The Score Magazine May 2015 issue

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 08 Issue 5 - May 2015

thescoremag

@highonscore

www.thescoremagazine.com

India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

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STAR OF THE MONTH

Shefali Alvarez Chip off the old block

BAND OF The month

AGNEE

On Rocking the Indie Scene

10 TOP

Intelligents Artists to Watch Out For This Year

PRITAM Cover Story

a prolific composer, singer, live performer and sound engineer

Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Dadlani & Skrat Come Together for X-Men

Design Without Boundaries Introducing the SAM 8351.

Acoustically Coaxial 3-way Active Monitor.

Redefining the Limits of Audio. In Genelec’s quest to make the best even better, our challenge was to break new boundaries in audio engineering.

The 8351 represents bold and imaginative thinking in form and function.

At the center of the 8351 enclosure is Genelec’s Minimum Diffraction Coaxial Midrange – Tweeter driver coupled to an advanced Directivity Control Wave-guide™. Hidden behind the waveguide are two Acoustically Concealed Woofers (ACW™). In this arrangement the vertical directivity resembles that of a monitor more than twice its size.

The 8351 is also a member of the Genelec SAM family of products. The added flexibility, system integration capabilities and AutoCal optimization performance make the 8351 an invaluable tool in any professional audio application.

The total combination of drivers, amplifiers, and enclosure design can only be described as the most solid, articulate performing monitor available today, anywhere – in a compact package.

38–21 kHz (+/- 1.5 dB) 110 dBSPL Woofers: 150 W Class D Mid 120 W Class D Tweeter 90 W Class AB Woofers (2): 215 x 100 mm Midrange 127 mm Tweeter 19 mm Genelec Oy Olvitie 5 FIN-74100 Iisalmi Finland T +358 17 83 881 F +358 17 812267 genelec@genelec.com www.genelec.com

Authorised Distributor in India SOUND TEAM B-2, A/3 Nalanda Usha Colony,Ramchandra Ext. Lane, Malad (w), Mumbai 400 064.

Tel: +91 22 2881 4041 | Fax: +91 22 2881 0374 | info@soundteam.in Contact: Mr. Shiv Sood | Mobile: +91 98203 41843 | shiv@soundteam.in www.soundteam.in

the edit PAD We have a tradition in The Score Magazine to share ever so often the by-line of the editorial. Doing so gives every team member the space to talk a little bit about their contributions to and aspirations for the magazine. In my turn, I would take the opportunity to talk about the magazine and what our whole team has been upto between Palm Expo 2014 and 2015.

i nside

But before I delve in, I want to thank Diversified Communications team for their support these last 4 years.

Palm expo is getting increasingly better year after year and we look forward to a massive show this time around as well!

For the uninitiated, The Score Magazine is the only Indian magazine for Indians by Indians. As you flip through the pages, you will find that our coverage is partial towards Swadeshi music and musicians.

2014 has poised us perfectly for an incredible 2015. We have many new clients including Sound Team, Nippon Enterprises from Chennai, Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, Global Music Institute. We would also like to thank our long-standing clients who have been with us through thick and thin. 2015 is exciting for another reason that The Score Magazine now have the distinction of being the sole Music Media partner from India for Palm Expo China - 2015!

24 Band of the Month Agnee and their true views on the Indie Scene

If you are at Palm Expo Mumbai 2015, our coordinates are E-100.

Sneha Ramesh

Head - Marketing and Operations

10 Pritam thescoremag

@highonscore

thescoremagazine.com +91 95000 12975

www.skore.in

Everything You need to know about the one and only Pritam Charaborty

contactus@highonscore.com

Director, Strategy and Planning : Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development : Pragash VM Head - Marketing & Operations : Sneha Ramesh Associate Editor : Ananya Ashok Content Coordinator : Nidhi Iyer, Shreya Bose Editorial Advisor : Nikila Srinivasan Creative Director : George Vedamanickam Lead Designer : Nipun Garodia Cover Photography : Akshay Singh Jamwal The Score Magazine is wholly owned by

28 Star Of the Month Shefali Alvarez is not only legendary Jow Alvarez's daughter, she's a fabulous singer in her own right.

30 Mutant Macha Find out more about the collaborative effort between Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Dadlani and Chennai based band Skrat.

32 Fashion Segment

brand partners 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.

Coachella Looks You Should Totally Steal Now.

38 Carnatic Segment Top Schools in India to Study Music Right Here!

PRITAM

He has provided music for some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters in his career and has composed music for more than 100 films in his career. He also recently worked with Academy Award winning director Danis Tanovic's White Lies with Emraan Hashmi as the main lead. Let’s not forget his work in the film ‘Barfi’, which was India's official submission contending for Best Foreign Film category in Oscars 2013. Pritam Chakraborty, otherwise known as Pritam was born in Kolkata, West Bengal. Today, the forty-three year old, who hails from a musical family (His father is a famous music teacher who runs a music school for children) is a prolific Indian composer, singer, live performer and sound engineer.

Upon completion of his schooling at St. James’s School in Kolkata, Pritam decided to follow his passion and joined music school. After forming a band with his Presidency batch mates, called "Jotugriher Pakhi", he soon after joined the Bangla band, Chandrabindoo. In January 1993, Pritam pursued Sound engineering from FTII Pune and moved to Mumbai, the land of Bollywood. It was during this period of time, he got into composing ad jingles and befriended a number of other then young strugglers turned A-listers like Shantanu Moitra, Rajkumar Hirani, Sanjay Gadhvi and Jeet Ganguly. Some of Pritam’s memorable jingles of this time consist of brands like Santro, Emami, Head & Shoulders as well as title tracks for Television serials like Astitva, Kavyanjali, Yeh Meri Life Hain, Remix, Kashmir, Mili, Dil Kya Kare, Krishna Arjun, Dekho Magar Pyaar Se, Kyun Hota Hai Pyaarand, and the list goes on. Pritam got his first break when Sanjay Gadhvi was signed on to direct Tere Liye. Gadhvi, not forgetting his friends signed Jeet and Pritam as music composers for the film. Although the music was well recieved, sadly the film tanked at the box office. Nevertheless, in 2002, Jeet and Pritam were signed again for Yash Raj Films. This time it was for the film, ‘Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai’ again directed by Sanjay Gadhvi. The duo composed one more film together, ‘Mudda- The Issue’ before separating ways and went onto composing solo.

As a solo composer, Pritam began with a bang with films like, Fun2shh...Dudes in the 10th Century, Agnipankh, Ankahee etc. In 2004, Pritam composed the music for Sanjay Gadhvi's film, ‘Dhoom’, which was a runaway success with Dhoom Machale topping the chart. ‘Dhoom Machale’ also top charted the UK Top Chart in 2004, a huge success for India. Dhoom’s success continued with a string of hit songs like- ‘Halka Halka’ from Chocolate, Garam Masala, Gangster, Woh Lamhe and Dhoom 2 which also top charted UK Top Chart in 2006. The 2007 film, Life in a... Metro directed by Anurag Basu, portrayed Pritam in a different manner where he featured in the film as part of the Metro band.

Aside from films, Pritam has mentored and judged for Zee TV's, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009, Chhote Ustaad, X Factor, Zee Bangla Saregamapa, and was also featured in the NDTV Greenathon. His live performances span all over India and abroad, in cities like London, Dubai, Singapore, Lagos and Muscat. His recent show was Zee Bollywood Rockstar- Biggest Musical Extravaganza of the year in UK where he performed at Wembley Stadium in April of 2014 with his team of singers, musicians & sound engineers. He was recently one of the performers in opening ceremony of this year’s IPL. His most recent composition for serials was for Hrithik Roshan's TV debut, Just Dance sung by Pritam’s all time favorite singer KK.

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In an industry as cut-throat and fast-paced as Bollywood, Pritam has only gained momentum over the years, making him somewhat of a veteran at a rather young age. Many top upcoming composers of Bollywood have only the best things to say of him as he has been a mentor and friend to many. Score sat down with the humble composer. He is a man of few words and rather concise in his responses. Then again, the brilliant ones always are.

Amidst all the accolades in Bollywood, do you miss the scene that you witnessed with Chandrabindoo?

with Rohit Shetty. I hope all these have the music that the audience enjoy and accept whole-heartedly.

Yes I definitely miss live shows and that’s why this year I have made a conscious choice to do more live gigs.

Amidst the crop of new, young vocalists that are making themselves heard in Bollywood, Who do you feel most optimistic about? Do you think perhaps that there are too many people competing for the top and talent isn't being properly heard?

When was it you realized you wanted to compose for films?

I always wanted to work in films even when I had my own band.

You have an uncanny knack for making extremely popular melodies! How do you manage to put your finger on what people will like?

It’s difficult to answer, I go with the music I enjoy myself.

You've done an enormous amount of judging and mentoring on various musical shows and competitions. Do you enjoy it?

Yes, I certainly enjoy interacting with talented people and audience.

However, the time spent in studios can be very exhausting and I feel I could be composing music on that time so I tend to feel bad spending so much time on shows and such

Who is your favorite director to compose for?

Well, I feel that all the people who have made it to singing for Bollywood are all very talented in their own right.

What do you do when confronted with creative hurdles? Does it ever get too frustrating?

I face them all the time and drive everybody around me also mad when I am facing hurdles in my studio! (Laughs) But on a serious note, yes. There are many times and I think that going through the tunes several times over helps me somehow find a way to crack the deadlock. But if I still can’t crack it, then I leave it for sometime and come back to it later.

What are some things that the world doesn't know about Pritam?

There are many it’s very difficult to name one or two. I have had great working relationships.

If the world doesn’t know, it’s better that way (laughs).

Which project of you would you say has been most challenging for you?

How do you de-stress after a day of intense artistic exertion?

No project is challenging. Sometimes working with people who are not of your wavelength is challenging.

Could you tell us a bit about the kind of music that influences you?

There is no particular type of music that influences me as I love any variety of music.

Bollywood is steadily gaining an international fan base. Why do you think that is?

I don’t know if there is one answer for it but I think there are Indians all across the world that have taken their food, music, culture, and movies with them.

So, what are you working on right now? Anything fans can look forward to?

I am doing Jagga with Anurag, Aey dil hai mushkil with Karan, Salman’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan with Kabir Khan and SRK's Dilwale

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By listening to other music.

What's your advice to upcoming music directors?

Anyone you think is particularly promising?

I quite enjoy music of several new music directors. I would just say that not all music will work and not to get too disheartened if something doesn’t work.

Ananya Ashok

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Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music is an ambitious education initiative aimed at connecting the industry with academia while shaping young minds to create a knowledge based society & bringing about profound harmony & prosperity.

Swarnabhoomi academy of music provides a challenging academic program which follows the traditional Indian Gurukula form of Indian classical music pedagogy to teach varied genres of music from across the globe.

The Academy seeks to provide music education that builds character and personality, preparing students to enter the music industry as performers, arrangers, songwriters, composers, producers, teachers and more.

It is located on the scenic east coast road (ECR), 80 kms south of the coastal metropolis of Chennai. SAM's 4 Acre campus is located in beautiful lush green surroundings. The breathtaking sunrises and sunsets an awe inspiriing night sky and a magical quietude provide a fitting backdrop for making creative music.

Courses Offered

Summer 2015 Faculty MAGOS HERRERA - VOCALS (MEXICO)

Diploma in Music Performance One Year Diploma Program in Music Performance Two Year Diploma Program in Music Performance

Diploma in Music Production

Born in Mexico City, the deep and captivating performer, Magos Herrera is considered one of the most beautiful voices and the most active vocalist of the contemporary Latin American jazz scene. She was a Grammy nominee for 'Best Vocal Jazz', and is immensely popular throughout Mexico and Latin America.

One Year Diploma Program in Music Production

FELIPE BRISOLA - BASS (BRAZIL)

Two Year Diploma Program in Music Production

Originally from São Paulo, bassist Felipe Brisola initiated his musical studies at ‘Conservatório Dr. Carlos de Campos’ in Tatuí, earning his degree in Brazilian Popular Music/Jazz in 2005. In 2007, he was invited to join the faculty at the ‘Conservatório’ to teach acoustic and electric bass.

Bachelor's Degree Twinning Program (2 Years in SAM and 2 Years in McNally Smith college of music) Semester Exchange program

Short Term Programs 7 Week Summer Intensive 5 Day Camps

7 Week Summer Intensive Program The seven-week semester on Music Performance and Production gives you a taste of what it really means to be a professional musician in today’s world. SAM brings you the opportunity to use your summer to work with some of the most accomplished musicians across the globe.

Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, the summer program caters to musicians of all levels.

This short yet intensive program is sure to give you an insight on the various career options from the perspective of both a performer and a producer.

At SAM, our goal is not merely to shape individual careers, but to become a place where music and musicians from around the world come together, retaining their distinct identities, as well as interacting, communicating and exchanging ideas to create new sounds.

GRK Reddy Founder and Promoter, Swarnabhoomi Academic Institutions, Chairman and Managing Director, MARG Group

FABIO GOUVEA - GUITAR (BRAZIL) Fabio Gouvea started his professional musical career in 2002, at the age of 22, when he joined 'Trio Curupira" as a guitarist. Trio Curupira has recorded three CDs, the third of which was nominated for a Latin Grammy. Fabio has also performed at numerous festivals in Brazil and abroad.

ED DEGENARO - MUSIC PRODUCTION (GERMANY) Ed has extensive experience in the studio as a musician and recording engineer tracking, mixing and mastering music in studios across Germany, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Netherlands, UK, Scandinavia and India.

He worked with producers such as Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, Who, Santana, Frank Zappa, Darkness, Cars), Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix Rolling Stones, Beatles,Robin Trower, Led Zeppelin, Anthrax), Reinhold Mack (Scorpions, Rainbow, Deep Purple White Snake, Queen), Andy Johns (Van Halen), Michael Wagnener (Extreme, Accept, White Lion, Skid Row), Brian Carlstrom (Offspring, Alice In Chains) and others.

DR. S. KARTHICK - GHATAM One of the most recognizable ghatam artists in the world today, Karthick has earned an international reputation for his path-breaking work in Carnatic music and in Crossover music. He studied for many years with the legendary ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram. Karthick has performed and recorded with every major Carnatic artist, done sessions work with film composers like A.R. Rahman, Harris Jayaraj, and done numerous collaborative projects with French Pianist Ariane Gray Hubert.

UJJAYINEE ROY - VOCALS Ujjayinee Roy is a singer, song writer, composer and writer from Chennai, India. She has been the voice behind numerous songs in Tamil, Hindi, Telegu, Malayalam and Kannada films and has worked with the likes of A R Rahman, Illayaraja, Sajid – Wajid, Devi Sree Prasad, Yuvan Shankar Raja and MG Sreekumar among other popular music directors all over the country.

NOTABLE FACULTY FROM THE PAST Victor Wooten, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Dafnis Prieto (MacArthur Fellowship), Benny Greb, Atma Anur (Journey, Cacophony, Jeff Richman, Tom Brislin (Yes, Meat Loaf), Pete Lockett (Björk, Peter Gabriel, A R Rahman), Ric Fierabracci, George Brooks, Prasanna, Farah Siraj, Jovol 'Bam Bam' Bell

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Optimized to be pleasing for both you and your audience.

Designed with the live setting in mind, the XW-P1 Performance Synthesizer gives you plenty of opportunity to create ear-pleasing sounds with its plethora of preset tones, as well as numerous types of internal PCM and Synth waves. The slim, lightweight XW-P1 can run on batteries, allowing you the freedom to perform on stage, wherever it is and whenever you need to.

Step Sequencer

Arpeggiator and Phrase Sequencer

Providing everything from pulsing dance grooves to animated synth textures and arpeggios, the Step Sequencer is the first of its kind. It lets the user build and mix their performance on the fly. Sequences can even be transposed live from the keyboard, providing a completely interactive experience.

The XW-P1's arpeggiator can create polyphonic synth gated patterns, acoustic instrument emulations and is even fully programmable allowing you to create your own unique sounds. An additional phrase sequencer allows you to quickly capture any riff that you play on the keyboard. The combination of the Step Sequencer, Arpeggiator and Phrase Sequencer provides an endless array of sound possibilities.

Solo Synth Utilizing Casio’s exclusive (HPSS) Hybrid Processing Sound Source, a six oscillator monophonic solo synth is just one of the amazing sound engines in the XW-P1. The solo synth has the power to deliver classic analog sounds, with an aggressive edge unlike anything else. With impressive modulation and control capabilities at your fingertips, the solo synth is capable of a wide range of sounds and expressions.

Hex Layer A HexLayer is a single sound comprised of up to 6 components, allowing complex layers, splits and velocity switched sounds. The sliders on the XW-P1 can be used to mix sounds on the fly to create evolving pads and rich synth textures while key velocity can be used to create dynamic velocity switched orchestral sounds and more.

Control The XW-P1 has 4 realtime controller knobs, pitch bend and modulation wheels, along with 9 sliders to provide control over internal sounds and external devices. Through standard MIDI ports and with a classcompliant USB port the keyboard can be used as a controller for other instruments, including computer software and iPadÂŽ based software applications. It also includes an audio input allowing you to monitor an MP3 player, computer or other device without the need for a mixer.

Batteries While the XW-P1 comes with a power supply it can also run on batteries, providing a truly mobile music making experience. You can now create music virtually anywhere.

A versatile synth designed to spice up DJ performances.

The XW-G1 Groove Synthesizer has 61-standard-size keys and all the functions a club DJ could need; all in one slim, streamlined unit. It provides an interactive step sequencer and a sample looper for digitally capturing performance patterns and external instruments.

Solo Synth

Rotating Knobs

The XW-G1 utilizes Casio's exclusive (HPSS) Hybrid Processing Sound Source, a six oscillator monophonic solo synth that is just one of its amazing sound engines.

The solo synth has the power to deliver classic analog sounds and sounds with an aggressive edge unlike anything else. With impressive modulation and control capabilities at your fingertips, the solo synth is capable of a wide range of sounds and expression.

Parameter Setting Step Sequencer

Arpeggiator and Phrase Sequencer In addition to typical arpeggio patterns, the XW-G1's Arpeggiator can create polyphonic synth-gated patterns, acoustic instrument emulations and is even fully programmable, allowing you to create your own unique sounds. An additional phrase sequencer allows you to quickly capture any riff that you play on the keyboard. The combination of the Step Sequencer, Arpeggiator and Phrase Sequencer provides an endless array of sound possibilities.

Step Sequencer Providing everything from pulsing dance grooves to animated synth textures and arpeggios, the XW-G1's Step Sequencer is the first of its kind. With nine tracks for drums, basses, synths and chordal parts, four controller tracks for adding panning, filter changes and other animation to existing parts and eight patterns make up each sequence, the user can build and mix their performance on the fly.

Sliders

Control The XW-G1 has 4 realtime controller knobs, pitch bend and modulation wheels, along with 9 sliders to provide control over internal sounds and external devices.

Through standard MIDI ports and with a class-compliant USB port, the keyboard can be used as a controller for other instruments, including computer software and iPad-based software applications. It also includes an audio input allowing you to monitor an MP3 player, computer or other device without the need for a mixer.

PALM EXPO

ALL SET TO CREATE NEW BENCHMARKS!

The ultimate exposition with limitless global opportunities for producing a world-class experience ‘PALM Expo’ is all geared up for its upcoming 15th edition of exhibition to take place from 28-30th May, 2015, which will be held at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon in Mumbai, INDIA. This will be held alongside Music Expo 2015, India’s exclusive B2B trade show for musical Instruments.

At PALM, products rule the show floor and face-to-face opportunities draw the industry together. Show empowers fresh ideas and products to amplify the power of cutting edge technology in Pro Audio, Sound & Lighting segment.

Record Participation at PALM!

PALM DJ Sound Scape (Conference, Workshop, Championship)

The Indian market will witness participation from more than 400 brands and 166 exhibitors, the floor space has been increased by more than 30%; this includes 37 new companies. PALM has also focused on inviting Indian manufacturers to exhibit, thus promoting the government’s initiative of Make in India.

The PALM DJ Soundscape is powered by Unmute Agency who, along with the DJ Championship Director: Reji, will create a top of the line conference and workshop, which will conclude with the renowned DJ talent hunt giving the DJ industry 3 new stars! PALM Dj Soundscape is Co-Sponsored by Yamaha.

This year, the expo is expected to witness a footfall of 25,000 plus trade visitors. PALM is strictly for trade and business professionals only.

Visitors below 16 years of age will not be allowed.

4th PALM Sound & Light Awards

PALM & Music Expo, along with its various features across the exhibition centre, will spread across 21,916 sqm of space.

The PALM Sound & Light Awards spread over 10 categories fulfils the primary objective of showcasing & recognizing individuals and organizations for their unparalleled contribution to the industry in the field of staging, lighting & live sound.

Features of 2015 edition include

9th IRA Awards

PALM Integration for Entertainment Demo The spectacular Integration for Entertainment showcase at PALM is brought to you by Modern Stage Service. The PALM Expo will once again provide an opportunity to experience world’s leading projection & 3D mapping techniques.

HARMAN PALM Live Arena With performances from some of the biggest artists and bands, technical seminars and training workshops, the HARMAN PALM Live Arena attracts a lot of dealers and distributors to the show.

PALM Demo Qube This year, visitors will be able to experience three Demo Qubes at PALM. With Yamaha quintupling its size and Hi-Tech Audio continuing the RCF demo, the new addition, Bose Corporation India will demonstrate some of its latest edition of sound reinforcement systems.

Open Air Line Array Demo The line array demo will host 11 eminent brands that will demonstrate their latest line of speakers to over 3,500 visitors from the rental & event background and the event management and advertising fraternity.

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The Indian Recording Arts (IRA) Awards are the first ever music awards that recognize the music, recording and engineering talent in India. IRA Awards felicitate the music maestros and the technical & creative contributions by leading sound recordists.

PALM Live Rigging workshop The successful and highly attended Rigging & Trussing workshop that has been providing platform to numerous engineers understand the various aspects of rigging & trussing will be hosting live demonstrations, conducted by renowned professionals from Prolyte, Netherlands.

Conference & Seminar The PALM Conference and Seminar is planned well in advance with a theme set for each day.

Day 1: Stage sound & lighting Day 2: AV install & Integration Day 3: Music production This year, the PALM Conference & Seminar’s audio is powered by Bose Corporation India.

For details on the show and more, please visit www.palmexpo.in

Dynamic Instrument and Pad Controller for Stage and Studio Roland’s acclaimed HandSonic series invented the category of digital hand percussion over a decade ago, and the latest generation is now here! The all-new HandSonic HPD-20 seriously heats things up with its SuperNATURAL sound engine, user sound import and computer connectivity via USB, and many other enhancements. More versatile than ever before, the latest HandSonic is not just for percussionists and drummers—it’s also ideal for EDM performers, DJs, studio producers, and other modern music makers.

Inspiring and Exceptionally Versatile

the Leader in E-Percussion

The HandSonic HPD-20 is perfect for everyone that incorporates percussion into their music:

Enjoy a massive library of percussion instruments from around the globe, and use the HPD-20’s unique pad interface and real-time controls to execute authentic acoustic techniques with flawless results.

Featuring the powerful combo of the SuperNATURAL sound engine and a multi-pad interface based on V-Drums technology, the HandSonic HPD-20 is a sophisticated musical instrument with an incredible range of dynamic expression on tap. Onboard are 850 sounds and 200 user-configurable kits, with 100 kits filled with readyto-play setups covering styles from traditional percussion to modern electronica. Instruments include ethnic percussion from around the world, orchestra and melodic percussion, drums, and a wide array of electronic percussion and synth tones.

Drummers

Load Your Own Sounds and Connect with Computers

In addition to percussion, the HPD-20 is filled with excellent drum sounds, and you can connect a Roland kick pad and hi-hat controller to build a super-compact percussion kit that’s great for small gigs and recording sessions.

Via a USB Pen Drive, it’s easy to load up the HPD-20 with your own WAV sounds and assign them to the pads. Imported sounds work just like those that are built in, with complete editing and effects processing at your command.

EDM performers and DJs

HandSonic HPD-20 hand percussion unit in the Studio

The HPD-20 has a large selection of electronic percussion and melodic synth tones onboard, and it excels as an ultra-expressive MIDI controller for playing sounds in synths and drum machines. You can also load WAV sounds via USB and use the HPD-20 as a phrase playback device for sound hits, FX, loops, and more, with the ability to start and stop loops with the pads.

The HPD-20 can also be connected to computers via USB and used as an audio/MIDI interface. With the unique pads, you can play drum samplers and virtual instruments with your hands and enjoy a level of dynamic expression that’s just not attainable from standard studio pad controllers. Audio transfer over USB makes it simple to capture the HPD-20’s high-quality onboard sounds into your DAW music productions.

Percussionists

Studio composers and producers Thanks to its unique and highly sensitive pad interface, the HandSonic is simply the best compact pad controller available for hand-based recording of beats and percussion parts with modern drum samplers and other virtual instruments. And with the HPD-20’s USB audio/ MIDI capabilities, you can even record the unit’s great onboard sounds directly into your DAW with a single-cable connection.

A Truly Unique Hand Percussion Instrument from Roland!!

Expandable with a Pad, Hi-Hat Controller, and MIDI While it’s an exceptional performer as a standalone percussion instrument, the HPD-20’s trigger inputs let you expand your setup with a Roland pad and hi-hat controller to create a super-compact percussion kit for all kinds of playing situations, from coffee houses to small clubs to studio sessions. MIDI I/O is included as well for communicating with V-Drums sound modules, SPD-series percussion pads, keyboards, and more.

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Band of the Month

They are the Pune based band that gave the Rock scene in India a run for its money. After coming together in 2006, the band has taken a fun and action packed ride though stardom. Their debut album ‘Agnee’ which came out in May 2007 was merely the beginning as they have released several singles and composed music for a few Bollywood films as well. They also use an Internet-based free distribution model to gather a large following in the rock music circuit in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. Extending their reach across India through their 'Create with Agnee' venture in collaboration with Radio Mirchi, they are not only excercising their creativity, but giving the opportunity for others to exercise it as well. Score sat down with this fantastic group to discuss their career thus far and future ventures.

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You found yourself establishing an indie sound at a time when India was absolutely not warm to non-Bollywood or non-classical sounds. How did you curate a sound that managed to distinguish itself in a less than welcoming scene?

Distinguishing yourself is easy when too many people haven’t really heard this sound, especially because they haven’t been welcoming. Our sound was what our sound was. We didn’t do anything at all to make it more friendly to the audiences. We do believe it was Sony Music’s (then Sony BMG) conviction even more than ours as they were the ones who put their money behind our creative ideas and actually saw to it that our songs reached the audience in as big a manner as possible. We were just being honest with our music and that really worked.

The Indie music scene has obviously expanded now, but popularity inevitably has its pitfalls.

What would you say are the problems in this newly recognised circle right now?

That’s very well put, “Popularity inevitably has its pitfalls”!

And very true. The problems, honestly, are the same as in the music industry all the time. The difference now is that money doesn’t play a big part in releases, with online release being easy and music production being possible entirely at home.

Quality takes a hit though. The constant endeavour is to stand out, but the clutter is too much because of the very same reason: Internet. So, while releasing your music is easy, gettting it heard (or seen on a video) isn’t. With this situation, we actually think the gap has widened between a big player and a small player. The more there are small players, (and today, every musician is a small player at the very least) the more the gap will widen as the people who have built bases for either their labels or themselves as artistes will benefit more from it. The trick is to never forget that being indie doesn’t mean being poor. Therefore, not investing correctly in a release (right from making sure the song itself stands out, to the video being good, to it being marketed on mass media as well as the internet) is just sabotaging your own product and adding a little more clutter of also rans.. and in such a clutter it becomes easy for the big labels and the big artists to stand out even on the internet.

It’s quite simple: Quality can’t be replaced and neither can sound investment in marketing.

You have navigated college gigs better than most other bands. Is it still as vibrant, or does the widening acceptance of indie music mean musicians are taking to other stages?

College gigs are always the most vibrant gigs ever. The size of the crowd is always large (small colleges will be 2,000 at least and sometimes up to 15,000 people as well) The energy is always outstanding and when you go perform there, you know that you’re only performing because a very large percentage of the people there really wanted you and only you to come perform. They sing back your songs, they participate, and they inspire you to create better music. In fact, the whole experience, right from the time we land at the city and meet the college kids at the airport to the tiime

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we exit, is usually fantastic. College gigs will hopefully never change and we’re really happy that we can say we’ve played at colleges all over the length and breadth of the country and are looking forward to playing a lot more

What does Agnee have in store for their listeners?

We’ve finished “Mango”, the film directed by Abbas Tyrewala, as Music Directors, and are expecting the film to come out shortly. We’ve also finished a 10 song project for Saregama, where we’ve re-invented 10 of the timeless classics from their stable. We’ve taken some epic songs like Aayega Aanewala, Gore Gore Baanke Chhore, Intehaan Ho Gayi Intezaar Ki, Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh etc and tried to do our spin on them… and we know it’s seriously risky business (but then that’s what adds to the thrill of doing it!). We’ve also chosen to collaborate with some fabulous singers on this, like Kaushiki Chakraborty, Neeti Mohan, Shruti Pathak, Shalamali Kholgade, and various others and can’t wait for the album to be out.

What exactly is the "Create with Agnee" venture?

“Create with Agnee” is a series of ventures and covers all our collaborations. We started the first Create with Agnee initiative with the MTV Splitsvilla 2 theme song lyrics contest, where we asked the audience to write lyrics for the song. The lyrics for Aahatein were written by the winners of the contest, Neeraj Sharma and Khurram Nissar. Then we did the Create with Agnee singers’ contest, and then the composers’ contest. We plan to do a lot more with the winners of the subsequent two contests and also plan a lot more collaborations. While all of these collaborations we just mentioned were with listeners and through the audience route, we’ve also done a lot of collaborations with artistes we know and admire, like Parikrama, Shilpa Rao, Anushka Manchanda, Indian Ocean, Raghu Ram, Abbas Tyrewala, and of course all the artistes on the Saregama album.. all of this comes under Create with Agnee.

It’s our way of being able to interact with our favourite people in the world: creative people.

A message for the readers of Score, perhaps?

We first met the Score team when we were doing Aalaap as music directors, and one of the writers at Score did a piece after seeing the first teaser to the film. The film was based on a band comprising a singer, a guitarist, a keyboardist and a drummer. The girl who did the piece saw it and wrote an article titled “Y U no like bass players, Bollywood??”. We read it and thought it was so hilarious and well written that we just had to reach out and meet the Score team.

We did, and we invited the team to Yash Raj, where we were recording, to listen to the film album (every song had a very prominent bass part ) and had a lot of fun interacting with the people.. and we’re glad to say we continue to have fun now! So we really do mean it when we say to the readers.. “Keep reading the Score.. we do! And hopefully, keep listening to Agnee’s music too!”

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Star of the month

Shefali Alvares Being the daughter of famous Jazz Indian Musician Joe Alvares, it's no surprise that Shefali Alvares’s vocals are an embodiment of melody soaked in Jazz & Blues. In the country's live music scene, she is a towering presence for close to a decade now, bedazzling a wide audience with her critically acclaimed singing skills. Shefali pursued professional training from a very young age with renowned musicians, and quite naturally has a wide range to sing in various genres of music. She is brimming with energy and grabs the attention instantly of her audiences.

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She has been strongly influenced by the likes of her father, Louis Banks, Karl Peters, Michael Stanton to Tyris Washington and has performed alongside them as well. She has performed far and wide at numerous venues and festivals around India and internationally. From the the Royalty of Nepal and the Presidential Entourage of President Bill Clinton, she has even graced the stage at a prestigious awards function for the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce courting Jazz luminaries from the USA and having the Prime Minister as the chief guest amongst her audience.

As for her origins, they are deeply rooted in various harmonics that stem from a selection as vast as it’s different from each other.

Lush musical layerings of the kind found in Electronica, to Jazz & Blues, on to Sufi, Retro, the Opera, and Hip Hop, Psychedelic, top that all with dance music; she takes the strings off world music and infuses in with her own. Shefali’s high energy stage persona is paving a powerful path as the Jazz & Blues and up tempo Rock vocalist.

She is in all truth, a rising phoenix with many musical surprises up her sleeves. Score talks to Shefali about her art, life, and how she keeps it real.

Growing up, you must have been surrounded by your father, Joe Alvarez's music. Was there a point in your childhood where you thought, 'Yup, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life'?

I always knew I wanted to sing... I think maybe from the age of four. When I started singing, I just knew that this was it! Especially with my dad’s influence, there was music in my life from the very beginning. I think I'm blessed because the ability to sing is such a great way of self expression. Sometimes words and talking don't make sense but singing or humming does!

Describe your journey. From training to playback singing.

Trained in Semi-Classical Western Music for about 9 years with Mrs. Celia Lobo.

She taught me pitch, breath control, how to use power and the ability to use your voice as an instrument which all assisted in my process of finding my own sound. Quite an intense ride began with playing club gigs around 16 or 17 with a great band of young musicians. Doing funk rock jazz to singing at the jazz Yatra and corporate gigs with dad and also part

of an all girl band! Don't know what I was doing there though (laughs). Bollywood just happened suddenly and it kinda changed my head space. It's great to be a part of this amazing industry. Also, it's lovely to stand out looking in sometimes.

I love what I do now. I have great management that keeps me pretty busy and with performing at colleges (which is by the far the best audiences ever) to corporate gigs and weddings.

Bollywood is India and I love being a part of it.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

Who do you listen to these days?

Growing up, I listened to a lot of jazz music and the likes of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, George Benson, Earth Wind and Fire, Aretha franklin, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, Erikah Badu, and Lenny Kravitz. I still listen to this but a lot has changed. I love Coldplay, the XX, and Electronic Music. I think any music has the ability to make my mind stop thinking and just be. Music is the speech of angels is what I've learnt.

What has been the most memorable project that you've done to date?

Performing with my dad and uncle Louiz (Louiz Banks) have always been my favourite memories. I can't pick just one project. Also preforming with Gino Banks and Sheldon D'silva. Growing up with these boys has been my learning curve. With my Bollywood band, it has been quite an expericne of learning on the job

You've worked with several prolific music composers, including the legendary Pritam. Who would you love to collaborate with next?

I would love to at some point work with A.R. Rahman.

It would be quite amazing to sing for him and I think he's fabulous. Maybe Shankar Eshaan Loy if the opportunity ever arises!

What are your upcoming projects that you can share with your fans?

I've sung for Amit Trivedi and Sachin Jigar recently. Both super interesting and different projects. Can't say much about it but it’s out soon and well, they're both legendary.

The music business gets hectic at times. How do you manage to keep things real?

I live in a forest in Madhya Pradesh called Satpura where my husband runs a forest lodge called Reni Pani jungle lodge and I cook for him everyday and lead a very simple village sort of life. I think Aly kind of keeps me real and grounded and we’re also in the process of becoming parents now. I think that is super real!

Do you talk to your dad about your projects/ ask advice about future ones with your dad? What's the best advice he's given you till date?

I've always talked to dad about everything from work to music to personal and his best advice to me has always been to follow your heart and sing from your heart and your belly and everything that needs to happen will happen in time. That's kinda stuck with me and it's bloody true.

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With the release of Mutant Macha, the promotional song for the premiere of X Men : Days of Future Past on Star Movies, Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Dadalani and Skrat have turned our attention to the rapidly advancing influx of indie sound into mainstream presentations in India. Score catches up with Farhan and Anurag Rao, who founded the music publishing platform FarOutMedia that looks to integrate the alternative sounds of indie artists into popular musical culture in India.

They're also letting us in on Mutant Macha, and why this song marks the advent of a whole new chapter of music distribution.

Whose Idea was Mutant Macha and how did the three of you come together?

Farhan: Anurag played me SKRAT’s Music and I really like their sound. They seemed apt for this project and Vishal Dadlani agreed to participate as a Co-Writer and Curator. This lead us to the Studio Session and Creation of Mutant Macha.

Anurag: Mutant happened after we created a 'Music Synchronisation' opportunity with Star Movies around their On-Air Programming.

Are you all X-men / Super Hero Fans?

F: Asolutely. The under-lined definition of Super Hero is to bring change and impact lives of multiple People and do general good.

Something that we continuously are trying to do in the Farout Media’s business model.

Do you imagine doing something of this nature again?

F: We will continue to create Music Innovations, which is at the heart of Farout Media’s Core DNA. Mutant Macha is the first opportunity with Star Movies and yes we are discussing more creative collaborations which help everyone in the value chain.

A: Our current focus is on couple of things: Unique Artist Collaborations, Artist – Fan Engagement Models, Indie Works Monetization Models, Global Presence, Strategic & Scalable Partnerships and amplifying the MARD initiative through Creativity.

What was the Premises of Farout Media?

A: Farout Media is a start-up focused on music publishing, music & its IP management and talent development company formed by Farhan and me. We're incubating multiple ways of creating and enabling artist centric independent music, which creates new avenues of distribution, monetization and promotions.

F: Farout Media is a startup based in Mumbai with a focus on the A & R aspect of the business.

There are three aspects to the business model : Talent Development, Music Licensing and Content Monetization. Our vision is Global and reflective in the partnerships we have created so far. The Founding Team of Farout Media brings about very successful Media Entrepreneurs and diverse experiences

How difficult has it been to promote Independent Music?

F: We believe that creation process of conceiving a musical work is a work of art that has a deep rooted connect to an Artist’s emotions.

The Fans who consume that live a similar experience and hence it is a unique experience everytime, however, the scale of it may vary.

Our belief to create the right partnerships has worked so far and our partners like Google, HWGO, Star Movies, Flarepath etc. have the same sentiment towards creativity. So its been a win-win across the board so far, including the Song its Monetization and Artists.

It’s a great team work in the final analysis and we have that in place right at the Founding stages of Farout Media.

How did Farhan and Anurag hit on the idea of Farout Media?

A: Farout Media is an evolution of the relationship between me and Farhan which started a few years ago and we went on to build ‘Farhan Live Brand’, MARD Initiative and logically extended to forming a start-up with our other Co-Founders. We all believe in the cause and effect of promoting independent music. Farout Media is one such effort alongside many other interesting business models in the same space or the new music industry formation.

What kind of Artist are you looking to sign on?

F: At this point and startup stage of Farout Media, we are focused on ‘Singer-Songwriter –Performer’ A: We are working with multiple Songwriters and Composers, Creating Collaborations between the Emerging and Established Artists. Sunidhi, SEL, Ram Sampath, Raghu Dixit, F16's, indus Creed, Shruti Haasan, Lesle Lewis, Sparsh, Shair n Func are a few names I'm keen on working with.

Have to felt the ire of bigger Record Label and Music Publishers?

A: Farout Media’s business model is based on Co-Creation, Collaborative Efforts and helping the Industry Grow through Music Innovations. The existing Industry is our partner as well, no issues here.

What is the gap Farout is trying to fill?

A: There are multiple new opportunities in the emerging new landscape of the music business as it evolves deeper into the digital business, Farout Media’s contribution is towards the A & R and Creativity. We continue to bridge the gap between Creativity and Consumption through innovative ways of monetization and strategic partnerships. The end goal is to make everyone benefit in the value chain, primarily Artist-Fan Relationship, which we believe is the center of the universe in this business.

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Coachella 2015 Looks You Should Try Now Ananya Ashok

Rihanna Temperatures went way over 32 degrees at Coachella but that didn’t stop RiRi from wearing a thick purple fur coat which she paired with pink boots as she was spotted at the Empire Polo Club for Coachella in Indio, California. Although her outfit did get mixed reviews and it’s not the most heat friendly outfit, it is still a statement piece that is worth a try. Hey, you know what they say: Don’t write something off till you’ve tried it, right? Here are some less pricey alternatives that can give you the same effect:

Purple Gunner Faux Fur Jacket (Nasty Gal)

Dr. Martens EightEye Lace-Up Boot (Dr. Martens)

Bella Thorne Bella is a total boho babe, which is probably one of the most endearing aspects of her style. Not only did she show off a slew of looks at the music festival, but this floral maxi is definitely a favorite of mine, and you don’t have to rob a bank to get the look! The dress is none other than H&M. Pair it up with some cute sandals and you are good to go for a day out in the sun.

Johnny Loves Rosie Fiona Floral Garland (ASOS)

Long Dress (H&M)

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YRU Medusa Platform Chunky Flat Sandals (ASOS)

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Leather And Suede Fringed Cross Body Bag (ASOS)

Coachella happened last month. However, the memories of all the styles of celebrities during the festival still linger on in our minds. Some celebrities stole the show and possibly made us want their style… real bad. Take a look at the 4 most talked about styles during the festival and see how you can get the look here!

Kate Bosworth Actress/full-time fashionista Kate Bosworth rarely puts a fashionable foot wrong. This lovely lady knows how to keep it cool and clean and if you’re into the simple and sexy look you want this look for a night out in the town.

Jefferey Campbell Suede Hough Heel (Urban Outfitters)

Cut-Out Back Blanket Skirt (Topshop)

The Fringe Crossbody Bag (Madewell)

The other incredibly awesome fashion moment of Bosworth’s was when she sported innovative take on the old-fashion braid. It literally screams creative boho chic!

Kylie Jenner’s Hair Yes, Kylie Jenner is hot in general. However, her hair! It quite literally stole the show at Coachella this year. If you haven’t followed the latest trends abroad, crazy colored hair is totally a thing this year. But, if you aren’t into a dye job, there is always hairchalk. With a water bottle, gloves, towels, and an iron. Get a piece of your hair, twist it and apply the chalk. Later on, you can straighten or curl it!

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Intelligent Artists to Watch out for Chayan And Smiti They came, they played and they conquered! Its just been a fortnight since their first soundcloud release and this extremely delightful duo instantly made it to the top of everyone’s ‘Favourites’ playlist. Chayan Adhikari, of Advaita fame and Smiti Malik, from KitchenSink, a Delhi based jazz band come together for this acoustic set with their countryfolk feel and catchy lyrics. If easy harmonies, acoustic riffs or some warm, happy love is your thing, you don’t want to miss these guys.

Peter Cat Recording Co. This might be a familiar name for people around, but when you talk ‘intelligent’ artists, Peter Cat is bound to make the list- for their intelligent name, intelligent description (time machine music) and insanely intelligent lyrics. The music is addictive, the-you don’t know why you like this but its in your head-kind of addictive. From trippy-fying 90s disco beats to the jazz swing, these guys are the best at what they do. Some floating guitars, spacey organs and the rightly distanced vocals are the perfect drugs to knock your brain out. Check them out if you haven’t and enjoy your ride through space! While you’re at it, do watch their video: ‘Love Demons’ on Youtube, in technicolour.

Tajdar Junaid This Kolkata based multi instrumentalist, composer and producer has the perfectly right mix of simplicity and genius. His music is refreshing, with folk (even Baul) inspired elements which give it a banal yet spiritual feel. The intensity and significance of each note in his mostly instrumental track list reflect the maturity behind his music. Lyrics, when they do come are simple and deep. Each song to plays differently with one’s emotions and sets this talented artist apart from the thousands out there. Take some quiet time out to listen to Tajdar, and you’ll know this man is bound to go places.

Aditya Balani From soloing with his fretless to layering his guitars under spoken poetry, Aditya has done it all. Apart from his achievements as an artist, he has been busy heading one of the prime music institutes in India. With songs ranging from a world-jazz genre to some pop oriented stuff with Suhail Yusuf Khan, he has 3 studio albums to his name and is currently working on an EP as a singer-songwriter. His work speaks for itself. While listening to Aditya, you realise you can take back a lot more from this man than just his music.

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Shubham Goyal Vasuda Sharma Vasuda Sharma’s is one of those voices that you instantly fall in love with. But to complement that brilliant voice and texture, she has got the perfect sound and arrangement. Her orientation towards a primarily vocal driven sound is clear from the layering of multiple voices in her songs and the numerous a cappella covers she’s put up on Youtube. But equally admirable is the brilliant jazz driven instrumentation. With some heart touching piano fill ins in ‘Laagi Lagan’ and a splendid saxophone solo in ‘Jaagi Jaagi Raina’, the music strikes a chord or two. Vasuda’s sound stands at the right juncture of Hindustani classical, jazz and indie pop to be called ‘fusion’. For all the lovers of Bollywood and melodious compositions, this is music you will not be able to refrain from playing on loop.

Ganesh Talkies Bringing the country’s favourite Bollywood grooves and some alternative rock/ funk inspired guitars together, Ganesh Talkies is a band one can easily get hooked to. Their EP, a collection of 5 solid songs consists of catchy, easy melodies over a groovy drum loop as in ‘Item Song’, and some alternative rock feel under a filmy accordion riff, as in ‘The Fan’. Donning themes from exaggerated Bollywood drama to the disco, Ganesh Talkies takes you back to the days when the likes of Alisha Chinai ruled the non-film music scene in India.

Aman Sagar This Delhi based guitarist has recently come up with two extremely well received songs. Bringing a pop-RnB sound together with some easy and commendable vocals, Aman has done a great job of songwriting and singing as well. John Mayer fans are gonna love him for his laid back feel and infectious groove. This guy is a genius at handling his sound right, an art that much older and experienced musicians haven't yet mastered. The music is perfectly balanced- it never gets too loud on your ears and manages to keep the punch up. Check his tracks out on Soundcloud and you’ll know why Aman Sagar carries some brilliant potential for a sound that has been seldom explored in Indian Music.

Neel and the Lightbulbs Neel and the Lightbulbs’ frontman Neel Adhikari sings, “These words are so plain, but youre listening to me. Its so much better than the last commercial on TV.” 915 (Quarter past nine), is a song where he battles out for his love against the mechanical world of time, newspapers and TVs. This song is just one in the many that Neel has written and produced with his band. They recently released their debut album called ‘Rewind’ where Neel talks about sex, politics and love. The light acoustic, yet mostly upbeat and catchy sound played by the lightbulbs and the witty, quirky lyrics by Neel guarantee a fun hour or two.

Dualist Inquiry It's no wonder how Sahej Bakshi aka Dualist Enquiry has catapulted himself into the EDM hall of fame in such a short while. His performances are trippy, energetic and bring you on to your toes immediately. It is also a visual treat to watch him break into a periodic solo jig with his guitar. The psychedelic atmosphere is infectious and you dance until you lose your mind. If dualist enquiry is performing in and around your city, this is one act which you won’t mind paying your pockets out for.

Kitchensink In a rather vivid contrast to their domestic-sounding quirky name, Kitchensink is a Delhi based Jazz band with some very interesting music to offer. Consisting of well known musicians from the Delhi music circuit and singer songwriter Smiti Malik, this is a band which puts its lyrics and music in the right place. To add sparkle to some inarguably fantastic jazz grooves, Smiti puts in words that make you think.

She talks about how memories of scents and winter trees form a somewhat limiting, but a safe home and about the struggle for love and life, drowned in the oceans of one’s mind. These brilliantly carved words clearly add the one missing element to mainstream jazz. Listen to Kitchensink for good music, good lyrics and the brilliant guitar solo by Adhir from ‘Four Walled Memories’.

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Tarana Marwah The thing about anime is that, for the most part, its complex. Even what qualifies as "shoujo anime" ( catered largely to teenage females with cutesy-pop themes attempts to penetrate some form of human idiosyncracy. It makes a statement that you might not agree with, but you will probably end up being impressed with the metaphors and tropes used to make the statement. Take Ghost in the Shell for instance. Considered one of the greatest meditations of the human condition in a sci-fi setup, it went on to influence The Matrix Trilogy ( no joke! ) and featured enormously acclaimed music that is central to the anime's cultural value. Delhi based musician Tarana Marwah understands that better than a lot of us.

When one first listens to Komorebi, one is struck by the incandescent singularity of the album. If you are not someone who devours anime and the magnificent soundtracks it is often accompanied by, then you are likely to be surprised, perhaps even baffled. Her music is, on the surface, serene. It provides for repose, for contemplation and aimless wanderings of the mind.

But it is also rich in nuance, and elicits intrigue within your soul. It is vehemently visual, and would lead even the most prosaic of personalities to imaginative stimulation. She has already been widely noticed, and for good reason. Tarana draws upon unfamiliar influences, to create soundscapes aglow with a million possible interpretations. Though her debut effort, most anime fans would agree that it is quite capable of providing atmospheric assistance to any anime worth its salt. She has already been included in various lists of artists to be watched for, and anyone who has listened to her work would agree that she needs to keep making music Happily, she took the time to talk to Score about all of it.

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So, tell us about the origin of your interest in anime soundtracks?

I began watching anime at a very young age - the first show I took interest in was called 'Inuyasha'. The original soundtrack for this particular show moved me, and inspired me to make similar music.

Do you have any favourite composers like Yoko Kanno or Joe Hisaishi?

Indeed, I can pick a few favourites. I particularly like Shiro Sagisu and Nujabes.

Komorebi's sound features simultaneity of joyful suspension. Its the kind of thing you visualise yourself listening to by yourself and something that stimulates introspection. Is this a conscious aesthetic decision of your part?

It is very visual music, and therefore has the label of a 'soundtrack'.

I'm not sure if I imagined people introspecting, but definitely seeing themselves on a journey, of some sort. What kind... is left upto them.

Miyazaki's dream was my interpretation of the workings in the unconscious mind.

Is there a distinct quality that draws you to Japanese music?

I believe that the Japanese culture is one of the closest to my heart - I am fascinated by their love of food, art, gaming and music. Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong country.

As a newcomer into the scene, how welcome do you feel your music is?

I have been working in the Delhi Music scene as a session artist for various bands in the last 4 years. Komorebi is my first solo project, and has been recognised as unique in its attempt at giving the audience/ critics a more melodic version of electronic music.

Is there a certain composer, artist, singer or instrumentalist that you would most align your creativity to?

It would be difficult to pin down just one.. but perhaps I can say I'm very inspired by AIR, Imogen heap, and Shiro Sagisu.

Are we right to assume that every track expands upon a larger narrative, or at least an emotional state?

That is correct. Each track reflects on a particular mental/emotional state. As individuals we can always find common ground when music connects deeply within - that was what I hoped to portay.

Are you eventually hoping to be heard in Japan?

Absolutely!!! I was recently featured on Frequency Asias playlist, which featured many other artists for Japan. It was the most exciting part of my week.

Are new tracks in the making?

I plan on two more releases for this year. A piano album in the Summer and a collaborative one in Fall. The other new songs have already been included in my Live set!

Do you have a message for the readers of Score?

If you haven't encountered Anime yet - you should! Start with Death Note, and thank me later.

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Best Music Schools in India Ananya Ashok

Music doesn’t just have to be a passion. It can be a career and with the right training from a certified institution, you may be well on your way to actually studying something you truly love. If you are a student of music and you’re thinking along the lines of attending music school, then this article is for you.

Listed below are some of the best music schools in the country.

ITC Sangeet Research Academy

Swathi Thirunal College of Music

Established in 1978 with the objective of preserving and promoting Hindustani Classical Music, this music academy is run by the corporate house, ITC Ltd. and is located in Kolkata. Noted musicians associated with the academy include Ulhas Kashalkar and legendary filmmaker, Satyajit Ray who was one of the trustees.

Vijay Kichlu (Agra), of the celebrated vocal duo Kichlu Brothers, was the Founding Director. The academy has housed several great musicians and gurus of India ever since its inception such as Hirabai Barodekar, Nissar Hussai Khan, and many more. The academy has also produced a set of performers such as Ajoy Chakraborty, Rashid Khan, Arun Bhaduri, Shubhra Guha, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Arshad Ali Khan, Shantanu Bhattacharya, Anirudh Bhattacharya, Abir Hussain (Sarod), Supratik Sen Gupta (Sitar) and many more.

The academy carries out research in Hindustani classical music in order to restore some of the undocumented works by the maestros.

Founded in 1939, Swathi Thirunal College of Music is a music college in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. The founder was the last reigning King of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. Eminent musicians like Muthiah Bhagavathar who was the first principal, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, etc. have served as the Principals of this college. Initially, the primary goal of the institute was to popularize the kritits of Maharaja Sree Swathi Thirunal.

Much has changed with regards to the college since its early years.

In 1999, the college was affiliated to the University of Kerala and a unique 'Bachelor in Performing Arts' course was initiated. Presently, the college has entered into new avenues, announcing 8 new courses as part of continuing education programme. The courses are meant for those who have an aptitude in learning music, advanced studies in group kritis, ragamalikas, and ragam-tanam-pallavis and for students interested in 'music direction'.

KM Music Conservatory This Conservatory is a higher education institution founded in 2008 by the A. R. Rahman foundation. Located in Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the Conservatory offers a range of part-time and full-time courses in Hindustani, Western classical music, and music technology.

Composer A. R. Rahman serves as Head Principal of the Conservatory and Fathima Rafiq as Executive Director. Furthermore, the institution offers two internationally recognized higher education qualifications in collaborative partnership with Middlesex University, UK. The Foundation and Diploma courses combine study of both the Hindustani and Western classical music traditions, and provide students with a range of solo and ensemble performance opportunities. They also offer a range of part-time Preparatory music courses, designed as oneyear programs for all music enthusiasts over the age of 5 years. Current Preparatory courses include Western and Hindustani vocal, piano, strings, percussion and guitar. Offerings include Chatterji's Piano Studio, run by renowned pianist Surojeet Chatterji, the Certificate in Vocal Performance and Electronic Music Production.

KMMC is also affiliated with Audio Media Education, India's first Apple authorized training centre, which provides students with certification from Apple Inc. The conservatory's guest faculty boasts an impressive advisory panel that includes musicians Dr. L. Subramaniam, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, opera tenor Matthew Smith, percussionist Srinivas Krishnan, pianist/ composer Pushkar (Ricardo Carlotto), voice trainer and composer Wendy Par and violinist Ladislav Brozman.

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Bengal Music College The Bengal Music College is a music training college in Kolkata.

Affiliated with the University of Calcutta since 1956, it offers intermediate, undergraduate (honours and general), and postgraduate degrees in Indian classical music. The college, which started Master of Music course in 2003, also started a Ph.D. program in 2009, also affiliated with the University of Calcutta.

Karnataka State Music and Performing Arts University This music and performing arts is a new Public university exclusively dedicated to the study and research of Music and Performing Arts.

Established by the Government of Karnataka, it is currently located at a heritage building in the Lakshmipuram area of Mysore. It was founded on February 14, 2008 and offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses in music

Shankar Mahadevan Academy

Kalakshetra

One can’t really complete a music school list without mentioning The Shankar Mahadevan Academy. This music academy, which was founded by award-winning composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan along with CloodOn is a personalized learning platform. Offices of the institution are located at Palo Alto, California in the United States and Bangalore in India. The academy brings high quality Indian classical music education online for the first time. The academy provides students an easy way to learn music in the convenience of their own home and at their own place. The courses, which run for up to 12 weeks, are offered in both virtual class and self-study format, making it easy and affordable for music enthusiasts in the world to learn from the convenience of home at their own pace. A great option for the student with a fulltime job or who is a fulltime student.

The name is virtually synonymous with Classical Indian Arts of the South.

This cultural academy is dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Carnatic music. The academy was founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale 1936 and with her guidance; the institution achieved national and international recognition for its unique style and perfection.

Kalakshetra offers a range of options for the needs of every individual interested in learning music, dance or art, from its schools to its college, to even flexible evening course options.

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Ananya Ashok 40

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The Los Angeles based band, B.R.E.E.D performed along with the elite list of leading musicians from all over the world at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival last month. One of the most iconic events on the world music calendar, the festival spanning across two weekends in April in Indio, California, had them playing on the Do Lab stage. The duo consists of Ritesh D’Souza, one of Asia’s most influential and original underground electronic DJ-producers & bass music pioneer of India, and Tara Mae, a classically trained pianist and vocalist.

After having launched their first album ‘Binate’ in 2014, the album sat at the No. 1 spot on the top Addictech album releases and was No. 3 on the top 5 Glitch Hop album releases on Beatport in January 2014. Score sat down with the duo to talk Coachella, their creative process and plans.

You're performing in Coachella this year! Congrats!

How does it feel to be a part of this prestigious festival? What are you looking forward to aside from performing this year?

right now. I know what you mean though. But that I guess is our inspiration because we don’t want to stick to one genre and we’re just extremely inspired by artists that are doing different stuff that doesn’t fit into one thing. And then obviously we also come up with our own stuff that doesn’t following any one thing.

Thank you very much. We’re super excited! We weren’t expecting it to happen. There are so many festivals that happen and Coachella is obviously one of the best. Like anything, we’re just really excited at the opportunity to be in front of an audience that can relate to our music. We’re appreciative and marketing music is not an easy thing.

This is an opportunity to showcase our stuff. Other than Coachella, we are excited to just develop our live set. We have so many tracks that we’re looking forward to release. We’re looking into different labels right now all over the world. We have a bunch of tours planned for 2015 and we’re looking forward to just getting the music out. We have a lot to do but we’re crazy excited.

Where have been your favorite/memorable venues for performing till date and why?

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you come together and become BREED.

Another tough question (laughs) because you know there are a lot of people. But one name is definitely FKA Twigs. Both of them are just incredibly different and very very artistic. We love abstract and artistic people. They’re different but they’re both so amazing. A lot of collaborations with Classical Indian artists have been amazing as well. We did a track with Manoj George the violinist and that was really great. The blend that we did on the track was really different. This year we’ll have more collaboration, but from past ones definitely the classical musicians have added a different exotic feel.

So, I do live keys and I do vocals on most of our tracks. For the live set eventually we want to do live vocals. For now I do live keys.

Ritesh spins but he’s also going to be doing finger drumming and being a scratch artist. We want him to implement his scratching too. So right now, the live sets have been live keys and synths on our regular sets. Again we want to bring in live vocals and lot of scratching. I also have plans to work with a really good MC and poet I know. With regards to getting together, we developed breed together. Ever since we met we always developed music together and worked alongside each other. Not even just music, but we do everything, including marketing and developing our brand. We’ve been working on all of that for years.

And what about your name?

I think It was 2007 2008, we were playing with names but none of them stuck. I don’t know how breed came but the name just stuck.

That’s a tough question because there have been a lot of great places where we’ve had the opportunity to perform. But I would say Burning Man, which was in 2007. It was totally different at that time from how it is now. Burning Man has been around for years and at that time it was totally new for us. And that really stands out for us

You've also collaborated with many prominent artists.

Who do you wish to collaborate with in the future?

You guys are set to perform your latest EP 'The Inside' along with some other new material for Coachella.

Any projects in the pipeline you can share with your fans?

Developing our live set, like we said we have a couple tours with our live set and one of them is in India. We’re excited to release and we’re developing those tracks!

Who all were your inspirations growing up? Who do you find yourself listening to a lot these days?

You guys have amazing style as well. Please tell us where you draw your style inspiration from? What are your go-to outfits?

When we began B.R.E.E.D., there were lot of artists that inspired us however they’re totally different from artists who we’re inspired by now. We’re inspired by a lot of FKA Twigs and Flying Lotus. Very progressive and forward music that pushes all genres.

We’re into different unique clothing. We both love fashion. Just unique, creative, and artistic clothes. We both love accessories and funky jewelry!

You guys are on of few that are revolutionizing EDM forms in India and across the world. Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Well, EDM is a broad term and we don’t really fit under typical EDM

Anything you wish to say to your fans?

Just keep going with what you’re trying to do and believe in what your doing and don’t believe you have to follow anything. Also we wish to give a big shout out to all our India fans who’ve been ridiculously supportive and been with us throughout!

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Things to add to your Guitar practice routine Aditya Balani

Practicing is something every musician inevitably has to tackle with, some hardly get to it and some spend hours in the woodshed.

A lot of guitarists just noodle on the guitar for hours and feel like they are not making much progress. I personally feel that quality of practice is far more valuable than quantity in terms of hours. So don’t count the hours in your work, count the work in your hours! A good way to ensure productivity is to list out the things you’d like to work on and allot a specific percentage of time to each item. I’d like to share with you some important areas to focus on to better your guitar playing skills.

Warm up

Harmonic Ideas

Warming up is very crucial. I’ve seen many guitarists pick up the guitar and play lightning speed licks right off the bat. Even though that may sound really cool, you are at the risk of injuring yourself. So before you set the fretboard on fire, loosen up your body, your neck, shoulders and arms. Stretch out the fingers of both hands and start playing some chords at a very slow tempo. Then you can move on to simple fingering patterns and run them across the neck gradually increasing the tempo.

In general guitarists have very limited harmonic knowledge. Once we’ve learned our open chords, learning those ripping solos becomes our top priority! But believe me, if you are serious about learning the guitar there is no way around knowing your fretboard harmony well.

I usually break this down into 2 sections.

Learn your triads across the fingerboard and inversions on each string set. Learn Drop 2 and Drop 3 voicings and their inversions for 7th chords. Explore the idea of adding tensions to chords while removing the Root and 5th. Take a tune you already know and see if you can play the chords in different areas of the fretboard while voice leading. This will help you discover more voicings and chord shapes rather than feeling stuck in the same area of the freeboard.

The Right hand : alternate picking, sweep or rest stroke picking, string skipping, strumming, finger style exercises

Rhythmic Ideas

Technical exercises

The Left hand : Legato playing with hammer-ons and pull-offs, trills, playing more than one note with one finger and chordal playing.

Make sure there is no unnecessary tension in any part of your body.

Check your neck, shoulders and jaw periodically.

Also remember to mute the unwanted string noise from the strings that are not being played. Always strive for a clean sound with each note ringing clearly.

Linear Ideas This constitutes scales,modes, arpeggios, lines, licks and any melodic device you’re working on. Play your scales in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 7ths to help you get out of the scalar sounding ideas and get more contour in your lines.

Try to learn the same line in different positions and octaves. Also learn your scales on single strings - most guitarists learn two octave patterns in vertical positions but ignore the horizontal dimension on the guitar. Try it, it will open up a world of ideas!

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We all aspire to improve our time feel and add interesting rhythmic ideas to our playing. First off, practice with a metronome, your foot tapping skills may not be as great and as reliable as you may believe them to be. Work on different tempos subdividing the beat and making sure each subdivision is even. The goal is to sound clean (even more so with drive or distortion) and feel no effort while playing. Let’s say you’re learning a line and want to play it at a desired speed. Work with it slowly at first and keep increasing the tempo in small increments, while making sure you sound good and there is absolutely no tension in any part of your body.

A good way to learn new rhythmic ideas is studying new styles.

Explore Brazillian, Afro-Cuban, Indian Classical, African, MiddleEastern music and see how they interpret time feel and pulse.

For more tips on how to make your guitar practising more productive. please visit www.skore.in

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Come May 28th 2015, Mumbai will witness a surge in true world class audio technology from QSC and Audio-Technica, as Pro Visual Audio Pvt. Ltd – the official distributors of QSC and Audio-Technica products in India assert their powerful presence at the internationally reputed industry exposition – the PALM Expo 2015 which will take place at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Goregaon.

Come May 28th 2015, Mumbai will witness a surge in true world class audio technology from QSC and Audio-Technica, as Pro Visual Audio Pvt. Ltd – the official distributors of QSC and AudioTechnica products in India assert their powerful presence at the internationally reputed industry exposition – the PALM Expo 2015 which will take place at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Goregaon.

The stately and precocious Pro Visual Audio booth at the PALM Expo 2015 will feature on active display an overabundance of cuttingedge pro audio technology from QSC which includes products from the famed House of K products, the critically acclaimed Touchmix series of compact digital mixing consoles, the revolutionary superefficient PLD series of power amplifiers and the state-of-the-art audio processing, control and management system the Q-SYS, all of which have played a key role in asserting QSC’s authority for unparalleled music reinforcement across live sound, touring sound and install sound segments worldwide.

At the same time, the Pro Visual Audio booth will also spotlight leading edge innovations in music production and performance technology from industry leaders Audio-Technica, with products on active display encompassing the widely popular value for money AT 20 Series of microphones, the flagship AT 50 series of elite studio microphones, the crown jewel of the headphone world – the ATH series of premium headphones, and of course, the AT System10 series which is a true revolution in the world of wireless technology.

And what’s really cool is the fact that industry professionals across the board have already begun laying their pick on which among the above mentioned stellar product lines will steal the show at the PALM Expo 2015.

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THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS Cedric D’sa, independent music director/ producer lays his bets on Audio-Technica’s AT 20 Series of super value microphones, as he comments “The AT 20 Series microphones are just brilliant. All of the models in the AT 20 series studio mics (2020, 2020USB,2020USB+, 2021, 2035, 2050) provide nearly the same professional sound as the premier AT 40 series, but at a fraction of the price. The AT 20 Series microphones look and feel great and perform absolutely brilliantly, making them a default choice for any musician who’s looking for great quality sound on a limited budget. Without a doubt, the stand-out models are the 2020USB and 2020USB+, with features like a built-in analog-to-digital conversion delivering 44.1 or 48 kHz 16-bit audio directly to the recording software, an innovative back-electret capsule design that translates into an exceptionally thin and responsive diaphragm, max SPL of 144 dB, and an additional headphone out on the 2020USB+. No wonder I’ve noticed so many of the young up and coming musicians opting these microphones for their home and project studios! I have no doubts whatsoever that the AT 20 Series will pull together a great crowd and fan following at the PALM Expo 2015.”

- without adding any unwanted artefact. I can vouch for the AT50 series and the ATH-M series coz I’ve used them personally for my projects, and they’ve been nothing short of fantastic. If you take my word for it, I believe the AT50 series and the ATH series will be the showstoppers at the PALM Expo 2015.”

On the other hand, Gurmukh Singh Malhotra-Namdhari A.V 2 asserts that it’s QSC’s draw at the PALM Expo 2015, as he raves about the amazing experience he’s had of working with the QSC Touchmix series commenting “I think the QSC Touchmix series of consoles is going to blow the minds of the visitors at the PALM Expo 2015. The sound quality, form-factor, functionality and buildquality is absolutely awe-inspiring. Features like the Simple Mode, Auto, Advanced Mode, Wizards, and Presets libraries make it so very easy for anyone to use them and still derive world-class quality audio delivery. And the fact that you have amazing stuff like 4-band full parametric EQ and variable high-pass filter along with Gate and compressor on all input channels; 1/3 octave graphic EQ, notch filters, limiters and delay on main and aux. outputs; premium stereo DSP’s with professional digital effects; DCA’s and mute groups; High quality microphone preamps; Channel-selectable phantom power; Multiple monitor mixes; and Multitrack direct to disk recording/ playback via external USB hard drive; makes you feel that you’re working on a full-spread desk, all within the footprint that’s as small as a laptop! Personally, the best thing that I’ve noticed in this little powerhouse of a product is the fact that you drive in-ears directly, which means working with musicians on a live gig becomes a real breeze. The Touchmix is truly amazing to work with – I would give it more than two thumbs up if I could!”

National Award winning veteran sound engineer and record album chief K.J Singh however feels that it’s going to be Audio-Technica all the way at the PALM Expo 2015, with his bets laid on the ATH-M series of headphones and the AT50 series of premium studio microphones.

As KJ quotes “Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of the Audio Technica ATH-M series headphones, especially the ATH-M50 and ATH-M50X. Ever since I first used them a few years ago, I’ve only kept adding a couple of sets here and there, for professional and personal use! These babies sound so damn good. They’re clear, detailed, have great fidelity and a wide frequency response, and handle levels really well. They’re also extremely comfortable, well isolated, very efficient and have lots of bottom to go round, while maintaining the perfect tonal balance. My other favorite is the AT50 series premium studio microphones, which are simply divine, especially the AT5040. The AT5040 is a solid microphone that’s high on performance and value. From an engineer’s point of view, the mic is absolutely amazing for its high gain and clarity. It does not sound brittle or harsh, and is really good at handling upper registers of any vocalist or the notes of any loud instrument. That apart, it faithfully reproduces every nuance perfectly from loud baritone to sheer whispers

The pendulum of power swings back into QSC’s favor, as Roystton Noronha, Founder/M.D Integrated System Design lays testimony to the prowess of QSC’s House of K products saying “Products from QSC’s House of K are simply spectacular – be it the K series or the KW series or the K-LA – and having worked with these products over quite a good number of projects, I can vouch for their superior sound quality and coverage, and for the fact that they are extremely responsive, adaptive, and dependable. Features like the Tilt-Direct, Directivity Matched Transition (DMT™), Comprehensive patching and control, GuardRail™ Protection, Remote Gain Control, and Advanced DSP including Intrinsic Correction™ and DEEP™ makes the QSC House of K products efficient and effective like no other. And the fact that they’re active makes them super comfortable to work with, especially from the point of view of transport and setup. In fact, the House of K products are so efficient, adaptive and responsive that they prove to be the perfect solution across applications – be it live sound reinforcement or installation for entertainment spaces, auditoriums etc. If you’re looking for top quality sound, dependability, portability, and of course, ease of operation and maintenance, I’d strongly recommend you to go check them out in action at the PALM Expo 2015 – you’ll be blown away for sure.”

And carrying forward the momentum for QSC is the fact that Mr. Vishnu Pandit, S.D Audio Bangalore asserts his faith in the QSC PLD Series as he comments “I have a strong feeling that the QSC PLD series is going to steal the show at the PALM Expo 2015! With amazing features like the Flexible Amplifier Summing Technology™ (FAST), Intrinsic Correction, Presets Wizard, advanced on-board DSP and loudspeaker management system with dynamic processing, the PLD series delivers unbelievable control over every aspect of your loudspeaker system, and delivers amazing quality of audio performance every single time. Plus, the fact that they are extremely compact, lightweight, and extremely rugged make them the kind of amplifiers I would depend on, no questions asked. And they’re superefficient too, considering the fact that they employ next-generation Class D amplification with Power Factor Correction (PFC), and the fact that the FAST technology actively distributes the total amplifier power in various combinations across one, two, three, or all four outputs. The PLD Series is truly amazing - not only do they make my system perform better today, but I’ve noticed that they also provide a wide and flexible range of options for future system growth.”

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a true integrated audio solution that represents the next generation in architecture, networking, scalability, reliability, redundancy, performance, security, control, support, and future-proofing. And now with the CXDQ networkable amplifiers, you have complete control and monitoring of the entire system. It is so easy to work with and maintain, and its value delivery in terms of performance is sublime. From my point of view, if you’re someone who’s serious about future technology, you absolutely have to check out the QSC Q-Sys at the PALM Expo 2015. You’d be missing out on something truly inspiring if you don’t.”

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO? Maninder Singh – Akitaa A.V however pulls things back in favor of Audio-Technica as he asserts that the revolutionary AT System10 series of wireless devices will create the biggest roar at the show, saying “If you understand wireless technology, you’d realize what a revolution the AT System10 series truly is, … which is why I believe the AT System10 will be the undeniable highlight at the PALM Expo 2015. Features like digital 24-bit/48 kHz wireless operation; operation in the 2.4 GHz range; automatic frequency selection; instantaneous channel selection, sync, and set-up; state-of-the-art digital receiver; balanced XLR and unbalanced 1/4” output jacks with level control; and more, makes the System10 a plug-and-play digital wireless system that is truly efficient, high on performance and value, and more importantly, extremely simple to use even for an inexperienced operator. Almost all of the technical aspects of coordination are automated, and the multiple diversity methods keep the system performing well even in interference conditions. I absolutely love the AT System10, and I believe everyone who’s serious about great quality vocals for live performances should definitely check these out at the expo.”

The mercury is certainly rising, and the excitement of witnessing these world class products from QSC and Audio-Technica at the Pro Visual Audio booth at the PALM Expo 2015 is evidently creating quite the buzz among industry professionals across the country.

Last, but most certainly not the least, Kumbha Young Grenier, CEO of Sound Wizard discusses why he feels it’s going to be the QSC Q-Sys’ year at the PALM Expo 2015 as he references the tremendous positive impact the Q-Sys has had on the market since it’s arrival, sharing “I have been an admirer of the QSC Q-Sys ever since our head of system design, Fabien Bontems specified it the first time for a nightclub project of ours. With the primary elements of the system comprising the Core, the Designer software, the Q-LAN network, and the peripherals, the Q-Sys system is built from the ground up on a powerful, open, IT-friendly foundation, which makes the Q-Sys

Don’t miss your opportunity to catch these products live in action and rub shoulders with the who’s who of the music and professional audio industry – drop by the Pro Visual Audio booth no. J-06 at the PALM Expo 2015 from May 28th 2015 – May 30th 2015 at the Bombay Exhibition Center, Goregaon East.

Shreya Bose

Indie reviews Break Me Down (Alpha Being ft. Bitter's Kiss) The 19 year old producer from Hyderabad offers a brand of sound that has always been popular for its ability to harness a liminal position that often relates directly to the human mind's subconscious inclinations towards uncertain marginalities. The downtempo progression patches itself through on a series of auditory caresses that depend on concocting ambience rather than establishing specifics of technique. There's no incredible solo to be had, but there's plenty to roll back and disconnect into. Consider it a wall of sound that lets you switch yourself off and redirect your consciousness. The trippy, dreamy yet unlooped swathe of sound isn't deprived of nuance, but it takes you a couple of listens to tune into the gradations of sound-sculpting. US based vocalist Bitter's Kiss AKA Chloe Baker vocalises the detachment this song is capable of engendering, and does it rather well. Conclusively, Alpha Being is off to a good start, and here's hoping that he doesn't fall off the wagon.

Obvious creative promise.

Possibly obtuse to less discerning listeners.

Drones (Curtain Blue) Abhishek Bhatia's long awaited EP is of luminous countenance. His year long composition and compilation of sounds has resulted in a mechanism of sound which is razed in cauldrons of pop and electronica and layered with semi-scattered vocals to achieve an engaging yet challenging finality. Drones toes the line between pop and dance music ( not mutually exclusive). An infallibly intoxicating conglomeration of beats break into bending tempo comprised of starry bass and whirling spaces of abrupt minimalism. Sentinels is an exercise in linearity , once you realise that the choppy tones use the gaps between them to actually constitute a continuance.

Its a brilliant display of technical manipulation, detectable after a couple of replays. Interplay of slightly non-symmetrical beats casts a trippy swish that isn't easy to replicate. My Obscurity can easily be snared into a new age noir film reel. It tosses equal parts of groove and would fit right in with a half-darkened deluge of a disco where dancers are losing themselves while the protagonist looks to do the exact opposite and find answers. A striking patching of electro acoustic plinks in the midst actually transforms into a mechanically generated line of sobs that is bone-chilling. In Dreams ft. Kavya Trehan is ripe for interpretation through expressionist dance. Murky, sludgy vocals dusted with piercing, rakish beats give you something to bite into. Its entirely capable of injecting itself into your perceptions, and if you let, take them over for a few glorious minutes.

Veers away from run-of-the-mill electronica.

Nothing in particular.

Recommended: Drones, In Dreams ft. Kavya Trehan

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DIY: A boon or bane?

The current music generation is living in an age of accelerated technological advancement. There is constant advancement in the variety and quality of tools available to an aspiring musician. A musician or any music lover equipped with the right set of tools can now create a piece of music from scratch. It is now possible to compose, arrange, record, mix, master and publish your music right from the comfort of your bedroom. You can even generate sounds of instruments that you do not play or have access to.

Remember that track you heard on the radio that featured a full-fledged orchestra and exotic instruments? Well, guess what? It was probably all created on computer with no real instruments.

The term ‘producer’ is now being thrown around much like anyone with a DSLR and an Instagram account is a “professional” photographer. There was a time when releasing an album involved a lot of people like composers, musicians, recording engineers, mix and master, record labels etc. Not anymore!

Meet the ‘bedroom producer’ With MIDI programming, you can compose and arrange multiple instruments with little or no training; one can also adjust the pitch and time of audio with Digital Audio Workstations. While this sounds great, it is often abused by ‘enhancing’ a musician’s natural ability.

With ‘auto tuning’, it is now possible to record speech and turn it into a melody. ‘Pitch correction’ can make any person sound pitch perfect, blurring the lines between quality music and quality musicians.

The flip side of the argument is that Computer Audio is opening doors for gifted musicians who do not have the ‘luxury’ of a studio. Meet the ‘bedroom producer’. He is well versed guitarist who does not need a loud and heavy amplifier. Parents take notice! With a pocket sized soundcard and headphones, all his guitars are recorded minus the “noise pollution”.

1. With a MIDI keyboard he composes and arranges all the instruments on his track.

2. Without any expensive hardware, the tracks are mixed and mastered using ‘plugins’.

3. Using music platforms such as iTunes Store and Bandcamp, he releases and sells the album that he created in his pyjamas.

So is D.I.Y a boon or a bane ?

Ed Degenaro who is the head of the Music Production department at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music says, “Our Production and Independent Artist programs are designed to create complete all round musicians. We equip our students with all the tools necessary to excel in today’s demanding entertainment industry’.

Keerthy Narayanan who worked on Grammy Winning New Age album ‘Winds of Samsara’ added, “You may like it or hate it, but you definitely cannot ignore it. Some of the biggest hits today are made using digital audio and people don’t seem to notice the difference This article was written by a guest writer, Mr. Siddhartha Ramanathan who is a guitarist of Escher's Knot and Guitarist/Producer of Trojan Horse.

He also manages admissions and scholarships at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM).

For more details please write an email to siddhartha.r@sam.org.in

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“Our Production and Independent Artist programs are designed to create complete all round musicians. We equip our students with all the tools necessary to excel in today’s demanding entertainment industry’.

Ed Degenaro Head of Music Production, Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music