The Score Magazine, March 2013

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 06 Issue 03 - March 2013

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` 50/-

India's NATIONAL Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

Muzik Lounge

Ajith Abraham George Scores of experience in one neat package

Cover Story

Sunidhi Chauhan On why being magical needs only a large heart.

Women’s Day

SPECIAL

3 superwomEn One victory revel in the girl power magic.

Modi DIgital

BAND OF THE MONTH

Modern Mafia

we caught them dressed down and unabashed

The bottom line: mobs are good especially when they fill your coffers. Crowdfunding 101 on page 36

DISTRIBUTOR IN INDIA

the edit PAD Managing Director Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan Associate Editor Supriya Tulupuru Marketing Manager Sneha Ramesh Regional Marketing Manager, BLR Subikka GS Creative Director George Vedamanickam Lead Designer Vaishali Menon Ilustrations Nilankur Dutta Events Siddharth Raghunandhan Photography Bhagath Kumar Gowrishankar of Makka photography Vinit Jani

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f you’re a woman, chances are you got texts this month ranging from “Congratulations on keeping it together, despite being a woman!” to “You’re a woman, I’m told this is your day, so feel special!” Granted, I’m being too cynical about this, but forgive me, I just got off a cab where the driver accused me of “being a woman” when I wanted the windows rolled up (in my defence, it was freezing and I’m a bonafide Chennaiite). It’s completely unfair, however, to brand the world as misogynistic, and it sure does feel good to be recognized, appreciated and pampered a day every year. It would be still better if we didn’t have to hear about horrific rapes, unfair wages and domestic abuse. We’re fortunate, indeed, to have strong women constantly pushing boundaries and earning the world’s respect.

In this issue, we’ve profiled such talented young women - Sunidhi, our cover artist, is a fantastic musician and an inspiring one to that. We may have a team with several women at The Score, but we won’t be judgemental and bitter about how unfair the world is. We’re fortunate that we get to do our bit in holding a small (but mighty) megaphone to some causes we care deeply about - starting with the role of women in the music industry this month to other issues that musicians face in next month’s issue. To all the women out there bringing down walls, trying to break glass ceilings, learning to cope with unfairness; to those men who continue to respect us as equals, and, more importantly, acknowledge that talking about problems women face doesn’t mean belittling their own gender in any way - Happy Women’s Day!

P.S. Team Score is excited welcome to the team, our brand new Associate Editor, Supriya!

Nikila has a quirky bio - three published books, stints as an Olympic torchbearer and columnist, a speaks-too-much-but-does-it-on-stage roster and love for all things tech. She continues to Skype-haunt The Score magazine from the US, where she now lives, working on apps in the Silicon Valley.

nikila srinivasan Editor-In-Chief

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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. 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.

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cover story: SUNIDHI CHAUHAN

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This dynamic lady cracks the word with us on Indian Music.

crowd funding

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24 MODI DIGITAL’s Band of the Month

Modern Mafia: They make you an offer you cannnot refuse. More like a sound that you can’t refuse.

What’s the latest way to promote the artist? Promote the people. Take a look into the future.

where are the women?

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We get talking to three songstress about women in music. Look who wears the pants.

Quirks & Queries

sounds of noise

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Harshdeep Kaur being a Sardarni, food and herself.

fest focus : mahindra blues festival

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Know how they talk about everything that is music.? Maybe not.

The blues of the moment and the sounds of the future.

Things couldn’t be better!

Carnatic segment

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God’s own country with very human voices. We take a musical journey to Kerala.

INDIE PATROL

ved shankar: thompsun music star of the month 34

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We bring the lights out and dig out some of the best bands in various genres of our times.

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Talks to us about his utter adoration for music.

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Sunid hi C hauhan

Being the month of women (all hail), we wanted to bring in someone who is a role model of professional and personal parameters. World, meet Sunidhi Chauhan.

Punctuated with laughs, giggle and pauses, we get to know the thought behind the vox.

Q&A with Sunidhi :

We all have our quirks and share of embarrassments growing up. Sometimes, it overshadows us and creates complexes in our personality. We don’t mean to sound like therapists, but what’s your take on, just, growing up?

I never had complexes growing up. I came from a family where my mom used to oil my hair. These little acts are nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s not like I loved them at the time, but I learned to grow with these oddities, I was never embarrassed. I never had any problems coping with growing up because both my parents were there to support me.

In the wake of horrific news coming in from all parts of the country (who can forget the Delhi gang rape), are you taking safety measures (read: are you a secret black belt champion)?

I drive myself around. In fact, I love driving by myself. I take precautions. You’ll find my car has a baseball bat (yikes!). My dad keeps reminding me to keep pepper spray, but I do tend to forget that.

When it comes to emotional security, there are always going to be people who say nasty things about you. But I’m so sure of myself, it doesn’t matter! Post 14 years of age, it just stopped to matter. There was no necessity to feel insecure. Now, I keep to myself. But, then again, I do get hurt when I see emotional scenes in a movie.

When do you know you’re good enough? Tell us about your personal parameters for gauging success.

It’s that feeling in your heart. There is no end to perfection.

Both good days and bad ones come and go. Bad days are required. They make this journey more beautiful to go through. Good days? Good days are the ones I feel in my heart.

The best days I have are when I record a song.

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You’re still early into your marriage: how has it changed you, professionally?

I’m particular about drawing a line between my personal and professional life. That line is essential to maintain, we have to separate the two. It benefits no one to have them mixed up.

There will be times when you have to sacrifice one for the other, but that’s just it. I think everyone needs to be aware of that difference. It’s all in your head. It’s not rocket science: each of us has to understand this for ourselves.

Were there inherent biases and assumptions that were made about you, as a woman? Did they affect how you perceived yourself?

Well, some relatives were biased about me, but not my immediate family. They are my best critics - my parents and now (obviously) my husband. I’m really thankful for my fantastic, down-to-earth background. My experiences have given me a strong head on my shoulders.

From the local temple in Dilli to the international scene, you’re now an acclaimed singer: how does it feel? Was it any harder than for a male singer, in your opinion?

I was never held back because I’m a girl. I do remember one time when a big name in the industry wasn’t willing to take me seriously, but that’s a thing of the past. Whether it’s at a small or a large, international gathering, just loving what you’re doing: that’s what got me to where I am.

What do you think about royalties to artists for their songs?

We must get them! It is what we deserve.

Thanks to certain people here, this will happen. It’s really important that musicians get royalties.

supriya tulupuru

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I was never held back because I’m a girl. I do remember one time when a big name in the industry wasn’t willing to take me seriously, but that’s a thing of the past.

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On has

Pers a va Stud mak

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My experiences have given me a strong head on my shoulders. I was never held back because I’m a girl.

I do remember there was a time when a big name in the industry wasn’t willing to take me seriously, but that’s a thing of the past.

Special Thanks Alchemist Costume& Styling - Joe Mansoori Photography - Vicky Idnani Makeup - Shika Mishra Hair - Manju Singh

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the global music scene, boy bands and girl bands are constantly gaining popularity. Why do you think this trend sn’t taken off in India?

sonally, I feel so happy when I either read about or hear about girl bands. It’s such a nice thing always to hear about. Music has such ast range. I definitely think that good things are coming up. There is so much happening with new age music. Take for example Coke dio and MTV Unplugged. We all get to hear such great talent in these shows. All of this give me the personal boost, the initiative to ke indie music.

he United States, the music industry has real big stars. There can be no two ways about it. No comparison, at all. Here in India ugh, it is more film centric than music centric. That’s just sad. My friends abroad wonder why that’s the case. They think that the ncer in a song is actually the one singing it or has something else to contribute to the musical process. Musicians don’t seem to earn t much reputation. Unless of course, you’re on television. While appreciation is always great, I’ve noticed that musicians aren’t moted as much. The Indie and the Pop scene should become bigger. It should move to greater things. That kind of vibe has just appeared and it has to come back. India seems to be about cricket and movies. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t given enough attention. act, we are still referred to as playback singers and not artists. Everything has to change. Even if we’re just talking about girl and boy nds. People need to see that musicians like KK and the Colonial Cousins have move to say than just be someone with a great voice.

here would you most like to perform? Have you found such a place yet?

ny places! Sometimes going to the same place yields fresh perspectives. In February, I had some shows to perform in Dhaka. I went re twice in the same month. They were so open to everything. You know, they would sing along! In my experience, if we enjoy what perfection. She explains life itself like a song to us. re doing, so does the audience. to a playback singer when she won the tionthe ’re so scared of being ourselves. Because we want to repeat success, we Her end transi up doing same thing over and again. We hardly push t, Meri Awaz Suno which landed her g contes singin T.Vthat undaries. But I’ve had experiences otherwise. Usually, people would think only fast numbers would work.

I sang Yaariya, a song fame hit the roof when she sang the hit Herpeople ely based on vocals and the piano as the background. It was just magicalShastr to seea.how connected with it!

Gopal Varma’s Ram the for i” Zindag Si Ruki song “Ruki steep turns. some take did song of her Thecourse, Mast. of hat is most essential when it comes to being a musician (besides, thecareer musical talent)?

The woman, the voice, the voyage

g moment for women her a definin . Sheit,gave thereitwas young asked We hi started ery artist isSunid unique.

In theirclimbi style,ng in the the ladder way they deliver their are voiceeverything.

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What the top 3 her questions you always asked : ForThe are many. g says there hi singin Sunid her ry. and 4 indust but was music she the in when mance wer to communicate. we don’t first perforAs long as you, as a musician, can do that with people and feel it yourself: that’s it! We love songs thatWhen on the stage. her d1. it when feels want realize person a family friend Whenlanguage. didher I start?

2. ally, Did Ishe always to she’s be a singer?

3. Where do you see yourself in . It was hobbymeans ays understand. something!

Musicwho is such a powerful was a That on. the passion, the immediate response love, the sees she rising potential and got her dad to pay more attenti five years? is the That given her environment hat is yourShe favourite topic of her discussion withhas respect to your field? of the people, it’s just great according to her! how muses about the is skill one’s with taught hetic family empat Her God, no! These questions getbeing so cliché for me, I don’t even want to answer them. It’s like you’re uence: conseq ality a down to earth radiance. personIS that. ! Michel Jackson music. Everything about him is music.blocking He’s magical, so perfect, thetake oneher thing thaton connects word d atso your do we it. Boy,He’s sees sheso growth.

You bemusical. spontaneous and live whole heartedly in the moment, instead of ascan’t real deal to be cautious; to be protective and free spirite her ple in Burma to people in Mumbai toce, people in the by US.hersel I love him, I do.

So f. reflecting too much on the past or thinking too much about the future!

I mean, there is only so much drives she the same time. For instan thatllwe can do about what’s gone and what’s coming. her car has a baseba that you’ll us is she here was cautio a defining moment forfind women in the music industry, what would you say that is? Do you think it’s even to hi Sunid ding remin keeps dad her (yikes!). In fact, What embarrassing songs might I find on your iPod? re yet? bat too. carry the all prevailing pepper spray women of the month theI’m it being Firstly, I don’t have an iPod. I listen towhen music in my car.

Maasti sai. ,I we don’t with what erms of achievement, there are various moments. When I think about me, I feel most blessed on the stage.

When I see have the any embarrassing Now, s and This makes her family her best critics- her parent so Rihanna and then I got ally person She . bands girl about songs.

I keep moving on from one CD to another.

I was listening to afeels CD from views her e, the passion, the usly) immediate response of the people, it’s just great!

I won’t call an award function a defining moment.

Those can asked have her husband. “My experiences now (obvio . g a stance makin girl about hears she hooked onto this one from Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

I bands also keep switching to Mariah Carey. when n out to be fake dos.

So, when I’m there, on stage and connecting with people: that’s a defining moment for me. happy never was I ers. should my on head given me a strong such a “It’s such a nice thing always to hear! Music has she held back because I’m a girl.” In retrospect, g What makes vast something you? things are comin good think that to definitely according range. Ibeautiful never had any problems coping as an adolescent ning with new age music. happe much so is There up. rt suppo to there were s (Long pause) What do you mean?

(Ha!) Having a great show, that’s beautiful for me. There are plenty because both her parent and MTV Unplugged. We Studio le CokeI had examp forday Take my of things that make beautiful. one such experience very recently. I was out watching her. talent on these shows. All of get to hear allhusband a movie with my andsuch theregreat was an elderly couple ahead of us in line at the movie hall. The make to on. ive prided s initiat the al boost, person the me Sunidhi practiced what her parent woman turns around this gives and she said to me “Sunidhi, you’re lovely!”

T hat made my world! It was so d music.” Indie music by Sunidhi? This year just got She says since she was 14 years, she stoppe heartfelt and soindie genuine! and vely negati spoke listening to people who super swell. bad do musicians do when they get together?

What took care of herself emotionally too. Sure, India is mostly film centric than music centric: a days are there. They’re required because they make s abroad friend Herbest her.the h for anguis forwe source common about Have a good time!

That’s what do. We have parties.

We’re all really chilled out.

What h. this journey more beautiful to go throug dancer in the that think they case, the that’s why r wonde Now song. a s record she when are Those great days? or has some fraction g itmoment? singin the one ly the What do India needs most at the is actual a song as you feel that is a value we love about her: being straight to the musical process. Musicians don’t bution contri of an arrow.

Honesty, I don’t like the system, I don’t like the government, I don’t like the people. I hate the fact with seem to earn that much reputation adds Sunidhi, that they all behave like animals.

These are the things that you don’t want to believe can be true but a voice filled more with hope than cynicism. Unless they are. I feel so scared. What’s the point when I can’t be myself? Honesty a facewould do us all good. you’re on television. That automatically gives you out step to needs ne everyo that feelsarmchair activists than those She strong value.

Do you think Gen Y consists oflymore “We willing to step out and promote musicians more. Point in contention: and create real impact? artists. are still referred to as playback singers and not if we’re just talking Even e. chang to has in thing place a to Every got we how at I think people are ready to step out and make a difference. But there need to be more We all look bands.” hi What really girl and about needs our life. When we asked Sunid people. to boy change is the mentality of people towards things. Once that the lane about her journey downhappens, we’llFor have it better. hi, every artist is unique. In their style, in Sunid of tones, her answer was as She the way they deliver it, their voice- everything. simple. She is where she is boils down to communication. The power all it thinks because music makes e. As to communicate with your audience, to be precis her feel with all you, as a musician, can do that with people as long her heart. ful and feel it yourself: that’s it! Music is such a power She feels are her like s singer while ge langua g and all-prevailin there is harbingers of it. no end to

Been there, scene that

To know, to feel, to sing

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Where are the

women?

3 incredible women. 3 incredible stories

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It’s good to have at least one day to emphasize women’s increased participation and involvement in society in a more substantial way.

Womanhood can be celebrated every day but having this special day reinforces inspiration.

Parents need to encourage their daughters to pursue music if they are keen.

T hey don’t necessarily have to be singers, young girls should be encouraged to be bassists, guitarists, drummers wherever their passion lies.

Vasuda Sharma

Srimathumitha

Malavika S

The proverbial Delhi belle,singer-songwriter, part of Channel [V] reality show, Popstars and also her band, Aasma

Holds the honour of singing for Liquid Dance & Millionaire for the brilliant Slumdog Millionaire. Playback singer and performer.

Amongst other things if we may add.

An All India radio A grade arist with a recipient of the Scholorship from Central Goverment scholarship for Young Artist and the top#5 for the Airtel Super Singers.

It’s that time of the year again. Magazines laud powerful women, debates rage on about gender equality, feminists cry foul, naysayers react while refreshing thoughts and meaningful tokens still emerge... and Hallmark rakes in the cash.

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nikila srinivasan

On Women’s Day “The world revolves around women, so why not take a day to celebrate it!” asks Malavika. Weighing in on the ‘can women have it all (family, career)’ discussion, this young talent who has seamlessly transcended between the playback singing and carnatic worlds, acknowledges that domestic responsibilities do tend to place a heavier load on working women. “It means they have to take more time to warm up to the idea of a busy, successful career, in some cases.”

“It’s good to have at least one day to emphasize women’s increased participation and involvement in society in a more substantial way. Womanhood can be celebrated every day but having this special day reinforces inspiration,” observes Vasuda Sharma.

On Career Kickstarters

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T he world revolves around women, so why not take a day to celebrate it!

Before a rewarding career comes the painstaking and often disappointing process of getting discovered. Coincidentally, all the women we spoke to were discovered through talent shows. Vasuda’s foray came much earlier than Srimathumitha and Malavika.

Being presented a platform, however, is just one piece of a very tricky puzzle. The starting line for the career race is placed way before (forgive me, metaphors are really hard to resist).

The race is on way after the music and glittery lights on talent show stages turn off.

Fortunately for some musicians, like Malavika, an early start and a supportive family set them on the right track, unfortunately, being a successful young talent comes with its price. “I’d really like to see youngsters be taken more seriously and be appreciated where credit is due,” Malavika comments.

“My career chose me,” says Srimathumitha.

However, she admits that “loads of luck” and being in the right place at the right time is involved. For Vasuda, her “aha” moment as a music composer came when she was given the unplanned opportunity to be the music director of a film. “The film’s director placed faith in my composing skills and I went with the flow just to realize it was my only drive in life!” she muses.

The need to educate a girl child has long been a noble cause championed by many in India, while globally there are campaigns actively promoting science and technology education to children.

On Contrasting Music Scenes (India Vs. The World) The global dominance of pop stars in impossible to. For several decades now, whether we talk about solo artists or girl bands, female musicians have been forces to reckon with, not just in their home countries, but across the world. Playback singing seems to be the only dominant mainstream field where we have household names in India. Recently, an all-girl rock group based in Kashmir received death threats and there hasn’t been as huge of an outcry about it. Globally, there have been similar cases (think: the Pussy Riot chapter in Russia).

Non-film music continues to gain momentum in India.

Srimathumitha put her point forth very articulately about independent music, “The fundamental difference [of private albums ruling the west while film music rules Indian charts] leaves little space for individuals to flourish as standalone artists. Even radio stations predominantly play film music, and only recently have some stations allotted an hour for non-film music. Free music is also everywhere, and the likes of Kolaveri and Gangnam Style have set new trends about what’s next.” We agree, virality does seem to cross borders of language and gender (there’s a reason we can’t say “It’s Friday” without cringing anymore).

Vasuda highlighted a very important point - the mindset of society in India towards girl bands. “[The mindset] is a major factor determining the existence of girl bands.” The need to educate a girl child has long been a noble cause championed by many in India, while globally there are campaigns actively promoting science and technology education to children. There was recently a video featuring the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates appealing to youngsters to start coding early. There doesn’t seem to be a similar campaign in India asking youngsters to start following their indie music dreams, and there’s a reason for that. “Parents need to encourage their daughters to pursue music if they are keen. They don’t necessarily have to be singers, young girls should be encouraged to be bassists, guitarists, drummers wherever their passion lies.” Would the average Indian parents be supportive of their child’s dream to be a full-time bassist for an indie rock band in pursuit of their dreams? We doubt it. Practically, they are afraid of their children’s possibly penniless futures, but what’s life without a few risks?

So Many Questions, So Few Solutions

Verbosity is our vice. We wish we could muse a bit more about a lot of other worrying observations we’ve made, some of which we couldn’t find convincing ‘solutions’ to, - Why is there a dearth of women composers (although the music industry doesn’t see this as a “dearth”, it merely doesn’t make this observation at all)? Why, if this were true, are women hesitant to venture beyond singing? How can we encourage better participation in all genres of music and get kids started young?

There is no silver bullet, but there certainly is room for thoughtful discussions on the topics. We’re glad we got some of this started with these talented young women.

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Rappers are gaining prominence slowly and there is great scope for them in India. It will take some time but someday rapping will be huge!

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shresht poddar

Q&A with Sequeira

How did you react when you first heard the song on TV?

Tell us about yourself and how your musical journey began?

It was overwhelming! I still keep pinpointing it out to my family if I see the promo on TV. I keep switching channels hoping I get to see it again!

My dad, Milburn Sequeira, used to play a lot of music at home. I started listening to Eminem at a young age and wanted to rap like him. Later Nicki Minaj came up with “Right Through Me”. Soon, I started writing lyrics and I realized ‘I can rap!’

What was your parent’s reaction to this?

When I wrote my first song “Random”, my mom was in tears (mind you, happy tears!) and Dad was blown away.

My parents never stopped me from trying to achieve my dreams. They gave me complete freedom and told me,”Do what your mind wants you to do!”

Do you intend to become a professional rapper?

How did your friends react to Bezubaan?

I told my closest buddies about it but the rest of them could not believe when they heard me. They would come up to me and ask me, “Deane, did you rap in Bezubaan?” I would say, “Yeah, I did. Sorry I forgot to tell you.” To which they would reply, “How could you forget?!” It has changed my life. It has me helped find a foothold in Bollywood though the expectations are higher now.

Have you ever compared yourself with the other younger musicians like Armaan or Anmol Malik?

Not at all. I am a rapper, while they are singers. They are great in their own way.

I do! Before this, I used to dream of being a pilot. Since there is music in my life, I want to focus on training myself to become the best Indian rapper.

According to you, what is the future of rapping in India?

My dad knows Sachin - Jigar so we went to them to drop off my trial CD. “Bezubaan” first 3D film was being prepared for “AnyBody Can Dance”. They explained the concept and asked me to rap. Due to confidentiality agreements, they could not reveal the name of the movie at that time. They loved my rendition and soon enough, I got a call from them telling me that I was in!

As of now, rap songs only appeal to a niche audience (predominantly the youth). Rappers are gaining prominence slowly and there is great scope for them in India. It will take some time but someday rapping will be huge!

What was the recording session of Bezubaan like?

Initially I faced issues with the headphones. I was interacting with the composers & my dad via a monitor but they couldn’t hear my voice even though I could hear them.

The microphone wasn’t plugged in and no one realized this; I gave it my best shot hoping they would love it. When I came out of the recording room, they told me it never got recorded. Finally, we realized what took place and recorded it right!

What would you say to your fellow teenagers?

Do what your passion leads you to do and follow your dreams. If you dream big, you will reach further.

What are you r future projects?

I am working on a couple of independent tracks. I have also rapped for a couple of upcoming Bollywood films including Luv U Soniyo. Unfortunately, I am under contract so cannot reveal the names of the others. I have also been signed by ArtistAloud.com for 2 years.

y h p a r g o Rap D e an e wit h

and receive a 97.3% b tla Hi ’s on Ak in d te lis be artiste to The youngest Indian female ram Fuel Artist Aloud ag Se e th at er rm rfo pe st ge e youn dynamic hit score rating. Th mand fame with nothing but de to er pp ra an di In st ge un Music Day 2012. The yo us about writing, ith w s st fir y an m r he t ou ab a talks her rap itself. Deane Sequeir path to success. composing and rapping her

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The best part is this comes to you ready from the store. Once the requirement for the equipments comes in, we check in our stores to see if the sponsorship is

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All your queries about hiring and sponsorship are here. This is just one of the exclusive services available to you at the Furtados Showroom in Koramangala, Bangalore.

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available considering it is in accordance with pre-requisites.

Over the years, Furtados has been supporting major college festivals and numerous events in terms of gear sponsorship. We have been continuously supporting a lot of institutions like IIT, IIM, Amity Business School, NID,NIFT etc. throughout the country.

Not only, supplying the equipments to the venue, we also transport the products to the venue and provide specially trained staff who go to the venue for installing and setting up the equipments for the event.

Furtados goes all out to support musicians in providing the necessary equipments with just a minimum refundable deposit which is returned to the party as soon as the equipments are returned. All this is provided in return of mutually agreed benefits like branding in the offline/ on-line media/ at the venue, announcements and sometimes sharing our offerings with each other’s database. Here we leave no stone unturned to keep the deal as clear as possible. All the sponsorships are done after a properly signed agreement between both the parties to eliminate any chances for misunderstanding.

So what if you are not in a position to provide us exclusive benefits?

We also give the equipments on hire! Furtados will still provide the equipments to you for any number of days you require them against a minimum rental and a minimum deposit involved. The period for the rental can range from one day to one year depending upon the requirement of the client.

We give our equipments for hire to a number of venues like jam rooms, pubs and live venues amongst other places. This helps the other party as they can easily use the equipments at their end for the amount of time as they require them.

The Hiring and Sponsorship program has thus been helping a great deal to all the musicians who otherwise find it difficult to find their complete range of products for any of their requirements. The Furtados hiring and sposnorship program has been benefiting a lot of musicians over the years and this has helped in forming a close bond and continuing the friendship for the years to come. Next time you have a requirement you know where to call- The Furtados Koramangala store!

Get in touch with us on 080-41104304/05/06 website - (www.furtadosonline.com) The

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17

I had a beautiful childhood. I remember playing and fighting with my elder sister. That quality has stayed on. Three words that describe me the best - Funny, Adventurous, Loving.

Things I’m not for? I don’t have a tattoo and never plan to have one. The biggest turnoff in a man for me would be showing disrespect to women and a chauvinistic attitude.

I’m a Sikh and I’m a big foodie. I can never go on a diet. I love Continental food. The weirdest thing I have ever eaten has to be Bhindi Ke Kebab - and they were yummy!

discography Heer from Jab Tak Hai Jaan Katiya Karoon from Rockstar Jhak Maar Ke from Desi Boyz rat Baari Barsi from Band Baaja Baa Ik Onkar from Rang De Basanti Sajde from Khatta Meetha Salaam-e-Ishq from Salaam-e-Ishq

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shresht poddar I studied at New Era Public School in Delhi.

The best memory was when I performed my first song on stage and the principal had tears in her eyes. I attended the SVT College in Mumbai where I topped in all the semesters. I don’t really have any bad memories of my academic life.

My father Savinder Singh Sohal, who owns a musical instruments factory named House Of Music, initially trained me. I inherited music from my father. I undertook professional training in Indian Classical Music from Sri Tejpal Singh. I went on to learn Western Classical Music from George Pullinkala & learnt to play the piano from Delhi School Of Music.

Soon after I started to learn music I decided I want to become a singer. As soon as I got my first salary, I gave it to my parents. My family is my biggest critic. I listen to them. They help me improve as a singer and a person. My closest friends from the music fraternity are Neeti Mohan and Richa Sharma.

My first big break in Bollywood was a song called Sajna Mai

Haari from the movie Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai. I was 16 when this song released. My greatest fear is that I might lose my voice. Every morning after waking up, I sing something just to check if all is well. It’s a gift that God has given to me and I believe that it is my duty to take care of it.

My family keeps telling me that I used to drink water from my puppy Snowy’s bowl. The funny part is I don’t even remember that!

Most of the time was spent playing with my dog Snoopy.

If not a singer, I would be a veterinary doctor.

I wish to travel the whole world. I got the opportunity to be a

part of AR Rahman sir’s Jai Ho World Tour in 2010. All of us were put up at the same hotel in Dallas. Upon researching this hotel on Google, I found out that it was supposedly haunted and decided to freak everyone out by telling them this. Everyone got so scared that despite having individual rooms, we ended up sleeping in one room!

After Katiya Karoon released, someone on Twitter said: ‘What

is the procedure to marry Harshdeep Kaur’s voice?!’ That was the sweetest feedback I have ever received. Three people I religiously follow on Twitter - AR Rahman sir, Shah Rukh Khan, Gulzaar Saab.

The soundtrack of my life would include the tracks - Ik onkar, Heer & Katiya Karoon. You will hear me next in some Punjabi films like Sarsa, Singh vs Kaur, Stupid 7 etc. I’ll also be seen in a TV show on Colors soon.

Once, I had to perform at an open air concert in Dubai. During

Am I spender or a saver? I’m a total saver. I believe in value for money. Though nowadays I do not care about saving as I used to since I am always buying gifts for my newly born nephew, Rabaab.

with

Harshdeep Kaur

the show, it unexpectedly starting raining. The public started to get up and leave. To salvage the situation, instead of saving myself from getting drenched, I went into the rain and started singing.

Seeing me perform, the audience started coming back to their seats and that too with more enthusiasm!

I won the MTV Video Gaga Contest in 2001 at the age of 14. I

won the singing competition Junoon - Kuch Kar Dikhaane Ka on NDTV Imagine in September 2008. I got my ticket with Sufi genre by competing in the Sufi Ke Sultan genre with Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan as my mentor. I was declared the Sufi Ki Sultana by Amitabh Bachchan who was the chief guest in the Grand Finale, which was a great feeling!

Known as the modern day Sufi queen, Harshdeep Kaur has bedazzled millions of tiya Ka musicphiles with songs like LK Onkar, Heer & atic Karoon. Behind her signature turban, her enigm sting smile and her melodious voice lies a very intere ter. personality and it’s time to get to know her bet The

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19

Photocredits : Vinit Jani 20

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Scene and heard Vivienne Pocha Nothing could’ve possibly kick-started the Mahindra Blues Festival better than the beautiful, groovy, Vivienne Pocha. We had underplayed her in our heads, more excited for the others.

But boy were we wrong! She’s safely tucked away in our playlist now, forever.

Sky Rabbit This electro act brought the house down. From the city of Mumbai itself, they kicked some serious ass.

Robert Randolph and the Family Band You have got to see it to believe it. They made the crowd respond to them in a completely new way. What is it that they say about laws of attraction? Whipping those pedal steel guitars into the best kind frenzy. Sigh, we add.

Popa Chubby Ted Horowitz or Popa Chubby or the influencer as we’d like to think of him. Streaming emotions into what he plays and making us question life as it is.

Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers Talk about steering blues into the sharp! His guitar dynamics still hold us spellbound. Rock and roll has its moments because of this guy.

The Dana Fuchs Band We’re now believers. Of this band. Her chanting brought out the quirky in everyone. Who though chanting could bring people together? Now, we do.

Walter Trout and the Radicals Bob Harris once said he(Walter Trout) is the greatest guitarist ever. We are testimony to it!

Soulmate These guys aren’t even a band anymore. We hear Soulmate getting a lot of awards. How can you not? Tipriti TIPS Kharbangar’s voice can move mountains without the slightest hesitation. Rudy Wallang’s grace comes when he’s playing long riss-filled pauses like reading a musical poem in the middle of the night.

FEST focus

When Blues beat a new high and we got a glimpse of the true blue musicians. Don’t get us wrong. But our mush for the artists at Mahindra Blues is more than a fleeting passion. The organizers claim that this is the ultimate music destination for the true blue seekers. We think they got it just about right. The line up was pure gold. It’s one of Asia’s few festivals with an eclectic collection of homebred and extralocal flavours. Sure, it takes awhile to like this genre but it’s hard to not be mesmerized by the factor of aliveness displayed by all attending musicans.

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S o U N D o

f n o i s e

‘Noise’ music in the Indian context has never been about finding the most abstract sounds that man can create. Such a theoretical stance has largely been a Western preoccupation.

Noise music in the Indian context has mostly been about novelty tuned towards popular appeal rather than a specializing or reworking of a genre by itself. Noisy hint?

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krupa shah

We have walked a thin line between sound and noise. Distinguishing the two often at our own discretion. Yet, it has always been easier for sound to become music than for noise to be musical.

Origins: In a world as subjective as ours in which one man’s music can be another man’s noise, how do we define the persistent but relatively unknown genre of noise music?

In fact, how does one define noise in the first place?

The word has a chequered etymology.

While the German word for noise Geräusch derives from Rausch, which means intoxication, the Greek nausea refers both to the roaring sea and the seasickness it causes. Noise throughout the ages has meant something unpleasant, chaotic, something jagged, jarring, an aberration outside the grid of harmony. Noise is heuristically related to assault of the ears either through loudness, monotony or even unfamiliarity.

In what is perhaps the only book of its kind, Noise/Music: A History, Paul Hegarty says “the history of noise is like a history of the avant-garde... when something is avant-garde, it is specifically outside of linear progression and is a question posed about progression.” The appearance of noise music is marked with the intention to question progression and to explore new ways out of status quo. This exploration began with the influential manifesto of 1913 L’artedeirumori (The Art of Noises) by the Italian Futurist painter Luigi Russolo. He described a new kind of music that would reflect and incorporate the inflexions, the sounds and the tempo of a modern industrialised world. He wanted sounds of machines and urban life to be part of music in a way that challenged people’s conception about music. With this revolutionary concept, musical aesthetics underwent a sea-change. To shock, to challenge and to force reaction became the new idiom of the music thus introducing noise music.

While the arrival of noise music cannot be seen outside the evolution of the European or American avant-gardes of the 1950s and 60s, the most influential figures in the development of noise music are known to be Karlheinz Stockhausen, EdgardVarèse and (of course ) John Cage. Noise rock has frequently used white noise (the sound of an untuned radio) as an aspect of music.

Further on it has also made extensive use of distortion & feedback with electric instruments, processed sound recordings, computer generated noise or random hiss & hum. Some of these techniques can be traced to the French composer Pierre Schaeffer who is credited with pioneering some of the noise recording techniques in the 50s. This would include techinques

such as cutting up records, looping bits of recording, manipulating broadcasted sound and creating sound collages which he called musiqueconcrète.

International Noise: The Beatles, in their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band included Stockhausen’s face on the cover and their final track of 1966 studio album Revolver “Tomorrow Never Knows” is widely acknowledged to be the first presence of recorded noise into popular rock. Formed in 1975, the British avantgarde band Throbbing Gristle is known to have created the genre of industrial music with their mission to “to challenge and explore the darker, obsessive sides of the human condition rather than to make attractive music.” Noise music has a strong presence in the epileptic music of Japan in the 80s with groups like Incapacitants.

They attempted to create “pure noise” uninfluenced by musical ideas or even human intention. Merzbow is perhaps the most radical noise musician in this era with over 300 releases since 1979 consisting mainly of continuous harsh noise that gives the listener almost no chance to determine the source of the sounds in the music.

Desi Noise: In an age of electronic experimentation and alternative music, noise music in India (if it can be called so) has morphed in a way that has stretched limits of the genre. While there might be few bands like Pinknoise who staunchly have a ‘noise music’ agenda, the futuristic strain in Indian music has manifested most noticeably in the domain of electronic music with the likes of David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Avicii and Dash Berlin amongst other electronic artists to find a growing market in India.

Goa is known to be the cradle of electronic music revolution since the nineties of cross-cultural hypnotic Goa trance through an international tourist culture. Also, electronic artists MIDIvalPunditz, Karsh Kale, Jalebee Cartell, Basic Love of Things (B.L.O.T), Shaair n Func, Dualist Inquiry and Nucleya have all contributed to this kind of avant-garde music. From Western influences, to native adaptations to pop and mass appeal, even Bollywood has taken on an electronic tint. Tracks from Bollywood releases like Agent Vinod and DesiBoyz use unconventional music and instrumentation with distorted electro tunes.

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25

mihir sinha mihir sinha

Make you an offer Making music is a lifestyle. So is being cool, irreverent, fun loving and all those things Modern Mafia epitomize. They seem to recognize the inherent farce. But not in frustration, like the brow beaten loser on the street. Modern Mafia like to amuse themselves instead. We present to you our band of the month, dressed down and unabashed.

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Varun is a nice guy. So are Krehl and Karun. Much less daunting than the mafiosi they style themselves as on stage, here in their Sunday casuals. Ishaan Krishna, Modern Mafia’s guitarist and musical vanguard, couldn’t make it. The reasons presented for his absence range from the inane to darkly humorous. This being how most topics are dealt with in this clique.

The Fun of it All “I hope we never make a sad song”, says the band’s baby-faced drummer, Karun Kannampilly. We’re talking about the music they make, but there isn’t any underlying cynicism ringing through. Turns out their philosophies are as straightforward as their tunes, which always find the sweetest spot in your ear.

Antagonism didn’t bring them together, nor is music a quest to prove a point.

Like the story behind Arnie, the lead single from their debut EP, Random Sheep.

The original was a song called ‘Navjot Singh Sidhu’, in contention to be chosen the anthem of the Cricket World Cup in 2011. The powers-that-be decided that it might breach Sidhu’s usually thick skin, which had to be avoided. That was that.

Instead of relapsing into a cocoon of self denial, the song was reworked through the year. It emerged as something even more empowering than before, about “someone standing tall and kicking ass”, as Varun emotes it. Thus the implicit ode in the title to the archetype of brute force, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Mainstream Mafia It finally metamorphosed into ‘Bandhay’, Modern Mafia’s much acclaimed contribution to the soundtrack of David. Warmth reeks in reminisces of how that song has changed their identity. “We might be the first band that has had a punk song included in the soundtrack for a Hindi and a Tamil film”, says Varun, putting things into perspective. All of a sudden there’s a groundswell of appreciation for ‘the Mafia’, cutting across the language barriers they usually face as composers in English in India. “There are people joining our page on Facebook, people posting ‘Machi’, which is what the song is called in Tamil. It’s fantastic.”

So sticking to your guns does have its pay-offs, apparently. But there are no imminent plans to switch their language of choice to tap deeper into that mass psyche woven in vernacular. “I don’t think we would like to change. We’re comfortable with English”, Karun mentions as I probe their amiability to popular trends. None of this is relevant to their experience recording for David though, which, according to Karun, was “easier because we weren’t forced into making compromises. They even let us keep the Arnie impression and the ‘bitch’ at the end. They, in fact, encouraged it.” Ishaan had to step in on lead vocals this one time, however, since Varun’s heavily anglicized tongue couldn’t handle the Hindi lyrics.

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

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“

It’s great to meet the people who are buying our music. We don’t have delivery boys, so sometimes we’re the ones delivering it personally.

The Flowering Power of Indie Sign of the times, perhaps, that have made existence a little more plausible for honest bands. Institutional Good Samaritans are keener to put their money where their mouth (or ear) is, setting true independent talent up for big success with their clout. Even Modern Mafia got started at F1 Rocks in 2011, when they made it to final four in the televised band hunt for an opening act for Metallica. How was that? “It was a band hunt, with judges, on national TV. So no pressure”, Varun explains, with more than a hint of sarcasm. “We had never played live before”, Karun elaborates.

But unshackled in the spotlight, they appealed to all the panelists, most significantly to Clinton Cerejo, the popular singer. “He said if he had to make a statement, ours would be the one”, smiles Karun.

But like surfers, everybody likes to ride the big wave. And then keep riding it for as long as they can. Modern Mafia can feel the same tumult under them. “I have a dream where I would be walking down the street and random people would just go ‘Na-na-na’ (Intro to Arnie/Bandhay). I think I would have a boner”, says Krehl, the off-the-hook bassist, punctuating his chronic slapstick with a surreal vision of a destiny as he wills it. They know Arnie has been climbing up the iTunes store chart, spurred on, no doubt, by the video. More might be in the offing if the video makes it to MTV’s VMA shortlist, as the band hopes. “We’re also looking to get it some airtime on MTV and Vh1”, Krehl adds, writ with anticipation.

Word association with Modern Mafia Rules: 1. No pausing to think 2. No Lies On the Name KARUN : We slapped a donkey and picked the name. It was either Modern Mafia or Nuclear Cabbage VARUN : Nuclear Cabbage is cool, man. Imagine a cabbage sitting on the table and going ‘Boom!

KREHL : I would’ve dressed as a caterpillar if we were Nuclear Cabbage.

Jam Sessions VARUN : I go in and say ‘Guys, let’s jam seriously’. Never works out KREHL : Ishaan breaks into a riff and we follow. Varun goes like ‘Okay, so...’ and we break out into another one.

KARUN : We jam at my place. My neighbors really love us.

Cass, the PR Manager VARUN : We just show her our song list and she goes like ‘Wrong’ CASS : It’s no use telling them not to do anything.

Stage Fetishes

Get Your Kicks

VARUN : Karun got flashed by a guy once.

Other channels to acquiring Random Sheep EP have been open too.

Modern Mafia offer it at their gigs on a pay-what-you-like basis. It helps customers “find their worth”, reasons Varun, before Karun steps in with another take on the finer aspects of such a plan. “It’s great to meet the people who are buying our music. We don’t have delivery boys, so sometimes we’re the ones delivering it personally.”

KREHL : Me and Ishaan started with the bubbles. We used to stand there on stage blowing huge-ass bubbles into the crowd. Then, there was the snow foam

Modern Mafia will reach out even further when they play their maiden gigs in Bangalore and Chennai, as part of ScoreNight celebrations in each city. It’s a tantalizing prospect, for they have heard of their love for sublime grooves down there. I validate that assumption and envisage a rapturous reception for them. Random Sheep has the freshness and wry humor that should win them a whole lot of new fans.

We’re Only Getting Started All of this has gotten them excited. There is already talk of the next EP, also including a cautionary tale about bad haircuts called ‘Chewbacca’s Revenge’ (The joke writes itself). “We all have ADD and all we can do is enjoy”, says Varun, more matter-of-factly than you can imagine, while Cass, the band’s PR manager in attendance, nods silently. Though Karun accepts they would need a more innovative pun on sheep as a title for the EP. “Or we could move onto goats”. Perhaps, a butterfly breaking out of its pupae might be a more fitting analogy for this band.

The Snow Foam Can Incident VARUN : Well, we were on stage and Krehl was blowing snow foam into the crowd. Then it ran out, so I made this joke about how Krehl’s snow foam can was empty.

He just walked up to me and blew a whole load of snow foam at my face. And kept on blowing

A Message to the Ladies VARUN : Bam-chik-a-wow-wow KREHL : I have a place now.

KARUN : I have a flower in my hair. If that’s your thing, give me a call.

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

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Preetha Sebastian

This Swedish electronic dance music trio consisting of Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso made their way to India.

What we love is that Axwell, Steve and Sebastian all are individual entities.

They each have their own record label (Axtone, SIZE and Refune respectively).

Varied ideals, distinctive causes, unitary lifestyles. Yet, they bring the house down together. The charisma of the three and their quirky skills act as the pivot to the Mafia’s growing rage. We bring you cutting chai news from their recent show in India

a i d n i in 28

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live

Swedish House Mafia promised to perform on the 21st of January after their flight delay, and that they did. Rohit Barker opened with constant reassurance that SHM had come that night, much to the relief of those who cancelled their flight tickets to attend the postponed show. There were enough people to call a crowd, but not so much so that the sweat of a bystander will find its way onto your body, or so that some girl’s stiletto (so not concert friendly) would pierce into your toe. There were strobes and lasers in blue, yellow and red. An apt ambience for the likes of progressive house. Rohit Barker challenges the crowd to be worthy of Swedish House Mafia’s One Last Tour and goes on to jockey his discs with music that is pleasantly unpredictable and rhythmic. The crowd jumped to the beats with their hands in the air as instructed by Rohit Barker, who played for a good hour and a half.

One of Barker’s mixes included the beats from ‘Do it like a Truck’ which was much enjoyed by those who recognized it, by them moving their derrieres to the songs signature dance. Before the night progressed Barker made sure to tell everyone about the First aid area. Just in case someone injured themselves in the beautiful ruckus of wanting to enjoy the music more than the next person. While his tracks played, Barker spoke of how Axwell was in love with India and then to the exhilaration of many, Barker asked us to be patient because the music from the trio would start shortly. After the sound of very little silence, Swedish House Mafia came on, 24 hours late but not a tad less welcomed by the screaming crowd. They went on to play mixes of Daft Punk’s ‘stronger’, Tomorrowland festival’s ‘In my Head, in my mind’, Coldplay’s ‘Every teardrop is a waterfall’, Florence + the machine’s ‘Say My Name’, Temper Trap’s ‘Sweet Disposition’ all in that order with the unifying synchronized singing of the crowd.

Next, Axwell asked Bangalore if they could rap to the next track. Their very own ‘Miami 2 Ibiza’ with Tinie Tempah. Although the crowd’s rapping did not remotely rival Tinie Tempah, the mix was enjoyed all the same. Swedish House Mafia and Pharrell’s One(Your Name), Above and Beyond’s ‘Save The World’ remix were played right after Axwell said, ‘Turn off your brain and turn on your heart’ which the crowd religiously followed by singing their hearts out oblivious of their not necessarily good singing ability.

There were shirtless men on the shoulders of other shirtless men and all for a better look at the holy trinity of progressive house. Fog machines and confetti cannons made the sunburn arena look like a big night time carnival. Swedish Mafia Closed by thanking the support staff and ‘all you motherf****rs’ being the crowd that they claimed was the best ever. The screens lit up with a long thank you note that marked the last time the people in Bangalore would ever see them perform. It was a performance worthy of being their last.

Comments from the crowd “Why aren’t they playing any famous songs?

”- Guy in florescent pink afro wig. (They were playing famous songs)

“Break it down!”- Inebriated man doing the robot.

(He was breaking it down.)

“They didn’t find the cigarettes in my bra.” – Girl

with a smug smile walking out of security. (They were taking away lip balms and perfume bottles)

“Dubstep dubstep dubstep!!”

– Person doing a stomp dance. (That was not dubstep.)

“Man I should’ve stood here right from the beginning.”

– A regretful wanderer from the other side.

(Staying put is staying afoot)

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29

NILANKUR DUTTA

PATROL We pick acts from around the country that are hot right now & present them to you, loaded with idealistic metaphors. Audiovisual evidence on www.highonscore.com! scorem.ag

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ang band boomar Funk+Punk+Rock =

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GENRE: Jazz+ JunkRock(sic.)

Australia. Instead they’re from a place where mutant babies are born with fret-boards attached to their hips.

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scorem.ag/tunepatrol-Boomarang

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bangalore

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30

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patrol-Bom scorem.ag/tune

This summation of eclectic electric is powered awesome riffs,insane sounds and wide eyed music lovers. Check the bands out on tunepatrol.com/beta

Carnatic Music

evolution in

To many, Chennai is typically viewed as the Mecca of Carnatic Music. Most of the prominent musicians of today either hail from this city or inevitably move here to pursue the art form seriously. Although this appears to be the case now, there was a time when Carnatic Music had no hub. In this article, I wish to explore the music of Kerala, which has a long and rich history in Carnatic music.

In line with the above, Musicians hailing from various parts of South India resided in their respective cities and toured different cities when needed for concerts all over India. Musicians such as Sri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and Sri Voletti Venkateshwaralu were based in Andra Pradesh and were doyens in their field. The same can be said of so many musicians of the past who have inspired and have contributed to the sound and structure of Carnatic concerts of today. Legends like Swati Tirunal, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Yesudas, Palghat Mani Iyer, Vidwan Gopala Pillai, M. D. Ramanathan, T. V. Gopalakrishnan, and T. N. Krishnan are renowned musical exponents from Kerala.

Sopana Sangeetham Songs formed a major part of early Malayalam literature, which traces its origin to the 9th century CE. The significance of music in the culture of Kerala can be established just by the fact that in Malayalam language, musical poetry was developed long before prose. To start with, Kerala is musically known for Sopana Sangeetham. This is a form of classical music that originated in temples of Kerala. Sopanam is religious in nature and developed through singing invocatory songs at the Kalam of Kali, and later inside temples- It is sung by the side of the holy steps (sopanam) leading to the sanctum sanctorum of a shrine. It typically employs plain notes, to the accompaniment of the small, hourglass-shaped ethnic drum called Idakka, besides the Chengila or the handy metallic gong to sound the beats.

Sopanam is traditionally sung by men of the Marar and Pothuval community, who are Ambalavasi (semi-Brahmin) castes engaged to do it as their hereditary profession. The ‘Krishna Geethi’ written by King Manaveda of Calicut rendered in dramatic style, has ‘Sopana’ style of music. The music in this is simple and is sung in the ragas mostly prevalent in Kerala. ‘Sopana’ style found suited to the dance in Kathakali the same was adopted for the rendering of Kathakali pieces.

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ananya ashok

Kathakali Music Kathakali, one of the most eminent dance forms in Kerala has contributed much to the aesthetic feel of Kerala Music. Sri MD Ramanathan, who was known for his unique style of singing, rendered songs at an extremely slow pace, thereby allowing ample time for the listener to catch every word of the song and gauge its meaning. Such is the style of the music that is heard during Kathakali dance. He sung in Carnatic music ragas such as Sahana, Anandabhairavi, Reethigowla, Yadukula Kambhoji, and Kambhoji. All of these are popular ragas used in this dance form. He himself once admitted that his Vilambita Kaala Gaanam renderings during Kathakali dances had influenced his music and style of singing. The language Manipravalam, a mixture of Malayalam and Sanskrit is primarily used in Kathakali songs. Even though most of the songs are set in ragas based on the microtoneheavy Carnatic music, there is a distinct style of plain-note rendition, which is found in the Sopanam style. This Kerala style of rendition takes its roots from the temple songs which used to be sung (continues even now at several temples) at the time when Kathakali was born. In between, there was a brief period where Kathakali suffered a setback with the coming of drama to Kerala.

However, it regained its fame thanks to the efforts of great the poet Vallathol who dedicated his life to the resurrection of Kathakali at a time when Kathakali and other classical arts in Kerala could not attract talented youth in numbers, as they offered no source of decent livelihood.

The Contributions of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal The period of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal (1813-1846) is often referred to as the golden period of music and dance of Kerala. The court of Swathi was adorned by many an eminent artistes from all over India. A scholar of many languages, Swathi Thirunal was a patron of dance and many important branches of music in India. He had contributed extensively to Carnatic Music as well as Hindustani music during his time.

Language and region boundaries didn’t stop this king from enriching the artform. In a sense, he paved the way for national integration through music in India.

Until this period, there was no music to match Sopana music. However the king aided in the development of Carnatic music in parallel to Sopana music hence making way for musical evolution in Kerala. Soon, vocalists and instrumentalists began shifting to the Carnatic style of music in Kerala versus the traditional Sopanam style. Kathakali music is a clear example of the massive influence that Carnatic music had on the region. It was Swathi Thirunal who brought Kerala in the forefront of South India in the field of music. Swathi Thirunal had also greatly reformed the dance of Kerala as he did in the case of music. His court was adorned by the great Ponnaya, Chinnaya, Sivanandam and Vadivelu brothers who were exponents in both Carnatic music and Bharathanatyam. It was with the help of these four that Swathi Thirunal changed the music and dance of Kerala. Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam had a huge influence on the artistes of Kerala during this period. Swathi Thirunal has choreographed many poems for dance and many of pieces of Varnam, Swarajathi, and Kriti form have been written to suit dance.

It was during this time that Mohiniyattam saw a reformation with padams written by the king in Manipravalam. The Kathakalakshyam (Musical Storytelling) which was widely in vogue in Maharashtra came to Kerala during Swathi Thirunal’s time through his courtier Meruswami. When Meruswami staged two of Swathi’s Sanskrit compositions, ‘Kuchelopakhyanam’ and ‘Ajamilopakhyanam’, this art from got wide acceptance among the people. With the introduction of ‘Bhakti’ themes ‘Kathakalashyam’ became widely popular as an art in the years that followed. Lucid and at the same time proud in ideas, this art form aroused interest to both scholars and commoners alike. Devotional themes together with supporting stories, music most befitting to each context, combination of instruments were the characteristic features of this art form.

The Later Years In the early part of the 20th century, great doyens such as Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, MD Ramanathan, Palghat KV Narayanaswami, Violinist M.S.Gopalakrishnan, Veena exponent Koduvayoor KS Narayana Swamy, Mridangam vidwan Palghat Mani Iyer began rising in the field of Carnatic music. Rich musical tradition mixed with ingenuity, they contributed largely to the evolution of Carnatic Music in India. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was instrumental, along with Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, for the work on the krithis of Mahraja Swathi Thirunal. After attending one of his concerts in 1934, Maharani Sethu Parvati Bai of Travancore was so impressed by his talent and scholarship that she invited him to come to Thiruvananthapuram to edit and popularize the compositions of Swati Tirunal. Today, one finds Kerala to still hold on to the rich musical tradition passed on through generations of contributors in this field. Music festivals and series are held extensively and Carnatic Music of high quality is greatly revered by rasikas. Those musicians who understand Kerala’s musical lineage find themselves being frequent guests for performances in this region of India. Maybe soon more places outside too.

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E S U O H C I S U M N U S THOM

r e k n a h S d Ve

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It resonates and it reverberates. The proximity of the instrument gives such a wonderful feeling. It’s more than just a sound; it becomes an emotional experience.

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Ved Shanker

the first student from the first batch of A.R Rahman’s conservatory, is on a roll.

This Chennaibased macha does not need to pull strings to be big: he’s got there on his own.

Take us back to the start I was the first student in the first batch of A. R. Rahman’s Conservatory 08-09. I was then selected to go to Boston for a 6 week exchange program. It was there that we formed an ensemble and had a conductor to guide us. We came up with two pieces that we got to perform at the US State Department. I am not necessarily trained musically. Initially, since I had no backing in this field, I worked on a few student projects made by those in L. V. Prasad Films Institute. Here, I scored a few pieces.

My first “film” was in 2010. I got a chance to compose music for Paalai, a story that takes us 3000 years back. In essence, we cannot use any electronic, only rustic sounds. We got a lot of critical acclaim for it. I also got to work on Madhubana Kadai which talks about situations revolving around the state owned alcohol bars “TASMAC”. It’s meant to address the ill effects of alcohol. It’s really interesting because there is no story as such. These films didn’t necessarily get “big” releases but got really good reviews! We got the META award for Evam’ s “39 Steps” as the most innovative sound design award. I had to create the soundscape, the music: I ended up having 30-40 odd themes. Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom is my first big assignment. I worked only on the songs. I didn’t have any financial muscle to get me through this. It was the merit that did and I’m glad about it. All the films I’ve worked on have come through to me: I never had to go searching for them. This makes me even more grateful for all the good that happens to me. I have to thank my best friend Avinash here, now an aspiring director.

He got me interested into scoring for films.

This is how I decided to get into this field.

I’m still finishing my studies. Currently, I’m doing my MBA in Marketing. I’m yet to get into the music industry with all guns blazing!

Do you play any instruments? If so, have you included them in any of your compositions?

Ha! My dad used to play the Mirdangam.

But my first inclination towards music was when I picked up the drums. I got a lot of appreciation for it. That was quite some time back though. I’ve not been in touch with the drums. Being a composer, I naturally want the best for my song; I know my drumming skills (sly smile ensues). I play the piano and am into singing. More so, I simply love music and that association is enough for me.

This is a classic: what plans do you have for yourself in this field?

I love scoring music for films. Be it songs or background score. I want to come up In the Indian scene, there is no difference per se in albums for sound tracks and for film scores.

Eventually that is what I want to get into: making independent albums and scoring music. I took the film route because that gives me exposure. Exactly like Rahman sir! It evidently works differently in the US because the market is more organized.

In India, the money is made from movies primarily. That being said, is how I’m going to roll.

What for you is one of life’s continuing pleasures in this industry?

It makes a huge difference knowing how to playing the piano and sing (something I’ve started awhile back) because you can feel the music. The sound grows around you. It resonates and it reverberates. The proximity of the instrument gives such a wonderful feeling. It’s more than just a sound; it becomes an emotional experience.

I personally think that when you learn too much theory, you miss out this feeling. The training at times curbs it. I think it should feel right more than just sound right. I don’t necessarily care what chord it is that I play.

I’m really passionate about music. I haven’t pulled strings to be a big music director for a big film. The process of making music is more important. I have come to appreciate music in a whole different way because of this. For example, the street musicians that we get to see so often. Some of them are so unbelievable good. We could learn so much from them.

When I was starting off, when I didn’t have a studio, I would record songs on my phone.

There was once, I stopped on a bridge to take a recording! Recording on live music is a treat. Finding the right people is one. My mixing and mastering used to be pathetic which was when I started working with Balu Thankachan and Sethu Thankachan of 20 DB Studios, Chennai.

I think you can make a real positive impact in this scene. I want to create affirmative, inspiring music. When I look at music, there is so much that we can do. So much that it does for us. I look at Abhishek Raghuram, a Carnatic musician. He’s a genius. He can’t reproduce or replicate the way he sings a certain song twice. That I think is a true musician. Inspiration comes to all of us.

Some of us use music as the language to communicate.

Photocredits : Bhagath Kumar /Gowrishankar of Makka photgraphy The

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crowd funding?

The effort of the mass for a cause. Much like cows grazing as a group. Purposefully.

“It’s the same reason as why people spend 5-6 K to go to Sunburn or a Swedish House Mafia program, because they like the music and that it’s cool!”, said Anshulika Dubey, COO of Wishberry. in, when asked why crowdfunding would work for musicians in India. Amongst other things.

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nilankur dutta

Apart from going to the shows, crowdfunding also allows the crowd to support the artist in a very real way - by supporting him/her in their music venture and being a part of their work essentially.

For the ignorant, Crowdfunding is the next big thing in creative ventures in India these days. Especially among the young groovy crowd (yes, you!) who see it as a democratic way to shift power from the perceived money grubbing hands of greedy record labels. Ask your favorite methi cooking metal-heads Demonic Resurrection, or erstwhile television sweet-heart Vasudha Sharma , and they will all tell you how asking your fans for the moolah to fund your latest venture, can liberate your creative license. For in uninitiated, Wishberry is supposedly India’s coolest crowdfunding company for creative media. We felt that India is brimming with an entrepreneurial spirit and almost everyone has a good biz and artistic idea that they want to execute. But the initial funds are always the most difficult to arrange. So ,we thought of making the process of asking for money easy through the online medium. We also felt that people support people and crowdfunding is the best way to bridge the gap between funders and dreamers!

Why the crowd?

Not everyone can cut large cheques, but 100 people can give 1000 Rs. easily today (these people are friends and fans of the project owner largely). One can look at scale and make 1 lakh at a minimum by targeting 100 people X 1000 Rs. Plus the rewards can serve as gratification factors; they have to be exclusive things that money can’t buy off retail. If a music artist, crowdfunding for his album can give back rewards such as autographed CDs, invites to jamming sets, paid previews for a few, producer credits in the album and personal performances at really low prices etc. , then people will find this an exciting place to support such projects.

The whole system of crowdfunding also helps people support people, helps project owners market themselves and their project/prototypes, test the response from these funders, before making the big leap and asking for large funds from big producers and investors, Anshulika explains.

For example Something Relevant Vocalist Aazin Printer from Mumbai, who managed to fund his solo debut album from the website, raising Rs 3,03,500. If that seems like a staggering sum to you, I shall resist the temptation to tell you that indeed, Dorothy, you are no longer within Kansas. Control Alt Delete, an alternative Rock gig in Mumbai, was also financed entirely by

“

crowdsourcing, last year in September and has since achieved a sort of semi cult status, featuring bands like Blakc and Spud in The Box. We are all observing the increase in music festivals, gigs, shows in this country at a rapid pace. Imagine if a bunch of 1000 people could bring down an international artist via crowdfunding (cause they pay for the tickets anyway, right?)

Anshulika, has this to say, “Apart from going to the shows, crowdfunding also allows the crowd to support the artist in a very real way - by supporting him/her in their music venture and being a part of their work essentially. With music artists ready to give out rewards like personal performances, jamming, cool merchandize, fans and even the close personal network, are ready to put down money as its cool and allows them to get close their favorite music artist.”

Young people in India want to take control, make choices, and bring about change. They want to rebel and follow their passions and fund their interests. They want to be known for something remarkable, something cool. Crowd-funding is one such way.

In a nutshell, how this works is that the musician/filmmakers/ future scam artists (but hopefully not) set up their plea online.

You the fan, friend and family, dish out cash for the projects you like. In return, the artist offers regular updates of his works, rewards to you for contributing.

All in all, crowdfunding could be a great thing for music in India. It is one of those rare moments when the internet pulls its head out of cat memes and deviant pornography to shows us the startling acts of brilliance that it is capable of.

Just imagine, if enough of you people wanted to, REALLY wanted to, you could, theoretically, have Led Zeppelin start their reunion tour in Bangalore this year. I know I’d pitch in for that.

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

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The newest feather in our cap: being the Music Partners for Madras Market.

Thermal And A Quarter, CinC (Clarity in Confusion), Grey Shack and Agam.

All in one place.

Madness happened.

Mystic Vibes Talk about the ethereal becoming material. The music made us all feel like shaman superstars.

Score Night Aghor T his innovative fusion band brought us such a vast spectrum of musical colours. T hought that is impossible? Well, you should have been there.

Sapta T his was one of the last shows of Spata as the creator of Sapta is now moving to San Francisco. T his global aural traveller uses wide range of Electronic Sounds, making new sounds at his mercy. T he ScoreNight saw a collaboration of artists with Tapass Naresh, drummer of Skrat. Amongst other things.

I Borg, Analyzed Consequences and Eschers Knot Siddharth Raghunandan, our events twerp and guitarist of Analyzed Consequences had the time of his life getting all the bands ready. We kicked back and rocked our head off in response.

Uddipan Sharma & The group We’re quite taken by Uddipan.

Read up more about him in Indie Patrol.

Divine Raaga T he name says it all.

Indie Graffiti, Citrus Lucidity & The Peanut Butter Conspiracy A salad of music this was. Indi Graffiti, a Bangalore based band came down to good ol’Chennai. This was one of the first live shows for Citrus Lucidity and The Peanut Butter Conspiracy. Yay!

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AUDIOPHILIC Making records with a unique sound these days can be tough. What with everyone using smiliar equipment.

We caught up with Ajith Abraham George who talks about being a part of the multi track recording and mixing aspects’ in India. With two Kerala State Film awards, two Film Critics award, Asianet and Mathrubhumi Awards, we’re really excited to hear his thoughts.

From the Desk

Mr Ranjith Menon General Manager, Muzik Lounge

Ajith Abraham George

Being with the Pioneers in a field has its benefits. He has won the Kerala State Film Award for best Audiographer for the film Albuthadweep (2005), Ujala Asianet Award for the film Karuthpakshikal and the Mathrubhumi Award (both in 2006) and the Film Critics Award for Orey Kadal (2007). He repeated the magic with the Film Critics Award in 2009 for Rithu and Kerala State Film Award for the year 2010 for the film Chitrasuthram. He’s also a Muzik Lounge consultant and a good friend to Stephan Devassy.

With a work experience in more than Four Hundred Films and over 1000 tracks in various Indian languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada (all in multi track), Ajith gives you the insight parallel to none.

This field was unheard of when you were getting into it. What inspired you to do so?

My uncle (John Sankaramangalam) was part of the Faculty of Pune Film Institute. Due to this, I was aware of all the courses happening there. There was already an inclination towards Music and Technology; this course brought them both together.

You’ve worked with Mr. Sridhar who is unanimously famous: Tell us about you experience meeting and working with him?

There was a study tour arranged by the Institute in the final year. This was in ’96 and we came to Chennai. We went to a lot of studios including Prasad, VGP, Panchathan, and Gemini. Amongst the places we visited was Real Media Technologies. This was around the time DTS (Digital Theatre Systems) technology was shaping up and we got our first sample here at Media Artist (part of Real Media Technologies)! Mr. Sridhar who was guiding us asked for those interested in South India. I stood up and this was how we met. It is tough to work with him because he is very particular about quality. He was a very good teacher as he let us do all that we wanted to. Had it been any other way, it would be chaos for us. Generally, there are certain restrictions for assistants. This was never the case at Media Artists

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and it proved to be a big advantage.

How did it feel to learn from a person like him who was so knowledgeable?

I joined them in ’96 and spent 11 years with Mr Sridhar: I have become the person I am today because of this exposure. Here, it is not only about handling music, mixing or recording. It’s about films as a whole. We get to meet lots of people. I can say Mr. Sridhar was the best because he was the key to everything. Many famous people would record here. This gave us the exposure of working with all sorts of people. Sentil Kumar, the founder of Media Artist, is a techie guy. The latest equipment would be there. They were probably the first to have Dolby Atmoss in India!

Tell us about your journey through this field - How did your life turn when you were at FTII? Getting into FTII itself was very tough. Only 8 seats are there and this made the biggest learning platform. It teaches you cinema not just the engineering aspect of it. You get to know every aspect of cinema. We were given the exposure of seeing amazing films, had a superb library and a great collection of world cinema. Once you come out, you have to earn your way.

Every day is a new day. Every film is a new film. Getting experience is only one way a way to handle crisis better.

How does it feel to be the Technical & Operational Head at Vismayas?

You passed out as a rank holder. Did that make a difference to your opportunities?

Since 2007 onwards, I have handled this institution in Trivandrum and Cochin. Vismayas is a family. The only goal here is to satisfy the client.

An award for one means an award for all.

It doesn’t matter how much you score: what is more valuable is the Attitude. That is the one that makes a difference. If you come with the assumption that I’m a gold medallist so I can demand a red carpet treatment: well, that’s not going to work. The tag is not going to help anybody. How you handle yourself is your work. This job is very tricky: the director/ producer is very busy and under a lot of pressure.

You have to be able to handle them patiently: so, attitude is the key to success.

You’ve won many awards. Which of them are closest to your heart?

I have won two Kerala State Film awards, two Film Critics award, Asianet and Mathrubhumi Awards. It is a matter of prestige to get awards. Chitrasuthram, a film by Vipin Vijay was completely experimental. That film was treated as an art. This took me back to the institute life. The state award for this was good because the experimentation has paid off.

You’ve also interacted with so many famous people in the film industry. Tell us how you felt about that.

Very tricky! Everybody is different. In this industry more than anywhere else, there are no two identical people. We either have very talented people or very ordinary people. You have to fit yourself to their needs and ideals. As part of the post production team, it’s up to us to redesign ourselves for it. Take for example a family film. The requirements for it are very different from an action film. Adaptability is crucial and essential. In this line, we definitely need that.

For budding sound engineers, what are the most common misconceptions or mistakes that happen in this field?

This field in India has only been getting attention since Resul Pookutty won the Oscars. The problem at the moment is this field has more musicians as engineers. A musician becoming engineer finds it difficult to handle the postproduction job of cinema. They have their own idea, their own interpretation. Many people have spent a good amount of money in private institutes need to find a way of life; this forces them to do many jobs which they are not interested. Private institutes need to be stricter in their selection process and make this difference for people. There are some who have joined this industry because they are huge fans of A. R. Rahman. After they are here, they can’t change: they’re stuck. Understand the profession before getting into it: There is only one entry and no exit door here. Even if you try, you’ll always be somewhere connected to the cinema or music. If people understood that, there would be such wonderful work in this area.

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

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

Is it an easy field to break into? Why/ why not?

It’s not easy. There is a lot of competition here, like everywhere else.

We need to be committed and should be able to justify what we are doing. Before the client asks something from you, you should already know. Thus, you need to be technically competent. To add to this, you need to have a big understanding of cinema itself.

Tell us about all your major projects.

I am also working as a Technical Consultant Head for DSMC Studios, a studio complex as part of the Mar Thoma Church. We have churned out so many devotional numbers and also done a good amount of film music. Many music directors do stereo mixes here. It has the Protools HD setup studio, which is probably the first HD installation in India.

What’s your advice to upcoming professionals in this field?

The director and producer always come with an expectation. But the screen may need something else: The screen has to speak too. It has to be suitable for both. It is important to interact with everyone concerned to get a good understanding. The experience you gather helps you only to solve problems faster. Finally, the person who spends to watch the movie is the goal. It’s up to them: point is for them to appreciate the movie. Cinema is an expensive art. Investors put in so much and need to make sure that they profit from this. It’s essential to keep this in mind.

Testimonial Student : Febin chacko Course :

Diploma in music technology

I consider this opportunity as an honour to write about Muzik Lounge. To start with, let me admit that this institution has helped me to increase my knowledge regarding the technical part of music world. ML has also given me opportunity to conquer knowledge and ideas of music world through classes lead by many legends of music world. I take this time to appreciate and thank the faculties of ML who whole heartedly guided, supported and encouraged me for who I am now. I personally am privileged to get an opportunity to work as an Assistant Music Programmer for the Legend Stephen Devassy.I can ensure the present and future students of ML that your future life is in safe hands and you have, for sure, selected the best of the best institutes in India.

/MLSAT /muziklounge /muzikloungeindia The

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album’s The security at the ise me. launch did not recogn ter

me en They refused to let ne go on alo let my own event, stage.

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Adnan Sami

After a hiatus of five years, Adnan Sami is back in a new avatar. Not only has he lost oodles of weight, but he has also composed an amazing independent album Press Play featuring an eclectic mix of multi-genre songs. We quizzed him about it, his inspirations, his favourite tracks and also about the recent leaking of his album a few days prior to the official launch.

Luckily for us, he had a LOT to say!

shresht poddar

Press Play – the name Earlier, I used to name my albums after one particular song (Tera Chera, Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao). But in this album, I have experimented with various styles. No two songs are the same. From Sufi to Punjabi, from fun to romance, my listeners will find a lot of diversity in my album. If I had named it Ali, it would be typecast as a Sufi album. A Punjabi or a romantic name would follow likewise. Finally, it occurred to me that I should let the listeners put the CD in the player and press play and decide for themselves. Hence, Press Play.

3 words tha t describe me the best - Passio nate, Romantic & Funny.

A huge hiatus – why?!

In these five years, I needed a bit of a timeout. I have been in the business for over 25 years.

I needed to sit back & reflect. I wanted to take in music and find a source of inspiration for my next album. My life itself has inspired me. My albums are always biographical and they represent my mindset. I can express myself easily through my albums and I can talk about what I am going through internally.

My favourite track!

I cannot choose a single song. Each track has taken a different part of me and has squeezed a part of my heart. As for the next ‘Lift Karadey’, I cannot predict the next chartbuster since I do not compose songs keeping a criterion in mind. You never know what clicks with the people. Any of them can become the silent monster.

About Roya: I have dedicated a track to my beautiful wife, Roya in Press Play. I have tried to convey my love for her through this song. Even though I have written it keeping her in mind, people have told me that they have used this song in their own romances.

About Baba: My father’s demise shattered me. I still have not been able to cope with it. As a tribute to him and the other fathers out there, I have composed a track called Baba.

The ‘pirate’ ship!: Piracy has moved with the times. You might come up with a zillion passwords but there will always be someone to hack it. It is unfortunate but a reality of life.

An album is not a secluded piece of work. It goes through different phases & changes hands from different studios, mass production of CDs, digital partners etc. In my case, I cannot point my finger at anyone since there are so many places where it could have originated from. You can get as vigilant as you want but it will not help. The people who do this without an iota of conscience do not realise that there are a lot of efforts behind any piece of work and everyone gets affected by it. Also, a lot of money is involved too.

One night at

2 am, I found a creepy stal ker sitting in my living room. I have no idea how she got past the secu rity. After in troducing herself as a huge fan, sh e looked like she was abou t to collapse as she was petrified. Des pite being st artled, I offered her some water and tea and then told her to get out.

Is this the right time for Independent Albums?

Contrary to popular belief, today is the best time for independent albums. Look at our contemporaries from the west – Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber etc. - and they are flourishing.

The new digital music format has opened up extremely massive avenues where music is bought directly to the consumer as opposed to the consumer going to the store to buy a cassette / cd. Our music is instantly available all over the world 24/7 just with the click of a mouse. The problem with this is monetisation of this facility and to mainstream it. In India, we are on our way to becoming as good as the west which is why I have tied up with Universal Music. At the same time, since majority of India is located in rural areas, we cannot ignore the sales of physical CDs. It has to be a synonymous combo.

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ADITYA MODI

Sound is more than just crunches of waves. Of its many purposes, the most appreciated is when it creates harmony.

To notice the finer nuances, knowing what equipment to use is imperative. But it also is the attitude, the ability to reason, and the willingness to learn that make one successful in the field of Sound Engineering. Let Aditya Modi, Chief SoundEngineer of PDMS- Mumbai, show you what it means to play around with an exacting mind-set.

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What according

to you are the five most significant

changes happening in the recording world and how will it impact the regular user?

Well, I think there is a serious shift happening – and very interestingly – back into the past a bit. With this I mean – there is a recognition and need for the industry to use analog and tube equipment once again, in their digital chain – which remained almost fully digital for the last decade. The time for good alanog mic-pre’s, compressors, EQ’s are making their way back into not only high-end studio’s, but project studios as well. I think this is a

good move to fuse both the old-school and new-school of the recording world. The trend of listening to most music through cheap headphones, mobile phones and MP3 players are not going to help much. Nevertheless, the producers should always remain true to their job and maintain the highest fidelity possible.

Another change that I see in the recording world is the engineers themselves. In India, a majority of the current generation pass outs from most audio schools are extremely unqualified for the real world. This is sad and needs to be addressed.

You were involved with AR Rahman’s GIMA (Global Indian Music Awards tribute). How was that experience?

It’s always awesome to do something for my mentor. GIMA for me was different, in the sense that this was not a job from AR Rahman, but a tribute to him from the rest of the industry.

So, the talented Gulraj, Darshan and I had to come up with a job that would reach Rahman’s standards of music and sound.

I think with a lot of dedication, we managed to pull off a decent gig. It was definitely an enriching experience to work with all the great singers such as Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Hariharan, Sadhna Sargam, Alka Yagnik (to name a few) on this project!

How about the other live shows with Rahman sir: Please share some memorable experience about working with him!

I am the creative producer for the last couple of years on AR Rahman’s live shows. This is one of the most challenging jobs that I have taken up. Every time we have a new gig, I’m on full alert mode. We have to keep in mind the audience, the city, any recent releases, the languages, the venue, the musicians that are available to reproduce & plan the music likewise. With Ranjit Barot coming on board as the Music Director for the shows, the game has changed a lot. We have notched it up several levels in terms of creative production, musicians, rehersals etc.

What skills are very essential for those trying to break into this field?

Three P’s. Patience, Persistence, Positivity. Patience, because it is going to take a person a long time to feel settled in this industry. Persistence, because during this long time it is easy to give up on your dreams. But don’t! Positivity – We work long hours with very creative people, nobody wants to be around grumpy people all this time. Smile. Always. Technical & Musical knowledge is a bonus !

What do you think you’ve brought to the table with regard to the audio engineering scene here in India?

I have had such a wide spread of opportunity and experience.

I had begun as an intern at Western Outdoor, with Naushaad Saab’s blessings – under the expert guidance of Daman Sood & Avinash Oak. Then, moved on for my life’s best time, under the umbrella of AR Rahman – engineering for him. Today I run a couple of studios of my own, an audio distribution and consultancy business – where we distribute some major brands and have built some excellent studios. I also produce creative’s for AR Rahman’s live shows, and others such as IPL, HIL etc.

We have recently ventured into Worship audio installations, apart from ongoing hi-end home theatre installs. I am not sure what I have brought to the table, but I have to say the industry has been very kind to me. I would like to thank each and every one of them who have been instrumental in bringing me here today.

Considering your experiences in live shows, what are some of the common mistakes that take place in such shows and how can they be avoided?

I think the biggest mistake we tend to make is organisation & planning. If we can have some more discipline in this area – we are really sorted. Our musicians are the best out there, so we perform no matter what the conditions we face. Although, the last few gig’s we’ve had a strict time table for the rehersals, line check & sound check and it worked out real smooth for everyone.

Everyone is more happy and hence more productive!

Mixing tends to be tricky and the techniques seem to vary from one industry to another. What is your approach towards it?

I do not have a fixed formula. Each song requires a different approach. I’m the kind of guy who loves to have the composer with me while mixing – as it is his vision we need to reach. Ofcourse, we should have our creative vision inputed but, I don’t believe that we have the right to deviate from the main vision. So that is my driving and I take it from there on.

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Indie Reviews «««««

Slow Down Clown - Forget the night Slow down clown is a punk/folk rock band based out of Mumbai. They released their first EP “Forget the night” an album which sounds like a very Mumbai wallah . I don’t know if the members of the band will take this as a compliment, but what I mean is that the music is truly refreshing. With Vitek Goyel’s vocals along with Arfaaz on Drums, Anurag on lead guitars and Kenny on Bass, Slow down clown’s “Forget the night” is like a salad. It’s got a bit of punk, a wee bit of folk and (as aforementioned) a hint of Coldplay esque alternative sound to it. The album has 9 tracks; each one is amazing in its own right. Vitek Goyel deserves a special mention as it can easily be called as the spine of the album. Once in a while the middle of a few tracks like ‘You lie’ might give you a feeling of a stock tune but the album as such is a must buy for the alternative fan.

Top Picks: Bandra Girls, Shoreline

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www.oklisten.com/album/forget_the_night

Siddarth Basrur - Chasing rain Siddarth Basrur is better known as the lead singer of ‘Goddess Gagged’. All you Bollywood fans know him for ‘Gum Huye’ from ‘David’. Here is one more reason to know the man better“Chasing Rain”. This is Siddarth’s first solo album and can be classified as another alternative rock album of this season. Chasing Rain is part one of a three EP series. This is supposed to be the album about ‘Getting a girl’. This is kind of an ode to the woman in his life and has 5 tracks.

This is like your bubbly bottle of flavoured soda. A very happy trip. The song ‘Battleships’ is a lovely example of how Sid has done it right. This is another must buy.

www.oklisten.com/albums/album/chasing_rain_chapter_1_1

Top Picks: Battleships and Inbetween

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HalahKuh - Deserection Pune based thrash metal band Halahkuh have come out with their first EP. The band is inspired by the trash gods Metallica, Megadeth and the likes, the 4 piece band formed in 2011 have quickly cut their first album. The 4 track album starts with ‘Ordeal’ a slowish number which eases down the listener before attacking them with tracks like Sacrilege, Possessed and In extremis.

The album as such is a good start for a relatively young band. The sound of the album are pretty raw and old school metal. This is some serious no shitting around kind of music which will hit the metal head hard. The future is bright for Halahkuh.

www.oklisten.com/album/desecration_ep

Top Picks: Sacrilege and Possessed,

Strangulated and Enslaved

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Sai adithya

If music is the name of the game, then these albums are like golden goose.

We round up all sorts of albums: from solo ventures to filmy indie music.

The promised land of fresh sounds never looked this good.

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Neel and the lightbulbs - House in a car Neel and the light bulbs‘s EP ‘House in a car’ starts off in a very unattractive way with the title track ‘House in a car’. Its recording didn’t appeal to my ears and I thought this was another one of those albums which tried too hard but then the second track ‘Lights and tunnels’ was drastically different. It sounded proper pop rock. My ears perked up again, it felt a lot better. The rest of the songs are pretty amazing and make for a good listen. If you like pleasant music this should be your album. The vocals by Subhodip Banerjee and Neel Adhikari deserve a special mention as they kind of carry the album.

www.oklisten.com/album/house_in_a_car_ep

Top Picks: Lights and Tunnels,

Throw it all away

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Various Artists - Rise of the zombie Rise of the zombie is an upcoming feature film. It is supposed to be India’s first original Zombie flick. Directed by Luke Kenny of Rock On fame, the music released amidst much fanfare a couple of weeks ago. The album has 12 songs. Each and every one of them is pretty brilliant. I’m glad that Hindi cinema is open to such neat rock n roll. It’s got rock of all kinds: Soft rock, metal and even some alternative in a good mix. This has been the most impressive album of 2013 for me and to imagine this in a zombie film only makes it a lot more awesome. I really hope India appreciates this effort both musically and visually. Has to be my pick of the lot. Pretty sure this will be one of the better sound tracks of 2013 as well.

www.oklisten.com/album/original_soundtrack_rise_of_zombie

Top Picks: Dil Pukare, Trip Wire and Free your soul,(The other tracks are equally amazing though)

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Sceptre - Age of Calamity It’s good to see that old school thrash still exists. Age of Calamity’s Sceptre is our second old school thrash album in here. The band have been here for the past 15 years and have wowed their fan base with some lovely old school metal. This is their first album since their long haitus since 2008 and what a way to comeback. The album is a story of how mankind falls into calamity and typical metal stuff like that but the powerful vocals of Samron Jude, the electrifying guitar work of Gilroy Fernandes and the hard drumming of AniketWaghmode makes it proper heavy. The fans of metal will get a mental image of a mosh pit once they turn on this album. From start to finish this is boom boom stuff!

www.oklisten.com/album/age_of_calamity

Top Picks: Age of calamity, Parasites(of state), I really liked the haunting album opener Solitude!

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