The Score Magazine September 2015 issue

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 08 Issue 09 - September 2015

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India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

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BAND OF THE MONTH

THE SKA VENGERS TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CONCEPTUALIZED THEIR NAME AND THEIR CULT-STATUS

STAR OF THE MONTH

ABBAS HASAN NAMED THE ‘NEXT BIG THING’ IN ASIAN MUSIC/FILM

COVER STORY

SAJID-WAJID TALK ABOUT COMPOSING MUSIC FOR FILMS AND TV AND THEIR SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

ALSO INSIDE : TOP 15 TRENDING TRACKS OF 2015 , DOSTI MUSIC PROJECT

DIRECTOR'S NOTE Dear readers,

Director, Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Head - Marketing & Operations Sneha Ramesh Editorial Advisor Nikila Srinivasan Creative Director George Vedamanickam Lead Designer Nipun Garodia Online Content Contributors Manisha Bhat Nilankur Dutta Meera C EDM content contributor Nirupama Belliappa thescoremag

@highonscore

Raghu Dixit, a musician who needs no introduction, posted about how unhappy he was with the airline IndiGO regarding how his instruments were handled.

The musician witnessed how inhumanly his instruments were handled and this disheartened him.

On collecting his instruments he saw that the hard case of the base guitar was broken. Much to his shock, upon approaching the baggage services, they didn't register the complaint. Pointing out a few more flaws he took this issue to Twitter.

The Customer Care called just to apologise but added that they cannot compensate.

The next day, Raghu Dixit wasted no time in responding to IndiGo's tweet which stated how it was foolish to not focus on India. He replied asking IndiGo to focus on customer's woes and the staff's indifference towards musical instruments.

Since Mr. Aditya Ghosh, President of IndiGO, was initially tagged in the tweet, he personally went on to apologetically reply to Raghu Dixit that he will replace the case. Declining Raghu Dixit's offer on a free workshop on instrument handling for the staff, Mr. Aditya said that they will try something similar to the special wheelchair packaging, for musical instruments.

If IndiGo comes up with a special packaging for instruments, I can bet that it will be the most sought after airlines for musicians. This is not the first time I have seen posts on my news feed that musicians were unhappy about their instrument box or their instrument itself being broken after travelling in flights. Raghu Dixit fortunately got a response but not all musicians do and in 99.99% of the cases it goes unnoticed. It is high time that all the airlines make special arrangements for musical instruments and musicians like Raghu Dixit should come forward and make enough noise so that this never is a problem to talk about.

Thank you for being our reader. Cheers!

PRAGASH VM

Director - Business Development

thescoremagazine.com www.skore.in

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DISCLAIMER: Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are the sole responsibility of the advertisers. http://www.motherteresafoundation.org.in The Score Magazine is proud to support the Mother Teresa Foundation and urge our readers to join us in giving back a fraction of what we have been given.

I NSIDE

SAJID -WAJID

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Read more about them as quoted by Wajid himself ‘There is a lot to explore about Sajid-Wajid.’

BAND OF THE MONTH 22 Ska Vengers talk to us about how they conceptualized their name and about their cult-status worthy song on Udham Singh-‘Frank Brazil’.

TOP 15 TRENDING TRACKS

STAR OF THE MONTH

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We’ve shortlisted some of the best and most popular tracks from a variety of different artists that are the highlights of 2015.

OPINION PIECE

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Everytime your fate fate brings one of these “hit” songs to you, check out our INSTEAD suggestions, songs you can listen to without your ears bleeding out like something out of the Exorcist.

PRODUCT TO WATCH OUT FOR

Named the ‘Next Big Thing’ in Asian music/film, Abbas Hasan is one musician close to home and heart.

DOSTI MUSIC PROJECT 36

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Roland TD-1K : The best choice for your first electronic drum set

EDM SEGMENT

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Two Turntables & A Microphone : The role od DJs The Project brings together a group of musicians from Pakistan, India, and the U.S. for a month long residency and tour.

SAJID-WAJID Brothers, Sajid Ali and Wajid Ali are a Hindi Music Composing duo that started their musical career in Bollywood with Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya. It only went uphill from there with movies like Tere Naam, Mujhse Shaadi Karoge and recent ones like Dabangg, Ek Tha Tiger, etc. Read more about them as quoted by Wajid himself ‘There is a lot to explore about Sajid-Wajid.’

Let us start with the rather clichéd question: How did you begin your career?

Did your dad’s great musical influence rub off on you guys as young kids?

W: I think it all started from our childhood. We were born into a family of musicians, both mother’s and father’s side. I started playing music when I was in 6th-7th standard and I was in the 10th standard I started playing professionally as a guitarist. The career as a music director, you can say it started in 1996-97.

S: My father played with most of the top music directors of the industry. Because of him we got the chance to witness the legendary recordings and legendary songs of that time. And yes, of course the enthusiasm that my father put in. There was this beautiful line that my father said, ‘Talent is one of the most beautiful things, and a person either has it or gets it.’ That was great.

S: I believe in my father, Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan. I believe in my guru Ustad Allah Rakkaha Khan Sahab. I believe in people like Michael Jackson and Nasrat Fatah Ali Khan.

Yes, blood does react as we belong to a musical family.

What were your initial projects?

W: We did this film song called ‘Teri Jawani Badi Mast Mast Hain.’

We’d done an album which never released but we had a good example to show people what we can do. We then started doing some remixes and then came the ‘Deewana’ album which was in 1997-98, we produced that album.

How has your musical journey been so far?

S: It was an extra ordinary, mind blowing, full of surprises, a journey full of adventure. Meeting and living a life with the most beautiful people of the Bollywood industry.

No breakfast. No shower. Only musical power.

W: It’s brilliant because we’ve learnt a lot. Music is one thing is where you have to keep on learning. Also because we’ve met beautiful, musical people and when we’re doing a film we still feel like we’re doing our first song. And that feeling is great because you still want to do something great every year, every film, every new song is like the first song in your career. For this I thank our Almighty Allah, my parents and our listeners because they’ve given a boost to our career and have always been there for out.

I think that is the most important thing as that is your reward, award and everything.

How did you guys as brothers decide to collaborate together? Was it an easy or a tough decision to make?

W: I’ve always wanted to become a musician but it’s because of my brother that I’ve become a music director. Sajid bhai said we should do music direction and then we asked my father his permission and he said “Go ahead, I’m always there behind you.”

That’s how it started and the credit goes to my elder brother.

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W: We are here because of my father. Personally, I have followed him and his style of working. When he used to compose, I used to arrange for him and while arranging I used to observe him as a composer and the kind of music he used to give. And whatever composition I’m doing it is only because of him. He is my guru and whatever I do today, he is the inspiration behind it. I’ve learnt the guitar from a guru but my composition, rhythm knowledge, tabla knowledge, has come from him.

You have been mentors for reality shows. How did that come about?

S: I haven’t been on the scene when the entire music industry was in the reality world. I was very busy in delivering Salman Bhai’s work, we never got a chance but yes of course we saw lot of reality shows and then we realized that we always think about which one to do. Because at that point in time, a reality show involved a lot of gimmicks and they were publicizing the shows by creating different kinds of dialogues in the show. We didn’t want to sell ourselves for selling our creative talent in name of our Gharana(school of music). We always believed in pure music and creating something very beautiful and untouched original music. And finally, my mother was very big fan of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and she told me that if you ever decide that you want to do a show, do this show. Because this show has got the best energy for the musicians, singers and she thought that it was a beautiful show. So we thought of that and the show came up to us and we were very excited to do that and today the show is like our family.

We love doing it. You get to meet lot of different kind of culture, different kinds of languages, and lots of different kind of talents from different ages. There is so much of audience interaction and we love it. It’s like a holiday. It’s a beautiful job to do and it’s amazing. I love it.

W: I think that happened because there is a demand, automatically when it goes to corporate houses and people show interest in your

MANISHA BHAT Inspiration actually comes from knowledge but I think writers have to write what they feel as there is nothing that can be bigger or larger or even challenging to write what you feel because everyone has their sense of romance, passion and fun.

We get inspiration from dayto-day life, especially when we’re writing for film songs.

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work, they look for people and call you. These things matter when you’ve dedicated your life for music but besides that when you’re mentoring you’ve to be loyal, you’ve to be trustworthy because by your decision you can change someone’s life. You are guiding someone on to the right path, so you have to be clear in your mind about what you want. Luckily we got a chance to work with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, we’ve already done two seasons with them. It was a great experience and is a great feeling to be on that show because genuine talent comes and while teaching you learn so many things, yourself. I like the whole process, mentoring so many young kids with so much talent and they’re not afraid of facing today’s world and they’re ready to accept new challenges.

You have done background scoring for two movies as well. Again, how was that?

S: It was fantastic! We did Welcome. Welcome was a fantastic experience, because the best part about it was that it had my favorite actors. There was Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Katrina Kaif, and not to forget, The Boss Firoz Khan. So I think that was the last film of Firoz Khan. I am a very big fan of Firoz Khan and we got an opportunity to give background for that film. I feel very blessed for that background. Our schedule remains very busy making music but then if anything is exciting and if I like it and if it gives a kick, I would love to do that kind of background.

W: Background scoring has always fascinated us since our childhood.

In the movies we used to watch, it was the background music that was attracting us rather than the scene. The kind of dynamics the background gives to the scene is unimaginable. We haven’t done many films because we’re very busy with the songs. You either do the whole film or don’t do it at all because once you take it up you need to give all your focus to that one film and that takes a toll on other projects. There has to be a patience level also because background needs time. You need to have a minimum of one month for doing a good background. We loved doing Welcome, we’d not done the song initially, when we watched the movie we thought that it needs a theme song and then we created the title track after which we incorporated that to the movie. And that theme went so well that now in Welcome Back also they’ve used our theme. It’s a different thing that they’ve not given our names *laughs*. Our thing with the background score is that it should be sung, it should attract the listeners so much that they should be able to sing the song. These are some important things we remember while doing background, that music should be like music. That is how you can attract the people to the background and at the same time enhance the scene and make it larger than life.

You have composed three non-film albums too. How different was it from making filmy music?

S: It was very different from doing the albums. It’s like cracking your mind frame. Whatever you have in your feelings, your soul, you design. You develop it with the free mind, with the clouds and you can fly wherever you feel like. You can put whatever kind of lyrics, soul, so it’s all freedom and you are the boss. But in films you have to work on situations. Hit songs are a different category.

Situations are a different category. But then in album you can talk

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about your own soul, I love it.

W: The thing is, non-film albums are a reflection of you. When you’re creating a non-film album, it is your own idea, own creation and own challenge. Because here there is nobody to tell you that this is the script, this is the character, which you have to work on. So whatever you compose, you have to keep in mind that it is you who is going to cater to the direct public and whether they’re going to like it not is up to you. It also fun to work on because it is your own creation and there is no situation that involves anybody questioning you. So you’re free to create anything new or fresh or whatever you want for your listeners.

You also make music for some TV shows like Big Boss.

Was it any different from making music for movies?

S: Yes, television show we worked on because of Salman Bhai. He wanted it and he believed in us, the kind of ideas we have, the kind of hook lines we try. In fact he was the one who suggested that we do this. First we did Dus Ka Dam and then did Big Boss and it was fantastic doing that. Jamming with Salman Bhai is like the most fun time of our life so we cracked it big time and we loved doing it. It was fantastic doing it because you have to create a lot of publicity lines and how you can make the show a little more hot at same time keeping it commercially valuable and also keeping the value of Salman Bhai to that same level or may be above the level of the show. So, we enjoyed doing it and end of the day it’s all music.

W: Yes, definitely. When you’re making music for a film, you’ve to cater to the script, the story, the actors, but when you’re doing it for a channel and a show you need to know what the idea of the title is and you’ve to understand what they’re trying to do on the show. So, in that format you have to create something and it has to be precise. Also, it isn’t like a song that is of 3 and a half or 4 minutes, it has to be of 30 seconds or 60 seconds. To create that magic in 30 to 60 seconds is very important and at the same time the brand’s value should come up. But we love taking up challenges, the more difficult it is, the more challenging it is to crack it and when you crack it you get this sense of achievement and automatically you feel great about it. I think that television is a larger medium than films because it reaches to a larger audience and it’s very important for us to make a place in the hearts of the audience sitting at home so you have to be very careful about what you’re catering to them.

You also composed the IPL 4 theme song. How was that experience? Was it received well by people?

S: Yes. IPL song was a boom and that gave us a big time high in the corporate world. Today my tune is registered and it’s all over the world. People are playing and enjoying it. I love it whenever any six or any four goes and suddenly it plays, I feel very proud. Yes of course cricket is like a religion. And I have done Preity Zinta’s Punjab Kings XI song also. It is my team. I’ve done song for the Pune football team and a song for CCL Mumbai, Sohail Bhai’s team.

So I enjoy doing different kinds of work. I work for advertisement and I like to do this all kind of thing and at the end of the day it’s all music.

W: Well, experiences are all brilliant because it’s a part of our life.

We used to play a lot of cricket but now due to time constraints we cannot. But in school and college we used to play a lot of sports.

It is very important to know what sportsmanship is and we know that and keeping that in mind, it is very important to bring the adrenaline rush onto the track. So when you play the track, you should automatically feel that rush inside you. When we compose we are ready with all kinds of riffs, it can be a trumpet riff, electronic riff, rhythm riff or a guitar riff. And when were doing the theme song we had a lot of fun.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

S: I would not like to talk on this point because I think it’s a very personal thing with me, it’s a connection of my divine. I don’t want to discuss it so let it be with me and let it die with me.

Wajid Ji, you are such a brilliant singer too. How do you manage to compose and sing so well at the same time?

W: It’s a great feeling because I’m very passionate about my music and that’s what we were born for. Singing just happened because somewhere down the line I used to feel like I need to express more and singing has taught me that. There’s a lot to discover about SajidWajid because in Deewana album all the arrangements were done by us and all the guitar pieces were played by me. I’ve always felt that singing is one thing where you come in front of people and you express your feelings right there, directly to them. As a director, you’re behind the scene and as a singer you’re right in front of the camera. Thanks to my father and my brother but the biggest thanks is to Salman Khan. It is because of Salman bhai that I’m singing.

I always say that Salman bhai believed in us and our music when nobody else did. Also, with singing you have to be true to yourself.

at least I’m working and that is the most important thing in my life.

Success comes with hard work, intention and being true to yourself.

As a human being if you’re being true to yourself, that is the biggest high you can get.

If there is one artist / band / musician you want to work with in future, who would it be and why?

S: I think in today’s time Bollywood has become as big as International music and I would love to work with Shakira. I have a strong belief that I can do magic with her. I would love to work with Rihanna, Hardwell, and David Guettan. Infected Mushroom, I love them. And yes, of course Slash is my favorite musician as a guitarist I would dub in, it would be amazing to work with that man. And Zakir Hussain Khan Sahab with whom I’ve been learning, working and all my life I want to associate with a musician like him. My father, but he is not there. Michael Jackson, he is not here too but I would have loved to work with him. Even Nusrat Sahab is not there, I cried so much when Nusrat Sahab died. I won’t be able to get a chance to work with them. I would like to work with Priyanka Chopra also.

Lyrics play a very important role in music. Where do you get inspiration from to write music?

W: All the musical knowledge and inspiration we had in our childhood it was directly from the source itself. It was not from CD’s or Cassettes but it was from the source itself. And then our father got us two cassettes of Michael Jackson and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab and there was instant regret that we should have met them.

And then there are so many people we wish we could have met but in Sufi, Qawwali music, I think nobody has changed its phase like how Nusrat Sahab has and not just as a singer, I have great respect for him as a composer. In the case of Michael Jackson, I read in one of his interviews that he used to compose, program and sing, all by himself. About bands, I would love to associate with The Beatles and there are a lot of people actually and is never ending. And an artist who I would love to work with is Madan Mohan Ji and I would’ve loved to meet and work with Rafi Sahab. I’m lucky to have worked with Asha Ji, I would love to work with Lata Ji also.

S: From my family, my people, and music from all over the world.

They are the inspiration.

What are your immediate future plans?

W: Inspiration actually comes from knowledge but I think writers have to write what they feel as there is nothing that can be bigger or larger or even challenging to write what you feel because everyone has their sense of romance, passion and fun. We get inspiration from day-to-day life, especially when we’re writing for film songs.

Say, for example, I want to say ‘I love you’ to some girl, I will not just go to her and say ‘I love you’ there can be many ways to say that. Like, “Taak te rehte tujhko saanjh savere. Nainon mein basiyah jaise nain yeh tere. Tere mast mast do nain, mere dil ka legaye chain” is also a way of saying ‘I really love you.’ These are the kind of thoughts that we transfer when we are sitting with the writers. It is actually team work, for every song our input is there.

It’s amazing how much we can play with words. Sometimes we just focus on thoughts, but words itself can express a lot of things.

What is your success mantra?

W: I leave it to God. It is he who looks after us, we can’t decide on who is successful and not successful, it is not our job. I thank Allah because

S: Life is too involved in your past and in your present. Future you don’t know, so no future plan. I’ll handle things as they come and my future in that way.

W: I don’t plan the future and the past is gone. I only think about my present. I think it is the best way to live. There’s a sher, “Agha apni mauth se bandha basher nahi, saaman sow baras ka kal ki khabhar nahi.” What’s the point in buying 10 houses and islands and all that when we don’t even know if we’ll live tomorrow or not? As of now I just feel like the best path is to live in the Now.

Your message to fans and readers of Score.

S: I love you guys even though we are not related, even though we are not connected, even though we don’t know each other’s names, but somewhere down the line I think you are the people because of whom I am there. You listen to my music. Thank you so much.

I really pump my blood to take out best melodies for you and when you react on it, I love it. The only thing I can say is that I have full respect and may God bless you guys.

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Do you think you have been graced with privileges as your father is a great musician or is it tough to stand out in the music industry despite it?

I consider myself very very lucky to be Shankar Mahadevan’s son. It’s like I have a whole institution of music at home. I have been exposed to some of the best musicians in this country and around the world.

recorded Zinda. It was the first time I was recording for a Bollywood song and I was both nervous and excited. But other than that if I had to name one time that I vaguely remember was when I recorded a little mouth percussion on my Dad’s album Breathless when I was 3 years old.

I remember and was told that I made everyone go out of the studio and I asked them to switch off all the lights and only then I recorded it. The song is called Tere Khayalon Se and I happen to feature in the video too as a little baby!

CELVIANO AP-460BK

Not a lot of people would get to experience these things and just being in the studio with SEL, I’ve learnt so much from them. But with that said, you have to be good to stand out in this immensely competitive industry. People either love you or they don’t and it is really gratifying when people appreciate your work. I don’t think coming from a musical family helps you stand out, only excellence can. Comparisons keep happening but I take it positively as it helps me set a very high benchmark for myself. It makes me work harder and do better.

Any plans to diversify from Bollywood singing to Indie music?

The GRAND experience

How was it to manage your time between studies and music when you were in college?

I think Indie music is great and I surely will put out my own indie album soon. I’d love to sing on an Indie track. There are so many Indie artists whose music I love and listen to regularly.

Do you prefer composing your own song or singing for

The Celviano line of pianos is for those whomusic demand a world class piano another director?

I was a very notorious student, very actively involved in all kinds of The experience of composing, singing your own composition and experience with an elegant cabinet design and matching bench. extracurricular activities and sports.combined I actually opened the batting for singing for another composer is totally different and you cannot my school cricket team. Honestly I used to hate studying, probably still compare it. When you sing own composition, you know the melody do but I always somehow managed to study last minute and do pretty The Celviano experience is truly grand. the song inside out as you have lived with the song since the song well in my exams. In college especially, when work started coming I would hardly attend college and the faculty did get pretty mad at me, I hope they are proud of me now. I did BMM and it was a fun course and very creative so I enjoyed those 3 years too. I did music for my first Marathi film just a few weeks before my 12th science board exams.

It was tricky sometimes but you always figure a way out.

We hear you’re going to be part of ‘Rock On 2’. How did this association come about? What was your favourite musical number from the previous movie?

I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m going to be singing a song in Rock On 2. Someone published it but that’s not true. I just did chorus (backing vocals) on a couple of tracks along with a couple of co singers.

Nevertheless, I’d Love to!!

My favourite song from Rock On would probably be ‘Tum Ho Toh’ because I think it’s one of the best written rock ballads ever! Farhan’s voice, SEL’s composition and Javed Ji’s lyrics are pure genius.

The ‘Swachh Maharashtra Jingle’ is electrifying and packed with the feel of the state’s culture. Coming from a diverse cultural background, your Mother a Marathi and Father a Tamilian, which is your major influence?

And does it have an effect on your music?

We live in a country where the people and music are so diverse. There is so much music in our culture. I unfortunately don’t understand Tamil but I understand Marathi but that doesn’t mean Carnatic music hasn’t influenced me. It has and in big ways. I think when you live in a country where every 100kms you get to hear a completely different style of music, you’re blessed. As a musician I try to let as many styles of music influence me as I listen to a vast array of music right from Ghazals and Abhangs to Hip Hop, Pop, Rock, Jazz etc. The list is endless. Each and every genre of music influences you in so many ways and India itself has so much music that is to be explored.

Do you have any daily rituals to practice music?

There aren’t any rituals when I practice singing. I love singing while having a shower as there is always a natural reverb in the shower area. Sometime Dad, my younger brother Shivam and I would go for a swim at our farmhouse and we would sing for hours in the pool!

What is your most memorable recording experience so far?

Most memorable recording experience would obviously be when I

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was conceived and it’s in your system whereas when you get inside a studio to sing for another composer, you have literally 10 minutes to own the song and sing it like it’s yours before you go behind the mic.

I think there is a thrill in both but surely singing for another composer is more challenging.

Your favourite musicians from around the world?

This is probably the most common but most difficult questions asked.

The list is endless and I feel I wouldn’t do justice by just naming a few cause each and every musician whose music I’ve heard and liked has played a big part in my music.

We all get earworms. Tell us some songs that you keep humming?

As a musician you keep listening to so many new songs everyday! And before you know it your humming that song on that day. You could reach a stage where your almost addicted to a song on a particular day and you might not even like the song. Hahaha... It is very difficult to name one.

If you could collaborate with an artist of your choice, who would it be and why?

Give me one wish to collaborate with one artist and without a second thought it would be the one and only Michael Jackson. It was very painful when I heard we lost one of the greatest artists in the world. He is a performer of the highest order and I’ve drawn so much inspiration from him. I was very lucky that I got to perform at the MJ tribute concert in Chennai with some of India’s top singers. I sang the Earth Song. It still gives me the chills. I wish I had met him only once in my life and to collaborate with him in any way possible would always a dream.

To you, what does music symbolize?

To me music is a symbol of expression. It’s an emotion that everyone feels and needs in they’re life. I don’t think anyone’s life can ever be complete without music. Right from the time a baby is born; the beating of the heart is the first rhythm you ever feel. Music has the power to transcend boundaries, to connect people, to bring happiness to millions and give sense of satisfaction.

This young musician with much potential is stepping out from his father’s shadow. Siddharth Mahadevan is out to conquer music and we suggest you stay hooked to him.

The Casio AP-460 Digital Piano has a beautiful upright cabinet in classic black and a range of authentic as well as creative features to cater to any musician.

It is a high-performing digital piano that still recreates that natural, rich resonant sound and authentic feel of an acoustic instrument As reviewd by a pianist.

PIANO SOUND The grand piano sounds in the AP-460 deliver an unprecedented level of realism and expression. Utilizing Casio’s proprietary AiR sound source, four dynamic levels of stereo piano samples are integrated with Casio's proprietary Linear Morphing System, for a grand piano sound with seamless transitions and a superior dynamic range. For added realism, the AP-460 simulates the sound of open strings when the dampers are raised by the pedal using Acoustic Resonance DSP. To further enhance the playing experience, the Hall Simulator provides simulations of the acoustics of real-world locations allowing you to experience playing the grand piano sound in a variety of virtual locations.

EBONY AND IVORY TEXTURED KEYS The AP-460 features Casio’s 88 note Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard. This action is scaled to match the weight and resistance across the range of an 88 note grand piano. In addition, this action features simulated Ebony and Ivory textured keys for an incredible feel. Capturing your performance, Casio’s key action has three sensors to capture the dynamics of a performance with unparalleled speed and accuracy. To further enhance the experience, Casio’s Hammer Response feature takes into consideration the speed at which different sized hammers move inside acoustic grand relative to velocity the keys are pressed, this timing nuance provides the ultimate key to sound experience.

CONCERT PLAY High-quality audio recordings of 10 live philharmonic orchestra performances are installed. Pianists can play along with recordings and enjoy the feeling of participating in a magnificent concert performance. Musical scores of the music are also included. In addition to Concert Play, the AP-460 It has a built-in library of 60 piano songs that can be practiced at any tempo. Lesson features allow you to learn left and right hand parts separately.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY To complete the piano experience, the AP-460 features 256 notes of polyphony, enough horsepower to the most demanding musical passages and the ability to layer sounds and use the damper pedal without worry of dropped notes. In addition to the concert grand piano sounds, the AP-460 has new instrument tones include stereo string ensembles, basses and electric pianos derived from Casio’s award winning PX-5S. Split and layer capability allowing you to play bass in your left hand and have two layered tones in your right. Duet mode splits the keyboard into two equal ranges, allowing student and teacher to use the piano simultaneously. A USB port allows you to record and playback audio .wav files, so you can easily share your performance. In addition the AP-460 can connect effortlessly to your computer via USB without the need to install drivers.

POWERED BY AIR Casio’s new AiR technology, redefines the Celviano digital piano experience with richer and more genuine sounds. The AiR sound source enables the new Celviano models to deliver first-class realism and detail by providing damper resonance, which enhances the sounds of the dampers lifting off the strings when pushing on the sustain petal. Casio’s AiR technology also compensates for the speed at which hammers strike strings at different velocities and key ranges, imperative for those who crave the authentic sounds and feel of a traditional grand piano.

USB MIDI Casio continues the tradition or providing "class compliant" USB connectivity on Celviano digital pianos. This allows Celviano to be used with Mac or Windows computers without the need for downloading drivers. Class Compliant USB MIDI also allows Celviano digital pianos to be used as a controller for the Apple iPad by using Apple’s Camera Connection Kit.

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Virtuoso Keyboardist Ruben Valtierra relies on QSC to hit the right notes Ruben Valtierra is a name that almost every aspiring keyboardist revers to be, having played and recorded with members of groups such as Santana, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Natalie Cole, Tower of Power, Chick Corea, Elton John, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and best known as long-time keyboardist for "Weird Al" Yankovic. And when he isn’t busy touring the world and wowing audiences, Valtierra is active in the studio, writing and producing, along with leading his Valtierra Latin Orchestra (VLO).

As an ace musician, Valtierra is as proud about the equipment he uses as he is about the kind of awe inspiring versatile range of music that he produces. Known for his remarkable passion for all things musical, Valtierra ensures that the gear he uses is nothing less than top notch and world class. Which is why it comes as no surprise that the virtuoso keyboardist is a part of QSC’s "K for Musicians" family, as he chooses to rely on K series loudspeakers as his personal monitoring solution.

"QSC’s K8 is the best speaker system I've had, ever. Ever!" states Valtierra as he continues to say, "I actually started off with the K12's which frankly were amazing to begin with, and then moved on to K10's which again delivered great quality, smooth and pristine audio in an even compact frame. Finally I moved on to the QSC K8's, which I use now. I wanted to see just how small a rig I could feel comfortable with, cause you know at the end of the day it’s always great to have a compact high performance rig that you can move around with. And you know what? With the QSC K8s I gave up nothing in performance and have the benefit of something so light and portable."

Valtierra goes on to explain that not only does his K8 rig allow him to play with all the expression and nuance he enjoys in the studio, but it also provides the energy and presence found on the most powerful

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stage amplifiers (since the loudspeakers are outfitted with a 1000 watt power module!). Says Valtierra “It’s so much fun to use these babies – they’re crisp, clear, powerful and so vivid – frequencies across the spectrum sound just the way it’s supposed to! That’s what you want as a musician while you’re performing – to hear the sound that you’re actually playing. All of this in such a compact package makes it such a perfect personal rig to have!”

In its true form, QSC’s K Family loudspeakers offer distinct advantages over traditional amplifiers in terms of connectivity and flexibility. As all the K Series products have two mixable inputs, musicians can have instrument in the first input and a monitor mix in the second input, while controlling the balance between the two.

And with parallel outputs, musicians can connect directly to the loudspeaker while at the same time sending a direct output to the house - no direct box needed.

Also of value when the stage performance is mixed from a house position, the K10, K12 and KW122 can be utilized in a stage monitor position, facing the musician, while providing greater stage-volume control to the house engineer. Pairing two loudspeakers offers musicians true stereo imaging at their performance position.

Roland announces TD-25KV and TD-25K V-DRUMS Expressive Mid-Level Kits with High-End Playability and Quick Sound Customization Roland is pleased to announce the TD-25KV and TD-25K V-Drums, two new mid-level kits in the revered V-Drums lineup. Featuring the allnew TD-25 sound module, mesh-head pads, and much more, these kits offer serious players quality sound and expressive playability that rivals Roland’s flagship TD-30 V-Drums. The TD-25KV and TD-25K also include many great extras for productivity and music practice, including quick sound customization, onboard Coach functions, and built-in audio recording capability.

The TD-25KV and TD-25K kits deliver a superior drumming experience, thanks in part to Roland’s SuperNATURAL technology with Behavior Modeling inherited from the top-of-the-line TD-30. With sounds that respond organically to the player’s touch, the TD-25 module provides the dynamic, interactive feel that’s essential for reaching the highest levels of musical expression. From rim shots, rolls, flams, and ghost notes on the snare to dramatic crash hits and sustained cymbal swells, every nuance is detailed, accurate, and ultra-smooth.

Additionally, the pads and cymbals in the TD-25KV and TD-25K kits offer the natural playability that have made V-Drums the top choice of pro drummers everywhere. Both kits include mesh-head pads for the snare and toms, providing exceptional feel and response. The TD-25 module supports positional sensing on the snare, and the PDX100 10-inch snare pad is ideal for taking full advantage of this highly expressive feature.

The TD-25KV includes two PD-85BK 8-inch pads for rack toms and one PDX-100 10-inch pad for floor tom, while the more affordable TD-25K includes two PDX-6 6.5-inch pads for rack toms and one PDX-8 8-inch pad for floor tom. In addition, the TD-25KV comes with two CY-12C 12-inch crash cymbals, while the TD-25K includes one. Both kits also come with one CY-13R 13-inch ride cymbal. The cymbals offer a natural swinging motion and support chokes, bow/edge sounds on crash, and bow/edge/bell sounds on the ride.

Mounting on a standard acoustic hi-hat stand, the VH-11 V-Hi-Hat features up/down motion and bow/edge sounds for an authentic response. Rounding out the kits is the KD-9 Kick Pad, which provides a natural-feel cloth head and rock-solid playability.

To compliment its expressive sound engine, the TD-25 module includes a streamlined interface that makes it easy to select and adjust sounds.

A large center dial allows users to quickly choose kits based on the

music style they want to play, and sounds can be edited simply by striking a pad and using the module’s knobs to change instruments and adjust tuning, muffling, and levels. Toms can be edited as a group, greatly speeding up the process. Changes to kits are saved automatically, eliminating the need to fuss with extra steps.

The TD-25 module also includes many beneficial features for music practice. Users can play along with WAV and MP3 music tracks stored on USB memory, and songs can be slowed down or looped in specific areas to learn parts. It’s also possible to record drumming performances (along with music playback) as audio files to USB memory for evaluation and sharing. Additionally, users can develop their drumming skills with the convenient onboard Coach functions.

The TD-25 sound module is equipped with a USB host port as well, providing a convenient connection for recording audio and MIDI data directly into DAW software.

To learn more about the TD-25KV and TD-25K V-Drums, visit www.roland.co.in.

BAND OF THE MONTH

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SKA VENGING MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE

Ska Vengers, an eight piece Ska band from Delhi has for quite some time been creating a music revolution... The political undertone and fearless rhythms of their music is what makes the band unique. Couple some amazing music with some great lyrics and a jaw-droppingly good music video, Ska Vengers aspire to create something beyond just music. Ska Vengers talk to us about how they conceptualized their name, how bills suffer when you are a musician and about their cult-status worthy song on Udham Singh-‘Frank Brazil’ among other things.

Let us start with a rather clichéd question: Why the name Ska Vengers?

Stefan Kaye: The Ska Vengers is a play on words. When we started out, most of the songs we played were in a ska style. We were also – we would like to think – breathing life into long dead musical styles or never-having-lived styles in India. A tendency to scavenge, if you will.

Delhi Sultanate: Plus 'Vengers' sounds like a vigilante group Begum X: …or like super hero group like The Avengers Tony: The name works for the kind of band we are. Most band/artist names are actually pretty stupid and it's really the band that makes the name anyways. I mean, how was Eminem, Oasis or Green Day ever a good idea for a band name?

Tell us about the history of the band & your musical journey from the time you started. How did you all meet?

Stefan: I was playing in a band called Emperor Minge with Tony (Bass) and Nikhil (Vasudevan) and later Samara. This band was (is) a type of quasi-classical disco rock band with pretensions of grandeur. There were a couple of ska type songs in the set and I hit on the idea of a separate band that would focus on more songs that were simpler in form yet more danceable. At that time there were very few non-mainstream dance-oriented bands in India, or at least as far as I was aware. Most bands I saw live did not get girls onto the dance floor!

The seed was sown late in 2007 I believe but it took more than a year to find the right people. Samara was a natural choice for a singer since she had recently joined Emperor Minge and had great presence and a great voice of course. I met her as I was auditioning singers for a Delhi production of the Broadway musical ‘Hair’.

Through this production we recruited the original horn players,

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Gemma and Jackie and later Rie and Yohei. Prior to this though, I had checked out one of the first BassFoundation gigs at the venue ‘Cafe Morrison’ sometime in 2008 in which Taru (aka Delhi Sultanate) was performing. I was knocked out by his free-styling and rhythmic agitprop style lyrics and asked him if he would be interested in performing with a yet-to-be-named ska band. He was keen but wanted to wait until the other members had come together.

Shortly after we placed an ad for a guitarist on a page called ‘Reggae India’. Perhaps then I didn’t know so many musicians but certainly nobody I knew had enough understanding or was familiar with the type of music I was hoping to produce.

I received a response from Raghav Dang who was then living in London but buoyed up by the promise of playing in a band that performed the kind of music he was into, he found it easier to make the decision to move back to Delhi. Myself, Nikhil, Tony and Raghav eventually began rehearsing early in 2009. Our first gig was at a friend’s private party and initially featured Samara on guest vocals. We were joined by Delhi Sultanate a few months later.

Delhi Sultanate: When Stefan first approached me with the idea of starting a ska and rock steady band, I was very excited. I grew up on dancehall and reggae music and the idea of playing in a band that would explore the genres that gave birth to most if not all genres of bass music, that too in my hometown, sounded like a too good to be true scenario. I had known Samara before but met them for the first time at one of their early gigs, perhaps the second one. I was asked to jump on stage for one of their songs and improvise something with them. During soundcheck, we came up with the song 'Vampire' that has become a regular part of our sets to this day.

While I was excited about the idea of being part of a reggae band, I remember that at first I was also a bit sceptical. I didn’t want to play in a reggae band that would end up like some polite uptown monkey band playing to entertain Delhi society people at venues. After all, this was meant to be rudeboy music. The first few gigs I would only

be on stage during songs that I was featured on. The first few shows in Delhi however dispelled my fears.

Begum X: The last thing I imagined myself doing was fronting a band.

When I met Stefan, I was in an interesting phase in my life. I had no particular responsibilities and was looking to come closer to who I really am or even reinvent. Everything that I do today began at that time. Stefan is rather modest here but he was instrumental in bringing us all together. It’s like he handpicked us. He did his research. I imagine that he watched us for some time. I certainly wasn’t as confident as I am today. I think that he has the ability to imagine what could be. Each member of our band has a story.

Tell us a little about your new song "Frank Brazil". Why did you choose to make a murder ballad? Any specific reason?

Stefan: The idea appealed to Samara who had been listening to a compilation of songs recorded in the Southern states of America in the 1920s and 30s. There is a tradition of songs perhaps passed across several generations with macabre or grim subject matter that travelled to US with early settlers from Europe. These songs would be sung in the first or third person with minimal accompaniment often on guitar, autoharp or banjo and would describe events leading up to and following a murder of a cheating lover, an outlaw or some such undesirable. A large number of these songs of artists such as Leadbelly, Ma’ Rainey, Memphis Jug Band were recorded in the early days of recorded sound by folk historians but made more widely available during the so-called folk boom of the 1960s.

One of these early songs called '‘lectric Chair Blues’ or ‘Send me the ‘lectric chair’ was recorded by blues singer Bessie Smith. The lyric of the refrain formed the main hook of the chorus of our song ‘Frank Brazil’. Delhi Sultanate was fascinated by the relatively little-known story of Udham Singh and decided to work the story into the format, with a modern twist of course!

Delhi Sultanate: I first heard about Udham Singh’s story in 2005 when I was studying in London and living not far from Pentonville prison where he was executed. A Punjabi friend of mine whose parents had been part of the Indian Workers Association introduced me to singers like Sant Ram Udasi as well as the revolutionary Udham Singh. He was the first person from one of the colonies to travel back to the metropolis and publicly assassinate a colonial official and wound a company man. His story raises important questions about imperialism and the use of violence that are relevant to this day.

There were lines in the Bessie Smith song that reminded me of Udham Singh's story. At one point she turns to the judge and tells that she does not care whether she spends 99 years in jail or is sent to the electric chair. This defiance in the face of death and the judiciary reminded me of Udham Singh’s attitude upon his arrest.

Begum X: Typically murder ballads have a clear narrative and of course a murder (or two), and could be from the point of view of the killer or of the victim. They can be quite macabre but also very witty and sometimes full of double-speak. Often they were real life stories ripped from the headlines and put in to verse. It pushed the boundaries of free speech - sex, scandal, gossip, innuendo, politics, local news, bravado. Quite fascinated by this genre we came upon an album called ‘Murder – Songs from the Dark side of the Soul’. It was our introduction to murder ballads. One of my favourite song on that album (aside from Billy Holidays’ classic ‘Strange fruit’) was a Bessie Smith song called “Send me to the ‘lectric chair”. The chorus of Frank Brazil is adapted from this song, paying tribute to the genre. Our murder ballad is from the point of view of Udham Singh.

We never chose to make it a murder ballad. There was no agenda.

When we begin working on a track we don’t know what it’s going to be about. It’s an organic process. Delhi Sultanate and I will vibe off of each other and eventually the lyrics and subject matter evolve.

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How do you guys create such unique music that no one else has thought about?

Stefan: I am not sure that nobody has thought about it, but we certainly are one few to produce it in India at any rate!

Delhi Sultanate: We meditate and practise yoga.

Begum X: It’s not something that we think about. It just emerges.

It’s original and yet it’s an amalgam of imitation and inspiration.

We are re-inventing something that originated in the late 1950s in another colony of the British and putting it in the Indian context.

Tony: Actually, lots of people have thought about it as there have been many ska bands over the decades but perhaps not in India. We blend in many other influences with ska, such as jazz, dancehall and punk, which I guess makes it somewhat unique.

Why did you specifically choose Udham Singh?

Delhi Sultanate: I found his story and his character fascinating. He was part of Bhagat Singh's crew and was an atheist. Today, Hindu nationalist forces are trying their best to appropriate these freedom fighters though when they were alive they were ideologically completely opposed to their thinking.

Begum X: Udham Singh – The Avenger – was a man who knew his mission in life – to avenge his people post the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre. He intrigued us. We were also impressed with how he signed his name in his prison diaries and in court – Muhammad Singh Azad (later certain people christened him it Ram Muhammad Sing Azad when he was declared a martyr).

I can’t say that I agree with his methods of avenging his people. I am also against the death penalty. But Udham Singh’s story and our track bring to light many questions and things to think about.

Most of us have not experienced that type of brutality on our person.

What must it have felt like to witness a mass massacre as a child?

How does one equate with that? Yes he committed an act of violence too 21 years later, assassinating O’Dwyer (responsible for the massacre), for which Udham Singh was executed. But what makes some types of violence legitimate – usually violence practiced by the state – and some not? Why do some have a monopoly over violence?

And isn’t it evident that violence only breeds more violence?

Where do you guys draw inspiration from, as a band?

Stefan: Musically, we draw inspiration from styles such as ska, punk, jazz forms, Afrobeat, Cuban, dub, reggae, hip hop and a few more probably.

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Delhi Sultanate: My inspiration comes mostly from reggae music, artists like Bounty Killer, Sizzla and Capleton or Burning Spear. I also like earlier hip-hop artists like ICE T or NWA, Public Enemy or Big Punisher.

Samara: All of the names that the boys mentioned and life in India.

Tony: Reggae, punk, ska and Afrobeat records mostly.

You have toured across, how do audiences react in each city that you have played in?

Stefan: Mostly these days we play to audiences who are largely familiar with some of our songs. I don’t think we have played a gig where nobody has danced!

Delhi Sultanate: Audiences definitely vary across cities but it depends a lot on venues as well. College gigs or public gigs are a different ballgame from clubs and within venues there can also be a marked difference. This makes it hard to generalise across entire cities. That being said, we have always had a good experience performing in Bangalore for instance, audiences here have always been very energetic and open. We love the scene at Counter Culture in Bangalore or High Spirits in Pune.

Begum X: There is something about the rhythm that makes people move their bodies. It makes the body and heart light. It makes you want to jump. I don’t think that that is particular to us but a specialty of the genre. It appeals to the old and the young and even to people who don’t understand the lyrics/language.

Tony: Audiences have, luckily for us, been quite receptive. It really depends on the venue though. We've played to passive and unresponsive crowds on occasion, like every other indie band in the country.

How do the fans perceive your music?

Delhi Sultanate: I have no idea... this is a question you would have to ask fans. I wonder myself sometimes what people make of this mix of Jamaican style singing and musical elements while talking about things that are very Indian.

Tony: At the very least, I think they perceive it as something original, but then again, maybe not.

If there is a single band/artist you would like to collaborate with in future. Who would that be and why?

Delhi Sultanate: It's tough to think of a single one! I would like to do a

SNEHA RAMESH performance and album project with Mad Professor from the UK, to have him dub our sound and craft a set with him. I would also love to do songs with Kabir Kala Manch artists...

What is your take on the Indie music scenario in India?

Delhi Sultanate: First off, I’m not exactly sure what people mean when they talk about Indie music. Is it only non-mainstream urban middle class music? Do you also include artists like Gadar or Bant Singh as indie? Considering that they are independent, non-mainstream and can have huge following? If you include all of these artists then is it impossible to generalise.

If you’re referring to the former, I would say that there has been tremendous growth in the past 5 years since we started performing. There are new bands coming up that are exploring trying to find their own sound and have a unique identity. There are also more venues and spaces for us to perform. At the same time, it can be a very small circuit when you take the country as a whole. I'm waiting for there to be more venues, more inclusive venues.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now in the music scene?

Stefan: We shall wait and see.

YOUR IDOLS Stefan: Duke Ellington, Franz Schubert, Galilleo Gallilei Delhi Sultanate: Miyamoto Musashi, Birsa Munda, Marcos Zapata Begum X: Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin

Delhi Sultanate: No idea… I hope that we will have performed in Jamaica within that time period. It’s hard for us to predict where the scene will go but at the moment there is growth.

I'm hoping that we will have more freedom to hold concerts in public spaces!

Tony Bass: Johnny Rotten, Jon Stewart, Malik Ambar, Coluche

Begum X: Touring and collaborating across class and cultures

TELL US SOMETHING QUIRKY ABOUT EACH ONE OF YOU.

Tony: Hopefully playing a wide array of gigs, in India in new venues and settings, and internationally for more exposure. And hopefully more cash, to pay for my cigarettes and my kid's education. That way I won't have to play corporate shows on the side to high-nosed German luxury hotel owners in Bhubaneshwar.

What would be your advice to upcoming and thriving musicians?

Stefan: Don’t follow trends.

Delhi Sultanate: Yeah, don’t follow trends and persevere. The other advice I would give – though I don’t follow it myself – is to have other sources of income in addition to music. If you rely on only music to pay your bills it often ends up being a scenario where you have to make a lot of compromises in order to get high paying and commercial gigs, it can affect your creative freedom.

Begum X: Don’t be in a hurry to achieve ‘success’. Focus on your evolution as a human being.

Have varied experiences. Travel. Step out of your comfort zone.

Tony: If you're thriving, keep on thriving. If you’re an upcoming act, just keep in mind that integrity just might pay off in the long run.

Can you give out a message to the readers of The Score Magazine?

Delhi Sultanate: Don't be a passive human being. We are living in the matrix. Join the resistance.

Stefan is a virtuoso spoon player and has been known to steal cutlery from hotels.

Chaz at one point was modelling men’s underwear for a Marks & Spencers’ clothing catalogue.

Our bassist Tony adopted his stage name after his favourite fish and refuses to eat any other fish than the sea bass.

YOUR MOST POPULAR SONG DURING GIGS. Stefan: Possibly our take on the Velvet Underground classic, ‘Waiting for the Man’.

Tony: Learn to play the trombone and we might just hire you!

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TOP 15

TRENDING TRACKS Eight months into the year, we’ve seen some brilliant innovation in terms of pushing creative boundaries and moving past stringent genres. The independent music scene has really gone all out, with ridiculously catchy grooves, stunning vocal capabilities and melodies that stick. We’ve shortlisted some of the best and most popular tracks from a variety of different artists that are the highlights of 2015.

Cheerleader – OMI feat.

Felix Jaehn This deep house pop track is one of those singles that make you giggle like a twelve year-old with its sheepishly catchy vocals, shy bass line and a chorus that makes you damage your repeat button. The bongos and trumpet really hit it off together in one of those rare combinations that showcase the best of this artist’s talent.

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars When your song gets almost a billion streams on YouTube, you know you’ve done something right. Anyone with an MP3 player and access to the web today knows this track. Mark really set the stage for Bruno’s singing style, with the perfect drops, pauses and breakdowns. Although laidback in it’s complexity, the funk is strong in this one.

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See You Again – Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth I genuinely found it hard to hold back the tears at the end of Fast 7. However, feels aside, this song is such an ever so beautiful tribute to Paul Walker with gentle and joyous arpeggios, snare drum that’s highly reminiscent of a funeral (or maybe that’s just where my mind goes), and the message of forever, that just ties the whole thing up in one intensely emotional knot.

Hold back The River – James Bay There’s something very satisfying about watching indie songs make it big and impactful. James Bay’s single is one of those songs, with an almost arena rock vibe, brilliantly simplistic drums and bass, and a music video that strongly reminds me of Coldplay’s Speed of Sound. Really recommend this to indie folk fans.

Take Me To Church – Hozier

Love Me Like You Do – Ellie Goulding

Speaking of pushing genre boundaries, Hozier really broke the Internet with this mid tempo track. An intense and powerful lyrical message, cocooned in an array of lows, drums and keys that catapult the soulfulness of his voice into the ‘feels’ dimension. Call it indie, blues or soul, but Take Me To Church really redefines our perspectives on impactful adagio.

Fifty Shades of Grey might have caused the song to be perceived very restrictively, but personally I think its got way more depth than fathomable.

Ellie’s voice is as unique and dreamy as ever, but the right dynamics and backing vocals really set it apart from her previous hits like Burn and Lights.

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AMOGH RAO Sugar – Maroon 5 Maroon 5’s music doesn’t need much of an introduction and neither does Adam Levine. A straight up pop song through and through, Sugar has more of a punch than the other tracks on the record, and the vocals really blend into the spaces between the grooves. Really playful and not overpowering, it’s the perfect song to listen to while on the road.

Fight Song – Rachel Platten Rachel’s voice has an inherent softness to it, and this track’s dense, pumping measure really blends with the frail keys and gentle vocals. She does try to bring it all together rather strongly, but the skillfulness of dynamics throughout really brings out a contrast between a tense chorus and almost Demi Lovato like energy.

Firestone – Kygo feat. Conrad Four Five Seconds – Rihanna feat. Kanye West and Paul McCartney It’s really refreshing to listen to Pop and RnB artists do simple acoustic pieces, sans the drum machine beats and after effects. Rihanna’s voice is pretty much in the spotlight with Paul’s chord work expertly nuancing both vocalists. One short and sweet 3 minute track that’s perfect to brighten up your day.

Lean On – Major Lazer & DJ Snake This song is like the guilty pleasure of music. No one wants to admit to liking the song, yet it is so ridiculously catchy that you can’t stop repeating it.

The break down with processed vocals and a swinging groove, just sticks. You can’t help it. The vocal style somehow reminds me of an older Foster the People, like Pumped Up Kicks (without the heavily compressed EQ though).

Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran Like I had previously mentioned, acoustic pop songs are really refreshing.

The difference being, very few can do it as brilliantly as Ed Sheeran. That almost narrative style of vocals makes me really regret having missed his show in Mumbai a few months ago. Although a bit brighter, almost like a mature version of a Jonas Brothers song, the tremendous bluesy-ness of the track and his melting voice really push the right buttons.

Really fresh. I mean the subtle groove, subtle vocal frills, absolutely gorgeous almost xylophone-like keys, really makes for a joyous four and a half minutes.

There’s so much scope for remixing this song that I wouldn’t even get started with that. However, the original track has this really crisp bloom to it that can’t be duplicated.

Budapest – George Ezra I can literally picture a man in a white suit singing along to a blues ensemble.

The staccato guitar and shuffle feel strongly reminds me of Bobby Darin and Come September. Also, love how his lows have the same volume and depth as his high notes. Vocal proficiency, check.

Chandelier – Sia Sia is arguably one of the most expressive singers out there right now. Her vocal range and confident, dominating voice really intensifies the track she’s singing on. The chorus really makes you hold your breath at those high notes, almost like she’s showing off her expertise.

Blank Space – Taylor Swift Although the bouncy, tumbling meter takes away from some of the melody, Taylor’s attitude and style pushes past the dryness and really keeps the tune and track together. The reverb also does pretty well. The popularity of this song mostly comes from its lyric supported with a melody, just like most of her music.

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Star of the Month

ABBAS HASAN The artist of the year in 2014 and the current heartthrob in Asian music scene, Abbas Hasan is an artist bred over time with influences from Paris to Canada and recently in the Indian subcontinent. Named the ‘Next Big Thing’ in Asian music/film, Hasan’s exploits have travelled far and wide, very recently in signing up with Rishi Rich.

With ancestry from neighboring Pakistan, Abbas is one musician close to home and heart.

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MEERA C Tell us about where you started and how your musical journey has been so far?

Tell us about you brand new single Sweet Girl.

It’s strange, but I think the showbiz world chose me at a young age.

As a young kid growing up in Paris, France, I was surrounded by lots of different musical and artistic influences and then I was selected by Disney Studios for various recording work. From those experiences of being in the studio and on set at a very young age, I think it became clear that this was the world I belonged in. From then to now and being signed with Rishi Rich, performing at the TOIFA (Times of India Film Awards) and collaborating with some of the biggest names in Bollywood, it’s an exciting journey and I feel like I’m just getting warmed up!

Sweet Girl is a song about a mesmerizing hypnotic girl, and I think the song goes hand in hand with the video. To understand the song you need to watch the video. It’s about obsession. It’s about the duality of people’s personalities: the dark side and the light side. And I hope my Habibis enjoy it!

You are known to be the heartthrob of the Asian music scene. How does that feel? How do you think you acquired that title?

Which has been your most favourite location that you performed at and why?

It’s very flattering to be called a ‘heartthrob’ but to be honest I never really over-think it. I guess growing up in Paris affected my sense of style and when I started out in modeling and then released my music people just responded well to me. But I blame my “Habibis” as their comments and reactions are the real reason for this! (He laughs)

How was it like winning an award in 2014 as the "Artist of the year" I don’t take awards and honours too seriously but it was a really special moment to be honoured in Canada and it meant a lot to be able to perform and celebrate for my Habibis in Toronto. It was a reminder that I’ve achieved a lot in a short space of time and I feel really grateful to the industry around me and particularly to my mentor Rishi Rich and the amazing time that I work with. This just motivates me to work harder and create music and visuals that push my fans to think and to feel.

What was it like singing Happy Birthday at Karan Johar’s birthday bash in London in front of Shilpa Shetty, Manish Malhotra, Malaika Arora Khan and others?

Of course it was a great moment. Karan is amazing and as hilarious in person, just as he is on TV. The party was obviously a lot of fun and a great time to just celebrate with friends. I’ve known Manish and the others for years now so it felt like home. Of course it was extra special bumping into the beautiful Malaika Arora, who we had been discussing working on a video with. She is such a stunner both on and off camera.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Inspiration can take many forms. It can come from people I know, from films, from fashion, from personal experiences and even from a painting. Every song has a different journey and a different soul and evolves differently. Sometimes I write a song starting from the melody, sometimes it comes from a lyrical idea that I wake up with.

Ultimately the things that inspire me are all around me and it’s about being open in the studio and creating something that moves me in some way, whether it’s physically or emotionally.

If there is one artist you would like to collaborate with, who would it be and why?

Well I’ve been blessed to have collaborated with some amazing names so far (Priyanka Chopra, Shahrukh Khan, Shreya Ghoshal, DJ Khushi). But in terms of recording I’ve been very restrictive so far but there are a lot of new collaborations that I’m working on. I guess one of my dream collaborations is A. R. Rahman, because I think he understands music in a very different way, and always has his finger on the pulse in terms of reinventing and transforming his sound.

Your favorite artist of all time: Freddie Mercury Most played song in your playlist: These days it’s the Sweet Girl remix of course! We’ve been busy in studio so I’ve been listening to it on repeat.

Releasing soon!

One stage you definitely

Well I can’t really pinpoint want to perform at: a favourite location because The O2 Arena in London whenever I travel far and wide I’m always excited and amazed If not music, what to meet my fans. I don’t like would you have done? having a huge division between Acting, Writing, Painting, myself and my fans and I love or being creative in some to meet and interact with them on Twitter, Instagram and other way.

Facebook. But yes, sometimes I get pleasantly surprised. I loved performing in Germany and Switzerland purely because the audiences were wild and amazing, and I didn’t expect that when I was travelling there.

You are known to set stages on fire both nationally and internationally. Where does it get hotter at? :) Haha. Good question. It gets hot everywhere I go where I can perform for my Habibis! As an artist I believe that we are gypsies and we belong to our fans. So I’m happy to travel across the world just to perform. It can get tiring sometimes but the connection I feel with the audience when I get on stage is worth every moment. I haven’t performed in India yet but we will be planning something soon so I’m looking forward to the Indian heat!

What are your future projects like? Anything interesting that you would like to give our readers a heads up about?

We have a lot of releases lined up so it’s a busy year for me as I’m releasing Sweet Girl and then off to shoot my next video. I’ve also signed as the ambassador of an Italian brand Mastrioni so I have a number of engagements for them. And then there’s a secret project coming up that I can’t wait to tell the world about. And this one is big!

Your message to upcoming musicians and readers of the magazine To all my fans and Habibis in India I just want to say I love you guys and that you inspire me to do what I do. Stay tuned for my upcoming appearances in India through my twitter or Facebook. To any aspiring musicians I would say keep working on your craft and remember why you’re doing it. It’s about the passion. I just want to wish a lot of love and positive vibes to everyone and see you all very soon!

A model, an artist and a connoisseur of music, Abbas Hasan is the one you need to watch out for. With a lot of projects very close to India, Hasan is very surely the next big thing here and abroad.

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IMPROVISATION The music of the moment

by Aman Mahajan

One reason I began playing music came from a childhood dream of travelling, meeting anyone who wanted to play, and having a musical conversation.

Another reason was to deal with and communicate my own emotional state. I believe that this sharing of one’s inner state can be very intimate, with the practical power to unite people across all kinds of barriers.

STYLE These motivations led me towards styles of music that have improvisation built into them, like jazz, folk music and Indian classical music. The music of any ‘style’ is invariably intertwined with a variety of rules and tendencies, simply to qualify it as belonging to that tradition. When you say you are playing music in a certain style, you are acknowledging its history and therefore have something to emulate.

For example, both bebop and Carnatic music have huge vocabularies of rhythmic and melodic ideas or phrases that simply have to be delved into in order to speak the language. At the same time, these are also styles that allow for tremendous improvisational freedom at every performance.

Of course, there is also potential for abstract and non-idiomatic improvisation, which nevertheless gets classified into a style based on the history of the musicians and the instruments being used.

Against the backdrop of musical style, I would like to elaborate on my experiences with a few aspects of improvised music, to help us look at the subject from a few different angles.

A GAME OF TRIAL AND ERROR A sense of play, often left out of practice sessions, makes a world of difference between something being tedious/dry, and alive/‘in the flow’. Humour and the sense of having fun helps with creative ease and prevents us from intellectualizing things too much. This is often obvious at a performance, where you see musicians share a smile over what might have been an inside musical joke during a solo.

Perhaps less obviously, improvisation is a game played with musical ideas and involves a lot of trial and error. Rhythms are often superimposed on one another, or a melodic phrase is placed at an unexpected harmonic or rhythmic point, just to see what it could sound like. Of course, the extreme is when the game becomes humourless – all about competition and the expression of one’s technical level.

COMMUNICATION Music created in the moment can be extremely communicative, and parallels to spoken language have often been drawn by jazz musicians like Gary Burton and Victor Wooten. Just like with a language, we learn words and phrases and then make spontaneous combinations of them for the purpose of expression. We could take a certain theme or musical idea and keep developing it in the same way as two friends having a conversation would. And once enough has been said on a particular topic, one moves on to something else, related or unrelated, and the whole thing continues. Silence at the end of a phrase plays an important role in emphasizing what was just said.

To me, what really sets music apart in a communicative sense is the sacrificing of precise linguistic or descriptive ideas for broader emotional ones. And this direct communication of an emotional state is what gives improvised music an important function, as it requires a basic honesty on the part of the improvising musician, calling for selfreflection and also the ability to listen to others.

I never even thought about whether or not they understand what I'm doing . . . the emotional reaction is all that matters. As long as there's some feeling of communication, it isn't necessary that it be understood.

– John Coltrane

AESTHETIC AND TECHNIQUE Of course, the main difference between improvised music and spoken language is that even though they may share the same real-time, linear approach, music is culturally viewed as an art form. There is more poetry, with far less rules of syntax. The presentation of a phrase or motif can actually be more important than the note choices.

Also, there is the aspect of motivic development, or relationships between successive ideas and the act of telling a story. Improvisation is spontaneous composition, and the aesthetics of form, space and harmony are important.

The ‘shape’ of the same musical phrase can vary tremendously when played by different musicians, even on the same instrument. These variations can be analyzed in terms of dynamics (intensities of volume), tempo (speed), time-feel (placement of beats relative to a pulse) and so on. Here’s where practice comes in; to have some control over these factors, there are technical requirements to be met for the relationship between the body and the musical instrument. As any improvising musician knows, being comfortable with one’s instrument is of prime importance.

I hope this glimpse into improvised music is helpful in some way to musicians and listeners. In the words of John Cage, “Everything we do is music. Everywhere is the best seat.”

Aman Mahajan is a pianist and composer. Fortunate to have worked with a wide variety of musicians of diverse cultural backgrounds, Mahajan is influenced by jazz, folk, classical and electronic music from around the world, and deeply inspired by a sense of unity and connection. www.refugemusic.in | facebook/amanmahajan.music

hits we'll pick and hits we'll ditch NILANKUR DUTTA

Have you ever felt the need to listen to the sound of angry drivers in traffic because it has more originality than the music playing on the stereo? Popular music is the voice of a generation and you’ve tried to get in on it, but it’s the same shite all over again. Lyrics may as well be from the justgirlythings or justhipsterthings page, almost all singers (rather artistes eh?) are where they are because of autotune and the beats seem to have been composed on a free iPad app.

You’re not alone if you feel this way, and just to make your screening process easier on the radio or on YouTube, here is a list of the current hits that ought not to be current hits. It’s in no particular order, because when it comes to Nicki Minaj’s voice each person feels a different level of hatred. To balance out all the hating, we bring you the current hits that deserve to be current hits as well.

So any time you are fate brings one of these “hit” songs to you, check out our INSTEAD suggestions, songs you can listen to without your ears bleeding out like something out of the Exorcist.

INSTEAD

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Where Are U Now - Skrillex and Diplo feat. Justin Bieber

Can’t feel my face The Weeknd

That’s right. This brilliant track apparently needed the work of three musicians, sorry artists. It opens with Justin Bieber’s auto-tuned voice, but rewound and played a little (Classic Skrillex and Classic David Guetta and Classic Avicii). So when you hear “I need you you, I need you, I need you you, I need you, and you can’t be sure if it’s a male or female voice, you can change the station or fast forward. The chorus is nearly free of lyrics, so if you’re into the other two musical geniuses on this track, wait for it. But just so you know, it gets boring real soon. And unfortunately it wouldn’t be accurate to use the phrase “what a bass drop bro” to your dubstep buddies with this song either.

Even if you don’t like hip-hop, this song has a very good chance of growing on you. If you’re obsessed with bass drops, try listening to the infectious bass line that comes with this track’s chorus. With catchy, youthful ‘lets-get-smashed’ lyrics, this song is exactly what being young and irresponsible is all about, without having to make your ears bleed with the combined attack from Bieber and Skrillex.

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INSTEAD

Good For You - Selena Gomez ft A$AP Rocky

Uma Thurman - Fall Out Boy The best thing about this song is that it commemorates the iconic dance between Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. The second best thing about this song is the incorporation of The Munsters theme song at the end of every chorus. Yes, it is a song by Fall Out Boy and yes, it may not exactly be the most creatively original song, but it’s great to sing along to if you’ve decided to give popular music a chance.

Uma Thurman let Fall Out Boy use her name for this track and also called this song “nice”. Fall Out Boy also came out in support for same sex marriages at the end of the video, not so subtly though. It involves a huge tank with the word UMA painted all over it in Red. Watch the video to find out.

Mispronouncing words is another thing in with new artists.

Listen to Selena Gomez’s own pronunciation of the word ‘good’ in the phrase “good for you” which is repeated thrice in the chorus, just like it has been rewound and played a little (deja vu eh?). If this song weren’t enough of a catastrophe musically speaking, Selena Gomez in her infinite wisdom tells us repeatedly that the way to make your lover know you’re proud to be theirs is by dressing up for them. You have to keep wearing the favourite skin-tight dress too, apparently. No more laundry and no more pyjamas.

INSTEAD

Talking Body - Tove Lo In this song Tove Lo talks about the profound emotion of how she’d fuck a man for la-a-ife if she is fucked ra-a-ight. In such a state of mind, she also doesn’t care if her man “smokes her till she broke” and is “down with whatever he wants”. Tove Lo also tells her love interest that if he’s “talking body” he’s got a perfect one so he can “put it on her”. Disturbing fact: Tove Lo was nominated for the breakout artist Teen Choice Award.

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars This track composed by Mark Ronson becoming a commercial success reminds us that not everything that’s commercial has to be bad, except of course for hipsters. The lyrics are whimsical and entertaining, with a beat that will have you sliding across the first smooth floor you find when you’re alone. Ronson said that he tried to capture Minneapolis from the 1980s in this track. The song certainly sounds like it’s behind it’s, but it is welcomed with open arms. Even if you’re not a funk or blues type of person, this song is unlikely to be disliked by the good people who hate Justin Bieber.

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The Dosti Music Project brings together a group of musicians from Pakistan, India, and the U.S. for a month long residency and tour. The program — now in its second year — will run from February 22 – March 23, 2016.

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SNEHA RAMESH The program begins with a three-week residency at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, focusing on methods of collaboration and workshops with local schools & community organizations, and culminates in a week-long tour with performances and social engagements throughout the Southeastern region of the United States.

The cultures of India and Pakistan are deeply interconnected, but creating opportunities for people-to-people contact can be challenging.

Yet music has always served as a binding force in South Asia.

Bollywood is wildly popular on both sides of the border, just as ghazal singers attract audiences on both sides of the border. Indians and Pakistanis have an immense shared cultural experience upon which to build new collaborations – the Dosti Project provides a space for that to happen.

Could you elaborate about the Dosti Music Project to us?

The Dosti Music Project was founded in 2014.

After running the larger international exchange program OneBeat for a few years, Found Sound Nation was approached by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad to devise a similar program—using music as a tool for cultural diplomacy—but with a focus on the regions of India and Pakistan, as a means of addressing the decades-old border conflict. Dosti provides an unprecedented opportunity for artists from these two countries to come together, interact, and create original works, within the tertiary space of the United States. It’s a chance to transcend the conflicts of their governments and meet face-to-face, as equals, as peers, as creative beings who share a rich history.

How was the first one in 2014 received?

We were thrilled by the response to the first year of Dosti. We got incredible feedback from the Fellows themselves, who were challenged to write music that stretched beyond their past personal experiences, and who were amazed to be able to connect with artists from across the border for the very first time. The US embassies in Pakistan and India were also very excited about the work that was done during our inaugural year of the Dosti Music Project and have encouraged us to keep growing and reaching out to new artists and communities across the region over the next year. We’re looking forward to seeing how the ripples from thisproject emanate and touch new lives, and we’re both heartened and humbled by the thought that this project can have such widespread impact.

On what basis do you pick your artists?

We select Dosti Fellows based on a number of criteria. One of the biggest factors we look for is an eagerness to experiment with new musical styles and an openness to re-contextualize one’s own musical background in an effort to create a completely new hybrid of sounds. We also look for artists who have experience writing music or re-interpreting traditional or folk tunes, as this program is about communicating with others through musical genesis / reinvention.

Do you think this project has helped reconnect and bridge the barriers between different borders?

It might not be tangible, but we definitely feel that this project has impacted the process of peace-building and cultural healing in this deeply divided region. The idea is that, this process starts small. It’s a ground-up endeavor that values the personal, one-on-one interaction as a potent tool for understanding. We’re attempting to generate a source for the wellspring of creative collaboration across countries that will last for generations. By endowing each Dosti Fellow with the immediate resources for interacting with musicians across the border, and guiding them to think deeply about methods for social engagement and community development projects in their own communities, we imagine this will grow exponentially over time.

This concept is fantastic and has a lot of scope for gaining limelight and getting bigger. What is your take on that?

Thank you! We truly hope to see this project gain more attention and reach more people, in the hopes that other like-mindedprojects will transpire, and people will be motivated to explore how music can touch and inspire their own communities. We also hope that the government will continue to support these kinds of programs because they are giving people such deep personal experiences with cultural diplomacy.

And when someone connects with an idea personally, they are all the more likely to be motivated by that to do something real. It’s no longer a concept, it’s a way of life.

Do you think music plays an important role in Cultural Diplomacy?

Absolutely. We’ve dedicated ourselves to putting this idea to the test, with both Dosti and its sister program OneBeat. And it’s been incredible to see this kind of grassroots, interpersonal, “people-topeople diplomacy” transcend its terminology and become a real, palpable experience.

How do you wish to push this cause across countries and get people involved?

Beyond the one month of running the project, and the 10 Fellows who join us, we hope that this kind of work will inspire others to start community building initiatives. We also hope that Dosti Fellows will spread their experience of the program by giving talks, devising new projects, and encouraging citizens of these countries to celebrate their similarities, understand their differences, and ultimately work together toward more peaceful relationships.

How does Dosti Music Project 2016 look like to you?

We are very excited about Dosti Music Project 2016! We will be returning to the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida for an intensive three-week residency. And then we will bring the Fellows on a 10-day tour throughout the Southeast USA to visit some amazing, musically rich communities, work with a number of youth & community organizations, and perform & record whatever musical ideas emerge.

Where do you see this project 5 years down the line?

We imagine a network of Dosti Fellows and supporters throughout Pakistan, India, and the US, actively addressing issues within their communities and envisioning new structures for how the arts and collaborative skill-building can have positive, wide-reaching impacts within and between their countries.

Give out a special message to readers of Score Hello, readers of Score! We are blessed to be able to connect with a global network of musicians, producers, artists, thinkers, and changemakers through our work with the Dosti Music Project. We hope you’ll consider applying for Dosti 2016. But be sure to do so soon -- applications close on August 1!

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Roland TD-1K The best choice for your first electronic drum set Compact and affordable, the TD-1K V-Drums set is perfect for first-time drummers, practicing students and anyone who wants to have fun playing drums at home. It’s also a great choice for drum teachers as well as experienced players and home studio owners looking for a quality electronic kit that won’t be too heavy on their pockets.

The TD-1K provides developing players a solid foundation for learning to play the right way and includes many built-in learning features for self-guided practice. Quiet performance is essential for home drumming, and one of the largest benefits that electronic drums bring over their acoustic drums. Built specifically for this application, TD-1K’s low-noise pads/pedals and headphone monitoring lets you rock out for hours without bothering others.

The setup in the TD-1K includes a snare, three toms, crash and ride cymbals, and a hi-hat with a control pedal. The kick pedal features an all-in-one, beater-free design that provides far quieter performance than a traditional pad/pedal combo.

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GREAT SOUNDS, READY TO PLAY The TD-1K is equipped with 15 drum kits for playing nearly any style, from rock, blues, and jazz to world music and EDM. Every drum sound offers a wide dynamic range and natural tone, and the pads provide the organic response that V-Drums are known for.

Unlike other entry-level sets, the TD-1K’s cymbals feature the advanced expressiveness that’s part of the entire V-Drums line. Just like acoustic cymbals, the crash and ride pads have a natural swinging motion when played. Additionally, they include separate bow and edge sounds, and support sound muting (cymbal chokes) when grabbed with your hand. The hi-hat also offers remarkable response with natural sound variations from tightly closed to fully open, and it’s even possible to play heel splashes with the ultra-responsive hihat control pedal.

EASY-TO-USE SOUND MODULE Think electronic drums are hard to use? Not so with the TD-1K. The sound module’s intuitive interface is very simple to use, even for beginners or first-time users of electronic drums. The panel provides a clear layout for accessing all functions easily, and the large value buttons can even be pressed with drumsticks, so you can change drum kits and adjust other parameters without missing a beat.

Built right into the sound module is a range of functions that support learning and make practice sessions more effective. The metronome is always available for a timing reference, while the powerful Coach mode provides a fun set of exercises for building speed, stamina, and accuracy. The sound module also includes internal audio songs with all instruments except the drum part, letting you experience the feel of jamming with a complete band.

You can also connect your smartphone or music player to the convenient Aux In jack and rock along with your favourite songs.

The module even includes a quick-access recording function, so you can capture your playing at any time to listen back and check your progress.

CONNECT TO COMPUTERS VIA USB The TD-1K’s sound module includes a built-in USB-MIDI interface, making it simple to communicate with computer software via just a USB cable, with no extra hardware needed. Roland’s free V-Drums Friend Jam applications offer jam tracks, practice features, and the ability to share your drumming progress with other V-Drums users around the world. For more in-depth education, the powerful DT-1 V-Drums Tutor provides a fun, dynamic user interface for learning notation and developing essential drum techniques. USB-MIDI also offers a great way to use the TD-1K to capture realistic MIDI drum tracks in DAW recording software.

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TW TURNTABLES & A MICROPHONE

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NIRUPAMA BELLIAPPA Type “What is a DJ” into Google and the results might interest you. This is what appeared at the top of my screen: “A DJ is someone who plays the music you hear on radio stations, internet radio stations, local bars and dance clubs, and even at wedding receptions. A disc jockey will consider their target audience when selecting the tracks to be played and often has a set list given to them by the company they work for.”

Plays music you hear on radio stations. And even at wedding receptions. Often has set list given to them by the company they work for.

Interesting....

Now of course I’m not saying this site is anything to go by - but this little paragraph that pops up as the first Google search result says quite a lot about many individuals’ current perceptions (and often confusion) of what a DJ actually is. Many see him/her as a living breathing personal jukebox, standing behind the console waiting eagerly for your requests. Others might see him/her as that person pushing all those buttons instead of holding a guitar like a real musician. Many believe a DJ must simultaneously embody the role of producer. Others aren’t too sure and continue to use the term EDM to reduce an entire universe of electronica music to three letters. Barely a beat goes by now in the dance music circuit without someone or the other mourning the rise of ‘push button DJs’ and ‘EDM’ taking over the real art and craft of DJing - but what precisely is entailed in that craft, and more importantly what isn’t? Though I don’t plan to preach to you about what the real answer to that is – I do suggest we revisit this question and explore it together, perhaps even stumbling upon a few light bulb moments along the way.

English TV/radio personality Jimmy Savile claimed to be the first ever DJ, replacing a live band by playing music records to his guests at parties in the early 1940’s, and subsequently using twin turntables to create continuous flows of music. Though his claim is somewhat disputed, this technological innovation would stick around – with two turntables and a microphone representing a departure from the days of mixing by painstakingly splicing reel-to-reel tapes together to keep the music in continuous play. When the figure of the DJ began to evolve and gain momentum, his/her role was as a sort of sonic mediator, a medium of the message (the message and focus being the track) – with the DJ playing an interesting cross section of other people’s records. In this period, a DJ’s core skill sets involved mixing and beat matching, pitch control, EQing, ear training, scratching in some cases, and a knack for interesting track selections (a result of searching through crates and crates of vinyls and then carrying these records to every gig – by no means an easy task).

Several streams of thought have emerged recently arguing that in order to get booked as a DJ or to get widespread recognition and keep up with the game, you must also be producing your own music.

Although having well produced tracks to one’s name certainly can’t hurt, producing was never part of a DJ’s craft – it’s a separate craft altogether that involves a completely different set of skills particular to the process. I would argue that the art of a good band involves composing quality original music and then performing that original music to their audiences, but applying this logic and benchmark of quality to the craft of the DJ is counterintuitive to the art form itself – an art that is less about the individual and producing a track in a studio, more about working the live energies of a room, having a firm grasp on and innovating with the technology at hand, possessing the spontaneous ability to improvise in order to set a mood and create an experience for the audience.

“My opinion is pretty straight forward. If you want to be a DJ then pick up DJ skills. You could be the best producer in the world and have a bunch of 'hits' but if you cannot hold your own as a DJ then no serious promoter is ever going to book you,” says DJ/producer Tuhin Mehta, “You will rise to stardom and fall rather rapidly as well. DJing is DJing and producing is producing. You cannot ride on your ability to produce music to be a DJ - it’s two very different worlds. It’s like saying a good race engineer is going to make a good F1 driver. Not gonna happen!”

An admirable quality of many innovators in the dance music space has been their ability to place a focus on the music as the message – acting more as a mediator, a clever curator weaving a web of tracks designed to feed off the energies of the dance floor, including their audiences in their creative process and often introducing them to something new along the way. There’s a certain artistry in the way a DJ does this, as DJ Vachan Chinnappa upholds. “It's a contrived notion of thinking that if you're a producer cum DJ then you have better chances of being more recognized - DJ'ing is an art in itself that has nothing to do with production,” he says, “In fact, producers in the 80's and 90's would ask DJs to play their tunes in a set because a good DJ knows how to make a tune sound good with his/her arrangements. Most times a good producer is not a good DJ. I would say if you produce music you should avoid playing your own music –instead, give it to another DJ. That way you won't have to ‘grandstand’ your own music, and overall it becomes a less egoistic process”.

Though there are certainly many good DJs who are equally talented producers, our perceptions need to move away from the notion and expectation that both crafts are obligated to go hand in hand.

As a musician I would judge the quality of a band by their original material, but would not apply the same framework to judge the skill sets of a DJ – a DJ’s craft comes alive outside of the studio and on a dance floor, in the way he/she manipulates technology to weave a detailed sonic tapestry. It’s in the experience they create for the dance floor using the tools at their disposal - irrespective of whether they’re playing on vinyl, CDs, a laptop or two turntables and a microphone.

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The vision to create an Information Communication - Infocomm Technology platform in New Delhi across the Pro AV, Broadcast, and Enterprise IT sectors, was realised successfully, generating enthusiasm among professionals across these sectors.

AVII 2015 was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of IT and Education, New Delhi, Shri Manish Sisodia.

Fulfilling the need of AV Consultants and System Integrators and IT systems analysts, active in the NCR region and neighbouring states, the response was highly motivating for all exhibitors and participants.

Over three days from August 6-8 a total of 2,085 unique trade professionals attended the expo and the Tech Forum. The response to the AV Tech Tour to the Kingdom of Dreams was overwhelming and commended by the participants.

AVII Expo and Tech Forum provided for the first time, a dedicated convention for video capture, projection, display, digital signage and pro audio integration products. The applications covered IP broadcast, Enterprise IT, leveraging 4G OTT on screen-shift television for corporate and education multicast.

Industry Associations’ and media support to the AVII and Tech Forum was positive, firmly implying the necessity of sourcing solutions and product technology for the audiovisual integration projects in all Infocomm sectors across media & entertainment, broadcast, telecommunication. BES, IETE, AIBMDA, EEMA, CIO Klub, AES, ESAI participated contributing with delegates and speakers in the AVII Tech Forum.

One major focus for AVII was government agencies’ imperative to ensure projects are supported with the latest technology, AV Consultancy meeting global standards in design and implementation with high-end quality equipment. Intensive interactions and liaison resulted in delegates from Digital India, NIC, Prasar Bharti, BSES, STPI, IT Ministry.

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tremendously successful – Sunny Sarid from Sound of Music, Ashutosh Ahluwalia – Sonic Foundry, Vijay Sabhlok – AV Evangelist, Gagan Varma – Lifesize, Rajeev Arora – Qubix Technologies, A.R.Chandrashekhar (CS) – Anuvin ICT & AV Consultants, Karan Kathuria – Music Group, Mayank Gaurav – Alphatec, Warren Dsouza – Sound.com, Bharti Dhingra - Cinnamon, Mohammed Haaris – Harman (AMX), Pravin Kumar – Epson India and N.M.Mehra – Visual Technologies India.

AVII 2016 is destined to respond to the growth impetus across sectors with large investment by government and private enterprises.

The Digital India initiative - governance integration, education, transportation, building & infrastructure, defense, security, attracting huge investments require the entire gamut of products from leading global brands.

AVII 2016 has been acknowledged as the one platform at Pragati Maidan in the capital city providing access to all technology ranging from audiovisual installations, audio video integration, dynamic display & projection, 3d holographic projection, augmented reality to audio networking & monitoring. Also, Connect - Command - Control systems on the IT delivery platforms.

A critical aspect of digital India and smart cities is developing information communication on audio video integrated systems. In respect of surveillance and IT AV enterprise networking, India needs the latest technology required by police, CBI, security agencies, defense & institutions nurturing critical technologies.

AVII will establish certified training, technical workshops, standards and quality parameters, demos and recognition of excellence in AVII. AVII will focus on the needs of technology managers and developing human resource for the audiovisual industry in India to progress.