha have begun to host series in an effort to promote NRI talent.

Preparation Law students prepare for the bar exam, Dentists for their DAT’s, Doctors for MCAT’s, and MBA candidates for their GMAT’s. Similarly, artists see the December Season as a golden opportunity and a platform to showcase their skill and talent. As the season brings rasikas and artists together in one city, sabha secretaries from other states and countries come down to check out fresh talent to host them for the next year in their sabhas in India or abroad. December is a month that some artists (especially upcoming ones) plan for months in advance. Young artists plan their concerts at sabhas as it is an opportunity to market their skills as they can potentially get news coverage, take up new pieces that are unheard of, explore new ragas that are yet to be explored as well as revive old pieces popularized by the previous generation of musicians. It is a time to stretch the boundaries of Classical Music for some, a time to attain heightened level of fluency in the art form, and a time to absorb as much as possible so as to come back with a more refined musical outlook by the next December Season.

ananya ashok

Illustration: KappanSky

Observe, Learn, & Assimilate The season, as I mentioned offers new insight and perspective to students of music, as it is mainly during this period of time that musicians young and older are truly able to gauge the standard of fellow musicians and the level of competition in the field. Attending concerts of their peers as well as their favorite stalwarts in the field allows students to absorb new ideas and fine-tune their skills in concert performance and manodharmam (improvisational singing/playing).

From the tonal quality of the voice to their manner of selecting pieces for a concert presentation, there is ample scope to learn during this time from other artists. So much so that it’s almost like recharging your Carnatic batteries for the year!

Another huge aspect of the December Season for students of music and rasikas alike are lecture demonstrations. One of the most popular and sought-after series of lec-dems is the Madras Music Academy. During these lecture demonstrations, we find various topics in Carnatic Music that are covered that are mostly of great value to people attending them. The beauty of it all is that there are lecture demonstrations for every taste bud. A layman can learn the basics of classical music and a refined musician can gain a deeper insight into of the subtle differences

of closely allied ragas. During this time only will you find differences of opinion that are brought about by erudite scholars, arguments addressed by senior artists through presentations, various efforts.

They are done with the purpose of educating the audience and present information in a way that is useful and easy to comprehend.

Aftermath So what does it look like for a musician once the season is over? The results are out. In other words, the awards and the title ceremonies begin. Young artists who soared above their colleagues in concerts are given prestigious awards raising their visibility and increasing their opportunities for future concerts throughout the year. Music students are fully charged to go and work towards gaining a higher level of consciousness in their music. Rasikas now know whom all they wish to watch out for when artists are scheduled for concerts in their hometown, be it Chennai or elsewhere. Sabhas have already started to consider their series line-up for the year ahead. So what is really the aftermath of this festival? Continuity in planning for the next December festival, naturally!

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

33

THOMSUN MUSIC HOUSE

Prateek Kuhad

Prateek Kuhad is surfing the waves around NYC’s jazz shores with his melodic new EP. The singer song-writer talks about monsters and cigarettes with equal panache through his intricate lyrics and calming voice. It’s almost like a “Shot Of Alcohol” to soothe your weary nerves.

1. In what ways did your jazz workshop in Prague affect your style of composition?

I have never been trained in music theory but whatever little I know was because of that month in Prague. Many of the songs I’ve composed since have been peppered with jazz influences. One of the songs I composed soon after the workshop, for example, was Rubber Bits. I have used some jazz chords in the bridge and the solo parts of the song.

2. How electronically versed are you? Do you use any software?

I have very basic recording and mastering skills that I have taught myself over the years. I use Logic and have some basic recording gear. My video of Raat Raazi on YouTube and Be At Ease are both home recordings.

3. Do you believe, playing folk-sy stuff, that music must be natural or have you generously used electronics to sustain and perfect a modicum of sound dynamic?

I don’t believe in restricting myself to one particular genre. Of late, I’ve been listening to a lot of folk artists, so my recent stuff has been folk influenced.

But even I don’t know what I’ll be composing in the future. I’m not averse to using electronics on their own but I wouldn’t want to mess with the natural sound of a guitar or an authentic human voice. Nothing can replace that.

4. How would you describe the music scene in NY as compared to that in India? Are people more accepting of your music over there?

There’s not much of a difference in terms of people accepting my music.

People who like my music accept it, like it and listen to it. I wouldn’t say I’ve had more or less acceptance in NY, it’s about the same. However, just because the independent music industry is so huge and far ahead in New York, it’s more difficult to get noticed than it is in India. Additionally, a lot of my recent stuff has been in Hindi and that’s definitely been more popular in India.

5. Having played in Blue Frog several times, how important do you think such venues are for promoting and creating awareness of local bands?

I really do hope more venues of this sort keep coming up. It is critical in promoting independent artists because it gives them the opportunity to connect with a live audience. Blue FROG has given so many artists and bands the platform to shine.

34

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

siddarth v 6. How is it that you have taken such a “reverse route” in your folk identity?

Mumford and Sons are pretty new, but Dylan has driven on for decades.

Would you identify yourself as more of a new-folk artist?

Not really. Like I said, I wouldn’t want to restrict my music to a genre as specific as “new-folk” or even folk in general. Apart from Folk, I’ve been influenced by many genres like Jazz, Blues, Pop and Rock.

I believe that influences of one or more of these genres can be found in my music somewhere or the other.

7. What are your upcoming collaborations? Who would you like to collaborate with?

I’ve been playing with Vir Singh Brar on percussion/drums for a while now. At the NH7 Weekender gig, Sahil Warsi joined us on the double bass and it was crazy fun. I want to continue playing gigs with them besides playing solo. I always like playing with new musicians but as of now I don’t have any concrete collaboration in store.

8. Which Indian acts do you follow regularly? How do you think folk music is shaping up in India?

I’ve been following Parikrama, Ankur Tewari, Zero and some other bands quite avidly since back in high school but unfortunately, I’ve been a little out of touch since moving to NY. The music scene in general is booming across genres in India. It’s such a good time to be a musician back home.

9. Now that you’re moving back to India, are you planning to join any band or continue solo?

I’ll always continue to play solo but I really enjoy playing with other musicians on stage. I’ve played a few shows at Blue FROG, TLR and the NH7 Weekender as a three piece act and they were awesome. Will try and do that as much as possible.

10. What future plans? Where do you see yourself musically a decade from now?

A decade!! That’s just too far away. Let’s stick to figuring out what I’m doing tomorrow.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

35

EVENTS Galore

For more gig reviews & pictures, hawk www.highonscore.com!

100 Pipers India Music Week II Parikrama & Friends and Strings

Vasudha Sharma & Sulk Station

Counter Culture Jack Daniels Rock Awards 36

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Photographers: Dev Ambardekar, Sreedar V, Subhash C, Harsimran Basra, Alvito Falcon

ScoreNights Guru N’ Roses Pre party

Hard Rock Cafe

Third eye blind Gurus in monochrome

Harley Rock Riders

Strawberry Fields

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

37

AUDIOPHILIC Vijay is a sound design specialist with well over nine years of experience collectively in Indian motion picture and British television industries. He has worked on more than 70 south Indian feature films as a sound editor; performing various roles in the audio industry. During his time at Glamorgan University, he developed and mastered his skills on sampling, synthesis, recording, sound editing and mixing with both cutting edge modern and Vintage technology.

In Britain he pursued a master’s degree in advanced music production, which he completed with distinction. Vijay handles all sound engineering projects, bringing creative solutions to interesting problems. He also maintains an extensive sound library and is constantly updating, as newer technologies become available to capture sounds. Here, he talks on the changing trends and use of sound in modern film making.

Vijay Rathinam

From the Desk

Mr. Ranjith Menon General Manager, Muzik Lounge

1. Your Master’s degree research at Glamorgan University was about the role and implementation of sound in Indian cinema.

What were the main observations of that research?

The research was done in 2005 and hence some observations made at that time may not apply to the present day. Things have changed so much since in Indian cinema sound. One of the main observations made at that time was the role of the supervising sound editor. In most other film industries outside India, there is a job role called the supervising sound editor. He is recruited by the production company when the film is conceptualized. He will be a key member during the conceptualization stage. He will auralise the film just like the director of photography visualising the film. He will be there during the production and post-production stages and will make sure all the ideas are implemented and executed to their best quality sonically.

This role is still missing in most Indian films. Some Hindi movies have started recruiting a supervising sound editor in recent days. But I am yet to see this applied in the southern film industry. I would love to see it very soon.

Vijay works as a freelance sound designer, at AM Studios, Chennai. He is acclaimed for his sound designer work on the “Boblins”, an animated television series, which is currently being broadcasted in more than 15 countries around the world. He has also worked with various other animated television series studios in the UK. Vijay is a sound designer/sound editor/sound recordist and sound/ music technology lecturer. Here you will find some information about his career, interests and pursuits.

2. What do you think was the turning point of your career?

The decision that I made to go to Glamorgan University is a key point in my career, because that education taught me how to learn myself. The educational system was designed in such a way that it will provoke one’s creative thought process. After that my work experience in England gave me the exposure to the hardships of the audio industry. But I still wouldn’t call it a turning point. I would respect every one of my experiences equally as they have made me the person I am today.

3. You have worked as a sound designer for Blink Animation and other big studios in UK in the past. Now you are a freelance sound designer at AM Studios. What is the modus operandi of these big companies?

Almost all the work I did in the UK was for animation shows for television channels like the Ceebeebies of BBC network, Citv of iTv network etc. In animation we always start with sound. We record the dialogues first and then the animators do their work for that. Also they make something called

an animatic which is basically a hand drawn representation of the edited time line. And I get to do sound design on key scenes first and the visuals are made for that. Later on I tweak those sounds, add or remove layers etc. But here at AM Studios I am doing films where I am working to a visual that is filmed. This is one of the key differences. Also, there was a lot of collaboration between the direction department and the sound team in England. Here in AM Studio we are very organized. I work very closely with the chief re-recording mixer Mr. Siva Kumar, a veteran in the industry who needs no introduction. I work very closely with Mr. Siva Kumar to make sure there is not much clash between the effects and music, and also that the ideas of the director gets implemented to its best. Also as a team we offer so much to the film here at AM Studios both technically and creatively thus enabling the film make to efficiently narrate his story. I also work very closely with a Foley recording and performing artist team called screen playrs. They also contribute immensely in terms of Foley performance and recording aspects. So when it comes to working at AM Studio it is really a team game.

7. Do you think Indian film industry is now giving more importance to sound?

5. What kind of production work do you do along with sound design?

It is going to be an exciting phase but I believe one should not consider these changes as complications. All these are new tools that help the sonic artists express themselves. In this ever changing digital world one should quickly adapt and keep an open mind for change for the development.

One thing I can assure you is that no matter what the technology is, whether it is 5.1, Auro 11.1, AURO 13.1 or Dolby Atmos or something new that may come 50 years ahead, the aesthetics of film sound is never going to change.

I also double up as a sound effects re-recording mixer in most of my projects. I always prefer to work with a big sound team because everybody chips in with ideas and it helps to make the product better. In most of the western film industries there are multiple re-recording mixers (atleast three - one for dialogue, one for music, one for effects). This type of working style hasn’t caught up in the south Indian industry yet. But we have implemented it here at AM Studios with very good success. Our clients love it. We recently mixed an independent film called A Common Man starring Sir Ben Kingsley; the producers loved it.

6. Share your experiences as a guest lecturer at Muzik Lounge.

How would you rate the institution?

Muzik Lounge is a fantastic institution for aspiring students. It gives a great opportunity for students to interact with the industry professionals.

I have lectured in a few institutions. And I found that the Muzik Lounge students are better informed.

Indian film industry has always given importance to sound; most of the sound elements are written into our scripts. Think about Kamal Hasan’s Pushpak also known as Pesum Padam in Tamil, that type of script demands such creative scope for the sonic artists. When people talk about sound, they ignore dialogue. Dialogue is also sound and it is one of the main form in which a story is narrated. Most films directed by Balu Mahendra had so much scope for sound. One such film that pops into my head is Veedu. One other film maker who comes to my mind when thinking about sound is Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Many think that flashy films like Star Wars or Transformers give you great scope for sound. Yes they do, but every film offers a lot of scope if you think about it.

8. With new technologies coming in like Dolby Atmos, Barco Auro 11.1 etc, how much more complicated and challenging it’s going to be as opposed to the standard 5.1 surround?

9. Will the implementation of new sound technologies drastically change the average movie-going experience for the audience?

I believe it will. These new technologies will certainly change the way we experience cinema and it will put people in the seats of the cinema halls.

10. What are your recent projects and upcoming films?

Currently I am working on Moodar Koodam, an independent Tamil film.

Also I am working on Aadhibhagavan and Mariyaan. They are all very interesting films in their own way and I am looking forward to contribute in every possible way that I can.

Testimonial Student : Raghu Ramankutty Course : Diploma in Audio Engineering Specialization : Live Sound Engineering Age :

23

MLSAT provides a complete package of quality education both in terms of theory as well as practical applications.

One can be sure of getting all the basics needed to enhance the talent and skill in shaping a fine career in Studio or in Live Arena.

The best advantage that I got was getting taught by some of the best teachers in the industry and the kind of gears used were excellent and apt for the purpose of learning.

We were able to work in studios as well as live environments and we able to do internships with some of the best live sound companies in India, where we had the opportunity of meeting great engineers and artists who inspired helped us in shaping our career. Thanks to MLSAT for giving such an opportunity and a wonderful experience.

Admissions OPEN for Jan 2013

Batch for Diploma in Music Technology(18 months) & Diploma in Audio Engineering (18 months).

You can download the application form from www.muzikloungeindia.com.

/MLSAT /muziklounge /muzikloungeindia

Scorers THE AWARDS

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER – MALE Mohit Chauhan - Ala Barfi - Barfi

Argh! I wish I could give an award to everyone. Till the very last moment, I debated between Papon & Mohit Chauhan but Mohit really infused life into Ala Barfi. I cannot imagine any other singer who could replace him in this track.

Other Contenders: Kyon - Papon Barfi, Dhak Dhuk - Amit Trivedi - English Vinglish, Challa - Rabbi Shergill - Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Ishq Wala Love - Shekhar Ravjiani & Salim Merchant - Student Of The Year, Laakh Duniya Kahe - Ram Sampath - Talaash

BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR & FILM ALBUM

• Sneha Khanwalkar - Gangs Of Wasseypur Hands down winner! Both, Barfi & Talaash, had enjoyable soundtracks but Sneha displayed her talent magnificently with 27 different trac ks in this onehelluva-ginormous album. And the variety seen is any music afficianado’s wet dream.

Other Contenders: Agneepath Ajay-Atul, Ishaqzaade - Amit Trivedi, JTHJ - A.R. Rahman, Talaash - Ram Sampath, Barfi - Pritam, SOTY - VishalShekhar

It is that time of the year when the worthy need to be felicitated and the rest need to be slammed.

After hours and hours of deliberation, I finalized my set of winners. Mind you, this has been an antagonizingly arduos task. I started off with around 10-15 nominees in each category and being the jury myself, my heart broke everytime I crossed a competent person off the list. So, if you do not agree with my choices, well .. suit yourself!

BEST LYRICIST

• Kausar Munir - Aafaton Ke Parindey - Ishaqzaade

BEST PLAYBACK SINGER – FEMALE

BEST FILM SONG

• Rekha Bhardwaj - Phir Le Aaya Dil - Barfi • Sona Mohapatra - Jiya Laage Na - Talaash

Have you heard better songs than these two in 2012? Prove me wrong and I’ll eat my hat.

Other Contenders: Raabta - Agent Vinod, Dhak Dhuk English Vinglish, Challa - Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Jiya Laage Na - Talaash, Kar Chalna Shuru Tu - Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

I found it very difficult to choose between these two amazing voices.

Rekha ji’s dulcet tone gave extreme competition to Sona’s classical rendition.

Other Contenders: Chikni Chameli - Shreya Ghoshal, The Disco Song Sunidhi Chauhan & Nazia Hassan, Saans - Shreya Ghoshal, Badla Nazara - Shilpa Rao

• Kyon & Phir Le Aaya Dil- Barfi

40

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

Ingenious lyrics, to say the least. Did you know that Kausar coined the term Ishaqzaade? To be fair, I heard and reheard each song atleast 10 times. I googled the lyrics and re-read them. At the end of it, I believe that Aafaton Ke Parindey has the best lyrics.

Other Contenders: Neelesh Misra - Kyon - Barfi , Sayeed Quadri - Phir Le Aaya Dil- Barfi , Amitabh Bhattacharya - Shah Ka Rutba - Agneepath, Gulzar - Heer - Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Javed Akhtar - Jiya Laage Na - Talaash

shresht p

BEST ITEM SONG

Chikni Chameli - Shreya Ghoshal - Agneepath

BEST MUSIC DEBUT

Shalmali Kholgade - Pareshaan - Ishaqzaade

None, and I repeat, NONE of the other contenders managed to match the furor that Chikni Chameli created. Shreya Ghoshal took the nation by storm at the very onset of the year and displayed another facet of her already-versatile voice.

Surprisingly, 2012 did not have a lot of debutants. One would consider Ayushmann Khurrana as the obvious winner but I beg to differ.

Shalmali’s track from Ishaqzaade made me pareshaan - where was this talented young woman hidden all this while?

Other Contenders:

Other Contenders:

Halkat Jawani - Sunidhi Chauhan - Heroine, Anarkali Disco Chali Mamta Sharma - Housefull 2, Fevicol Se - Mamta Sharma - Dabangg 2, Aa Re Pritam Pyare - Mamta Sharma & Sarosh Sami - Rowdy Rathore

Ayushman Khurana - Pani Da Rang - Vicky Donor, Shaktishree Gopalan - Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Nikhil Paul George - Main Kya Karoon - Barfi, Unoosha - Hey Walla - Jism 2

THE MOST RIDICULOUS SONG OF 2012 Hookah Bar - Himesh Reshammiya - Khiladi 786 Tera pyar, pyar, pyar, Hookar bar!

Really? That doesn’t even make sense. Did it catch everyone’s attention? Obviously.

Is it is a bad song? Not necessarily. But it is the MOST ridiculous song of 2012.

Other Contenders: Shirt Da Button - Kya Super Kool Hain Hum, Bipasha - Jodi Breakers, Tain Tain To To - Gangs Of Wasseypur, Pungi - Agent Vinod, Bol Bachchan - Bol Bachchan

THE SINGER WHO SHOULD BE BANNED Himesh Reshammiya

MOST CRINGEWORTHY INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

BROWNIE POINTS FOR TRYING

Sonu Nigam & DJ Avicii - Indian Levels

Priyanka Chopra - In My City

MOST INNOVATIVE NON-FILM ALBUM OF 2012 Satyamev Jayate - Ram Sampath & Sona Mohapatra

MOST INNOVATIVE SONG OF 2012 Hunter - Gangs Of Wasseypur

MOST UNEXPECTEDLY ENTERTAINING SONG Dreamum Wakeupum Critical Conditionum - Aiyyaa

MOST KICKASS PARODY

Gaana Wala Song - parody of Ishq Wala Love - Student Of The Year Created by: Arunabh Kumar, Biswapati Sarkar, Anandeshwar Dwiwedi & Amit Golani

MOST DISAPPOINTING BOLLYWOOD ALBUM Jab Tak Hai Jaan - A.R. Rahman

BEST NON-FILM ALBUM Beete Pal - Nandini Srikar

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

41

JANUARY Germany’s Babelsberg Orchestra joined maestro A.R. Rahman in a 100 member concert tour of 5 cities thus facilitating inter-country ties.

“Vande Mataram” - A.R. Rahman

FEBRUARY

1. Ek Thi Daayan 2. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Three BJP Ministers caught watching an objectionable video clip in Karnataka Assembly “Ek shararat hone ko hai” - Duplicate

MARCH Sachin Tendulkar’s 100th century.

“Woh sikandar hi doston” - Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar

APRIL The Coalgate scam becomes a national issue.

“Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Chupaaoo Kaise” - Laaga Chunari Mein Daag

3. Krrish 3 4. P.K 5. Dhoom 3 6. Chennai Express 7. David 8. Once Upon a Time in Mumbai 2 9. Shootout At Wadala 10. Ghanchakkar

MAY KKR won the 5th edition of IPL after losing 4 of them.

“Aa dekhen zara” - Rocky

JUNE Surjeet Singh returns home after 30 years in Pakistan Jail “Ghar Aaja Pardesi” - Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge

JULY Riots break out in Assam “Humko Mann Ki Shakti Dena” - Guddi

AUGUST Mary Kom Winning Bronze Medal In London Summer Olympics “Chak De India” - Chak De India

SEPTEMBER Aseem Trivedi is arrested with the charges of sedition.

“Mera Rang De Basanti Chola” - The Legend Of Bhagat Singh

OCTOBER Felix Baumgartner breaks the sound barrier with his freefall “Baadal Pe Paon Hai“ - Chak De India

NOVEMBER Two Girls unfairly arrested in Mumbai for posting anti-Bal Thackeray Facebook comments “Jhoote Ilzaam meri jaan lagaya na karo” - Umrao Jaan Terrorist Ajmal Kasab hanged to death.

“Maar Daala Allah” - Devdas

DECEMBER 42

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

The world didn’t come to an end as feared.

“Party On My Mind” - Race 2

In Memoriam “Abhi na jaao chod kar, ke dil abhi bhara nahi”

2012 delivered a huge blow to India. Some of the greatest stalwarts that India has ever seen were summoned to the holy abode upstairs. The deaths of Rajesh Khanna, Yash Chopra & Pt. Ravi Shankar left the world stunned and caused a global uproar.

Before one could accept the demise of one stalwart, God took the other away. Henceforth, the future generations will have to depend upon the legacy that these geniuses have left behind.

It is a sad fact that Indian romances will never be seen again the way India’s ‘first superstar’ Rajesh Khanna & the ‘King of Romance’ Yash Chopra showed it to the world. Their untimely demises were not only a blow to the Indian film fraternity, but also to the countless lovers who were inspired by their larger-than-life depiction of affection in their films. Another factor that attracted people to these movies were the riveting soundtracks. Being the nation-proclaimed doyens of love, people swooned to their evergreen songs in every nook and corner of the country. Not only were they identifiable but they were also therapeutic. When Shah Rukh Khan strummed his mandolin to the tune of Tujhe Dekha Toh in his production Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, women all over the country went weak in the knees. In fact, Tujha Dekha Toh is considered to be one of the best Indian love anthems. Yash ji made it a point to work with the best names of the industry in order to deliver the best score. Right from Waqt’s Aye Meri Zohrajabeen (a now wedding favorite) to his most recent Saans (from Jab Tak Hai Jaan), the man has delivered memorable hits in succession. In fact, keeping the romance aspect aside, he was amongst the few gutsy film-makers who openly incorporated a song like “Tu Hindu banega na Musalman banega, insaan ki aulaad hai, insaan banega” in his 1959 maiden directorial venture Dhool Ka Phool. Think daring, think Yash Chopra.

Rajesh Khanna’s romantic numbers helped him shoot to stardom. It is a known fact that women were crazily gaga over

him. They wrote letters to him in blood. His cars would be covered in their lipstick marks. They dreamed of marrying a man like Rajesh Khanna who would serenade them just like he serenanded his on-screen lovers. They wanted to be the haseena in Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se.I would not be surprised if I found out that a throng of women had queued up outside his residence when Aaradhana’s Mere Sapno Ki Rani was first shown. His closest friends in Bollywood were Kishore Kumar and RD Burman. Together, the trio continued to make beautiful music and rendered some of the most unforgettable tunes that India has ever heard.

Pandit Ravi Shankar single handedly changed the face of Indian classical music. Having studied the sitar under the guidance of esteemed musician Allauddin Khan, he introduced the world to Indian classical music during his numerous tours. His close friendship with George Harrison of The Beatles was a well known fact. In fact, he referred to Pandit ji as “the godfather of world music”. Did you know that the music score of the 1966 Tv Play of Alice In Wonderland was by him? His best album is considered to be Three Ragas. He was a global icon who associated with the topmost names of the world music industry and made a commendable effort to expand the reach of Indian music globally.

From Ringo Starr, The Who to Slash, everyone was saddened by his demise. The silver lining is that his legacy will be taken forward to future generations by his supremely talented musical children Norah Jones & Anoushka Shankar.

Yash Chopra (1932- 2012) Rajesh Khanna (1942 - 2012) Pt. Ravi Shankar (1920-2012)

Famous Ones

Yash Chopra Songs

Rajesh Khanna Songs

Pt. Ravi Shankar Albums

Aye Meri Zohra Jabeen – Waqt Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai – Daag Kabhi Kabhi – Kabhi Kabhie Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum – Silsila Kabhi Main Kahoon – Lamhe Tu Mere Saamane – Darr Tere Liye – Veer-Zaara

Mere Sapno Ki Rani - Aaradhana Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai - Kati Patang Roop Tera Mastana - Aaradhana Mere Dil Ke Chain - Mere Jeevan Saathi Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli - Anand Jai Jai Shiv Shankar - Aap Ki Kasam Kora Kagaz Tha - Aradhana

Three Ragas Sound Of The Sitar The Sounds Of India Shankar Family & Friends The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

43

EDM The pop of today Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is one of those things which tend to surprise you by the magnitude of its presence in today’s world, but when you sit back and think about it, it was really right there all along.

INDIA & EDM However, the advent of technology and the rising underground scene in the country over the last two decades have spelt out the doom for Bollywood music, which hitherto had been the prima facie for any outsider who got introduced to Indian music. Times are changing, however, and rock music and folk fusions are making their way into the scene with more and more artists willing to imbibe influences from the West and at the same time, retain the Indian flavor in their music. Electronica hasn’t stayed far behind either, and turn tables and mixers have been at the forefront of parties since the 1980s. The only difference is that the tunes being mixed are no longer just retros or popular Bollywood songs. The compositions are original, and the performances incorporate a lot many things apart from the mixing.

Groups like Jalebee Cartel, a live electronic act from New Delhi, and Midival Punditz, a Delhi-based electronic duo have over the past decade identified key aspects of a typical Indian party-goer and changed the face of electronic music in India. While Jalebee Cartel has more of a modern, progressive techno sound, Midival Punditz strikes at the roots of Indian culture with a marriage of classical music and electronica. From composing film scores to ad jingles to recording with international labels and performing live acts across the globe, these bands have put India on the EDM world map.

Nikhil Chinappa, the single handed architect of Indian EDM industry, dons several caps from MTV VJ to producer to organizer to festival director at Sunburn, and still finds time to give power-packed sets at some of the best clubs across India and even abroad. DJ Pearl, his better half, is a progressive house DJ and revels from her clubbing experiences at some of the finest clubs in the world. Another of India’s most successful international DJs is Ma Faiza. Her brand of dance music involves melodic psy-trance to organic, blissful electro.

44

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

RISE OF EDM Dutch DJ Afrojack admits to every generation having its own unique music, its own unique sound, and for this generation, dance music is the biggest new thing. India, too, has not been spared by this sudden fever that seems to have gripped the nocturnal beings across the globe.

Top international artists like David Guetta, Avicii and Swedish House Mafia have given sold out concerts in recent times, and what independent Indian bands have done with Western rock, is being done with EDM now.

Only, we have had a music industry ruled by Bollywood all along, which makes pretty much whatever we create, seem a direct influence from this giant of an industry.

Vishal Shah

THE BUSINESS OF EDM With the advent of the new millennium, the figures clearly indicated the enormously swelling party-going public every year, and suddenly the underground was all out in the open. DJs were no longer limited to underground venues and low-profile party spots. Electronic music had clearly reached a platform as large as rock music, in terms of its reach among the public, and its popularity among event organizers. This was a cue for Submerge, a venture by Nikhil Chinapa, DJ Pearl and Dr. Hermit started in 2003. Submerge is a promotions and events management company dedicated purely to dance music, that claims to be a one-stop junction for EDM lovers. Over the last decade, Submerge has built a magnificent forum of electronica fans, DJs and producers alike and provides everything from the latest local and international releases to event calendar, club locations, a podcast and an online merchandize shop.

Percept India, in collaboration with Nikhil Chinappa began what started off as India’s biggest and which has now become Asia’s largest electronic music fests, Sunburn, in 2007. Taking place at the exotic Candolim Beach, Goa, the fest boasts of a plethora of popular international and Indian artists who enthrall the crowd, a heady mix of localites and foreigners, over a period of three days. Sunburn partners with BookMyShow, India’s largest entertainment ticketing portal and attracts a crowd of over 60,000 passionate fans each year and has seen the likes of internationally acclaimed artists like DJ Armin van Buren, Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten,

Axwell and trance DJ Sander Van Doorn. Submerge also organizes SuperNova, a theme-based summer dance music festival in Bangalore. Earlier in March this year, Universal India set up the first ever electronic music label in the country, Contrabass Records, through which it will promote international and local talents alike, and even aim at getting global artists to the subcontinent. 3rd Rock Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd. (instrumental in getting Bryan Adams and MLTR to tour India) organized the Glow Music festival in Mumbai this year.

While record companies were introducing Indian artists to the world, the people needed to be educated in what was until now, being shrugged off as party music. DJMag, the world-renowned British EDM magazine, launched its Indian counterpart in July, 2012 in Mumbai and thus became the first Indian magazine to focus entirely on electronic music.

2011 saw the launch of HUB, India’s first and only anthology on electronic music across Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. In line with the new generation of youngsters who wanted to try their hands at electronica, I Love Music (ILM) academy was started by Nakul Vagale, brother to one of India’s top DJs Arjun Vagale (Jalebee Cartel) and Sean De Souza. ILM is India’s first electronic music school and offers a wide variety of courses including DJ, Electronic Music Production and Sound Engineering. In a genre which is all about mixing the right kind of sounds at the right moments, the contribution of sound engineers and sound designers is integral.

EDM: THE POP OF TODAY? You like it or you don’t, electronica is practically everywhere these days - from the techno Bacardi and mobile phone ad jingles to the funky background music in majority of the reality shows on TV, and from slow house beats in coffee shops to groovy bass in overcrowded malls. Even major pop artists like Britney Spears, Usher, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce have collaborated with DJs to try and fit into what is quickly turning into the new order of things. The possibilities with electronic music are humongous to say the least, and the biggest advantage it has in today’s age of smartphones and iPads is that technology plays a key role in electronica. Electronica simply renders useless the constant need for a musical instrument. Also, the freedom to express without words is perhaps what draws most people into this genre. It’s the rhythm and the beats that do the talking and all you need is a few sounds to get started.

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

45

a i d n i in Photo credits : Kunal Kakodkar, Shalaka Pai

e v i l

KARNIVOOL

KC Vlaine and his friends Desmond won a backstage pass for the Karnivool gig at the NH7 Weekender, Pune. Talk about a starstruck interaction!

After much nervous waiting while Them Clones and Indus Creed hammered the venue, we are taken past the dimly lit back stage and on to temporary rooms where the bands waited.

After me and Des exchanged excited (more like manic) looks we walk in and there they are - THE Karnivool, standing to face us as we entered. I swear Desmond’s delight-wrung face was half way between the ‘Bitch Please’ meme and the Cheshire cat!

Des starts looking at the setlist printout, much to the lighthearted annoyance of the band manager. Taking photos with the band was awesome, Mark was making some funny opera singing noises while posing and Ian photo bombed me.

46

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

It’s odd meeting someone who you’ve idolized for so long - I half expected them to recognize me back and had to remind myself that they hadn’t the faintest clue who we were, beyond another set of crazed fans. They were really sweet though; they clearly knew what this meant to us (even the band manager, you’ll know why later).

songs” “Oh, no we haven’t” “Yeah that’s good!”

“Yeap! :) “ I know, I get to talk with Ian and I talked random shit but hey, I was a little star struck. Not as much as Desmond though! I know them as a music listener, not as a person, so for me it was like meeting a stranger who you’ve been crushing on, who only just figured out you exist---but knows he is about to be the subject of a Facebook note and a Youtube video and whatnot.

Des starts looking at the setlist printout, much to the lighthearted annoyance of the band manager.

Taking photos with the band was awesome, Mark was making some funny opera singing noises while posing and Ian photo bombed me.

YES, I WAS PHOTO BOMBED BY IAN KENNY. IAN FREAKING KENNY BOMBED MY PIC LIKE AN AUSSIE NUKE!!

After shaking hands with all of them Des gets some posters out for them to sign and I find a minute to chat with Ian, who is taller than me, standing in at least 6’2”!

*takes calming breath* It feels great to finally laugh with people who have made you so happy for so long - without even knowing you. :)

“Hey Ian, you guys talk about some pretty.. erm strong subjects in your music. Are you ever worried that” “That we’ll offend someone?”

“Haha, yeah I guess.”

“Nah not really, their bark is much worse than their bite!” “ :D Well yeah you haven’t been banned anywhere” “?”

“You guys haven’t been banned anywhere for your

We leave after another round of handshakes, and we watch the performance, superb as always!

Then when half the crowd had already left, the band manager comes up to Des and gives him the setlist printout saying ‘Yeah NOW you can have it!’ How awesome is that?? He knew that this now useless scrap of paper would be framed on a wall if given to a fan. It was like that little cherry on top of the nice, sumptuous, multi-layered, Karnivool-flavored cake we’d eaten that night.

siddarth v | nilankur D | kc vlaine

GUNS N' ROSES The question echoing behind the polite murmurings of everybody who heard I was going to the GNR concert in Bangalore was, “Who listens to Guns N’ Roses anymore anyway?” The answer to that question is, apparently, not many people.

Doing a gig review of GNR is hard. After all, they have the combined weight of thirty years of Rock n’ Roll experience, and the annoyingly competent Axl Rose. So the easiest thing to do would be to fall on the sword of hysterical fan opinion, and praise them effusively. However, the fact of the matter is, GNR Bangalore, unashamedly and unabashedly, sucked donkey balls.

There were a lot of things wrong with it, the sound systems; the fact that low paying members were relegated to a spot about half a mile away, the fact that nobody in India has heard Chinese Democracy. Well, even if you have, it wasn’t a parcel of our generation’s growing up nostalgia-tinged music the way Appetite For Destruction, or Use Your Illusion is.

GOJIRA

Rabid. Underground Mayhem. Duplanted

Photo credits : Harsimran Basra

And the fact that nobody listens to Guns N’ Roses anymore. I may be off here, but I estimate there were only about two and a half thousand people in a ground that could easily have accommodated treble or quadruple that number. I mean, what kind of a concert is it, where you can stand comfortably a foot away from anyone else and enjoy the music without drunk people assailing you?

On the other hand, Axl Rose still has thirty years of rock n roll behind his smug face, and that shit counts. DJ Ashba and that Bumblebee guy are exceedingly competent guitarists, even if they are in fact, as the inebriated people behind me kept reminding everybody, NOT Slash. That Another Brick In The Wall rendition was also quite the brilliance.

At the time of writing, they still have not performed in Mumbai. I hope to god that they play better, and more people come to listen to them. And maybe there’s hope yet for Rock n’ Roll.

These are four words that could possibly be used to describe the Gojira gig near Manyata Tech Park, Bangalore. Compared to the NH7 which was happening simultaneously at another venue, this had a very underground feel to it and was only filled with hardcore Gojira fans, and no wannabe fags.

An epic set, scoring through all five of their albums, the new album title track L’Enfant Savage was probably the clincher for me. However, I would’ve loved to hear In the Forest. If you’re into French metal and didn’t get to watch Gojira, you seriously missed out!

There were some initial problems in the management by Sweet Leaves Entertainment, which resulted in a few bands being unable to play. Better organizing would’ve meant that the audience got what they came for, including Escher’s Knot and Agnostic. However, due to the mismanagement, only Eccentric Pendulum, Xerath and a few others got to play.

Problems notwithstanding, Gojira came out and played a face-melting set of over an hour starting with Explosia. The day before, at the Press Conference, they were emphasizing how important the Sitar was as an instrument, to them. Now they even dedicated a song to the recently bereaved Pt. Ravi Shankar, complete with “Shukriyas”!

The gig ended triumphantly with some killer lighting and supreme tightness from the Duplantiers and Co. They even ended up flinging plectrums and drumsticks into the crowd!!

The

Score Magazine

www.highonscore.com

47