Eclectic VIBES Dec 2010 by Eclectic Publications

TRACKLISTING VOLUME- I ISSUE-5

FREDDY’S NIGHTMARE

MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO

Giving nightmares to rival bands

DE PROFUNDIS Want to know what makes him a guitar God. Read on

THE SHILLONG CHAMBER CHOIR

NITISH PIRES

A small choir but a big success

The modern-day minstrel’s struggle to be heard

LACUNA COIL

SENTIENLA TOY

Live and loud, straight from the Bangalore OktoberFest

Her jazz journey from Nagaland to New York

The London band’s second trip to India brings them up-close and personal with Vibes

REGULARS 16 FYI 23 ON DEMAND 27 WOC 41 TRACK RECORD

TRACKLISTING VOLUME- I ISSUE-5

ARYA BANERJEE

GET GROOVY

Vibes lists the hippest parties of the season

ABU NECHIM AHMED

The northeastern flavour at the Indian Premier League On life after Love, Sex Aur Dhokha 07 EVENTS

ERRATTA

EX EXIT

42 CAMPUS CALL 43 JOCK TALKING 48 VIBES CORNER 50 BHEJA FRY

From being ex-lovers to friends

The photo credits for the story ‘Punk, Pop and Pizzaz’ in the Oct 2010 issue of Eclectic Vibes are as follows: Pg No. 30 - Eylon Blah Pg No. 31 - Pramathesh Borkotoky We regret the inconvenience caused.

EDITORIAL

TEAM VIBES managing editor - Tanushree Hazarika tanu@eclectic.co.in

THINK MUSICAL, GO GLOBAL

oday the whole world is at our finger tips, literally. And we can safely assume that nothing seems too distant or unreachable these days. Of late, gadgets and gizmos have made communication easier and internet has brought us closer virtually. But music has been connecting the whole world from time immemorial. It is one of those channels that has touched millions of hearts across the globe and in the process, has bonded us all. We mostly study about the phenomenon called globalisation in our academic pursuits and read about it across all forms of media, but fail to notice the simplest form of this same process. For sure, we have formal means of being connected, but let’s not forget that a simple strain of melody connects hearts and souls all over. A good song will have fans across nations and cultures, beyond all differences. Music gets us on a common map of togetherness. And with this issue of Vibes, we bring to you that ‘one common map’ which has been graced by performers from across the world. Michael Angelo Batio (the cover story in this issue) has been popularly christened as a guitar God and his tour to India speaks volumes of how music as an art can find its own course across distances. And not just him, when I see how so many international names have toured India of late, it gives me a sense of euphoria. And this issue will get you even closer to the men who made music in our country last month. This includes the Italian band Lacuna Coil, who rocked the OktoberFest in Bangalore and the British band De Profoundis who came on their second trip to India and enthralled fans in Guwahati as well. Closer home we also have Sentienla Toy Threadgill, a singer-composer based out of New York City but with strong ties to her home-state Nagaland. She might not be a popular name in the country but the western world holds her in awe. Isn’t it amazing, then to see how music is unaffected by the dark realms of categories or divisions, creed or gender, religion or colour, language or geographic boundaries. At this point I cannot stop thinking about The Shillong Chamber Choir who have not only made the country proud but connected the nation and its people. Their journey from the practice sessions in Shillong to performing for the President of USA, Barack Obama, is a manifestation of why “Music” is being now perceived as the easiest and best accessory to globalisation! So, let’s keep it musical… Happy Reading!

(Managing Editor)

executive editor - Koushik Hazarika consulting editor - Bidisha Singha content supervisor - Himakshi Goswami content co-ordinator - Pooja Barkataky regular contributor - Kaushik Barua layout artist - Himangshu Lahkar director – Bibha Hazarika admin officer - Prasanta Talukdar deputy admin officer - Monjari Mahanta

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CONTACT US head office Vibes Mag • Eclectic House • 34, PB Road Rehabari • Guwahati Assam • India • PIN 781008 landline +91-361-260 68 95 • mobile +91-94355 44836 corporate office Vibes Mag • C/O- Maverick • 10th Floor • A-Wing Mittal Tower • M.G. Road Bangalore • India • PIN 560001 landline +91-80-425 60 000

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Besides the Northeast, Eclectic Vibes is now, available in Bangalore Distributed by: IBM Books & Magazines Distributors Pvt. Ltd. 5th Main Road, Gandhinagar, Bangalore-560009

Edited, printed and published by Tanushree Hazarika on behalf of Eclectic Media Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, Eclectic House, 34, PB Road, Rehabari, Guwahati - 781 008, Assam Printed at Swapna Printing Works Private Limited Doltala, Doharia, P.O.- Ganga Nagar, Dist- North 24 Paraganas, Kolkata- 700 132 Design ©Tattva Creations Pvt. Ltd. Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders. The publishers apologize for any omissions, which they will be pleased to rectify at the earliest opportunity. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.

November 2010 It is so good that your magazine covers a host of people from different walks of life. Bikers, shooters, musicians — everything gets due attention. I keep looking forward to my copy every month. Also I was hoping if you could feature international jazz or R n B artistes. I am a huge fan! Aakash, Agartala Stay in the loop Aakash and you’ll surely get a big dose of your favoured musicians soon enough — Team Vibes

LETTER OF THE MONTH I feel that Vibes is a really cool magazine. It feels nice as it is Assam’s own publication. And I really loved the story ‘On the black foot’ in the last issue. I completely love this new trend. Keep up the fabulous work. Lirybon Terangpi, Karbi Anglong Thanks dear. Your kind words mean a lot — Team Vibes Paul Mazurkiewicz? How did you even get him? I was so excited!! You guys rock... Bigtime! Keep on bringing them. Peace! Suhas, Itanagar Thanks Suhas. Stay with us and you’ll keep getting such surprises every month — Team Vibes I feel that your magazine has the prospects to be a very popular magazine. I believe it already is quite popular. But it has the capacity to be a national magazine. Work harder and I know one day it will. Keep up the good work. Sangram Kro, Diphu Wow! That’s such a boost Sangram. And with readers like you we know we’ll go places — Team Vibes

Eclectic Vibes is just the kind of magazine that I’ve been searching for years. It has all that I want. I liked the story on Emo Fashion in the October issue. Your coverage of the bands from Northeast gave me the encouragement to make a band of my own. Please keep adding more about the bands and try to give lyrics of some new and popular songs. Thank you. Kangkan (Adrian), Guwahati Yo Kangkan! Glad you love Vibes and even gladder that you have started your own band. Keep rocking, boy! — Team Vibes

When I saw Ali Zafar on the cover, I was pleasantly surprised. I am happy to know that you have versatility in you guys. The piece was informative and an easy-read. Not to mention, the fabulous job your design team is doing. All the best! Zulfikar, Nagoan Yeah Zulfi, even we had great fun doing the Ali Zafar story. And we’re so glad you’ve enjoyed it. Thanks — Team Vibes At the outset, let me tell you, that the moment I picked up your magazine after landing at home during my holidays, I was amazed! I never knew there was such a fabulous magazine coming out from Guwahati. I am taking away a few copies to show to my friends! I am proud of you guys. Love. Dimple Saharia, Guwahati Oh Dimple, that’s very nice of you. Readers like you make our world — Team Vibes Hi! It was a great pleasure to read Vibes for the first time? I really enjoyed reading all the stuff especially the ‘Indus Creed’ interview. Thanks guys and looking forward to more good stuff. Mon, Imphal Hey Mon. So nice to hear from you. And yeah, as much as you enjoyed reading the Indus Creed story, we loved putting it together for you guys — Team Vibes

WRITE TO US AT: The new standalone Vibes is really cool. The article on folk music in films was really informative and interesting. Keep up the good work. Angshuman, Guwahati Thanks Angshuman. We’re glad you enjoyed it. Stick on for more — Team Vibes

VIBES INBOX, ECLECTIC HOUSE, 34 P.B. ROAD, REHABARI, GUWAHATI - 781008 MAIL US AT: editorial@eclectic.co.in or SMS US AT: + 91 94355 44836

VIBES EVENTS

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gha, De TION: Rajib Sin IN CONVERSA

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GAME Z

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What: Diwali celebration Where: Club House, Gauhati Town Club When: November 2 WILL I WIN?: Members and guests at the fete

iv Singha conducting

d, Akash Jain with Raj

Bai TAMBOLA TIME: Rina

Tambola

VIBES EVENTS

MATCHING STEPS: A dance performance on the final day

COSTUME DRAMA: Performance by Manipur band Cleave

What: The Karbi Anglong Beats Contest at the Rongtheang Festival Where: Rongtheang Village, Karbi Anglong When: November 4, 2010 Organised by: Eastern Beats Music Society

SOLO SHOW: Performance by Melodrama

SHADOW PLAY: Performance by Silhouette

he Rongtheang Festival, a mega ethnic carnival reached its eight year with much pomp and show. 12 different tribes and communities participated in this year’s fest which is organised to promote the spirit of brotherhood and bonhomie. The highlight of this 3-day festival was the Karbi Anglong Beats Contest organised by the Eastern Beats Music Society which was held on the final night. Naga rock band Dementia stole the show this year with their stellar performance. STAND AND DELIVER: Performance by Nagaland band Dementia

FOUR’S COMPANY: Performance by Ball of fire PHOTOS: IRANI SAIKIA

WIN WIN SITUATION: Dementia receives the winner’s cheque from the organisers

VIBES FAD

Vibes

hey say all good things come to an end. We say all good things come at the end! Yeah, it’s December, folks! And it’s party time! No point sulking that another year’s coming to an end for this is the month to let your hair down, to let bygones be bygones, to let foes turn to friends and to get all jiggy and high! While many prefer to do it the nice and sober way with a small family get together, there are quite a few who love to party like there’s no tomorrow. Keeping that in mind we’ve got you a round-up of the best places to head for this year-end. Be it Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai or the quintessential party hub Goa — this list will get you places.

Most people say that the Delhi party scene is a little too loud and brash. But who cares! The point is parties are supposed to be

fun and fun can be in any way you feel like. While many Delhites head out on holidays, there are some who would rather welcome the New Year in the midst of their own people, in their own city. Pubs, discos and restaurants are aplenty in Delhi but be ready to shell out a hefty sum to get into the best ones. There may be the usual favourites for many but the uninitiated may try the Kapitol at Ashoka Hotel, Urban Pind at Greater Kailash, Dublin at Maurya Sheraton, Ministry of Sound at Vasant Kunj or the Ivy at New Friends Colony. If at Connaught Place, go party at the Glo at Metropolitan Hotel, Agni at the Park Hotel and Aura at the Claridges. If you’re the kind who enjoys celebrity spotting, head for those hotels which organise glitzy celebrity music and dance shows, you might get quite a kick out of watching the Mallika Sherawats or Katrina Kaifs. As for

those living in the periphery, Noida has Elevate, Ghaziabad has Ananya and Gurgaon has Club Saﬃre and Turkish lounge Istanbul. And for those with not much to spare, no worries! Head out for the India Gate. You’ll be a part of a sea of humanity, each rejoicing the end of another chapter in their lives.

If you are a party animal, there’s no other place like Goa. Out here, it’s party time all year round. And year-end parties are the most hip and happening in this beach city. There’ll be a party going on in every hotel, restaurant and shack but the biggest party of the season is the Sunburn Festival. An annual aﬀair, this time the fest will be held at the Candolim Beach from December 27-29. Touted as Asia’s largest dance music festival, this one’s THE place to be at. Into its 4th year, the festival is packed with over

60 acts which include Dj Ferry Corsten, solo artist Axwell, Brian Transeau, Richard Durand, Pete Gooding, Sultan / Ned Shepard / Nadia Ali (live), Aly & Fila, Funkagenda, Pearl, Jalebee Cartel, Ma Faiza, Protoculture (live), Xerox & Illumination (live) and B.R.E.E.D. The best party, hands down!

If you’re planning your last week of the year in the city of dreams, you’re sure to enjoy a hell of a lot. But most Mumbai places are crowded to the hilt on most days and on special times like these, you just got to be lucky to get a foothold at your favourite den. So, make sure you get a prior booking. What works though is that Mumbai has quite a few places to party. So even if you don’t get into one place you’ll get into something else for sure. Bandra, Andheri West, Lower Parel and Colaba are the party havens with numerous places strewn throughout these areas. But yes, apart from the typical fun nights at popular pubs like Toto’s and Hawaain Shack at Bandra, Leopold’s and Café Mondegar at Colaba, Not Just Jazz By the Bay at Marine Drive, Hard Rock Café at Worli, Atrium’s Lounge and Churchill’s at Taj Land’s End (Bandra), Sports Bar and Fire and Ice at Phoenix Mill, Lower Parel, the city hotels arrange celebrity nights on New Year’s Eve. JW Marriott and Sahara Star lead the way in this regard. Mumbai also oﬀers several open spaces to simply hang out and chill. Juhu Beach, Marine Drive, Worli Sea Face and Bandra Bandstand are awesome places to meet

friends and sit for hours without being thrown out. Best part — they’re free!

Bangalore, meanwhile, offers some great hotel parties. Some newly opened hotels have some awesome nights planned out during this time. These places may be slightly in the outskirts, but party peeps don’t mind trying them out. Not only do they prove to be great hang outs, but because of the distance from the city they are less intervened places. This year hotels like Zuri, Crown Plaza, Aloft Hotels, Taj Vivanta and some properties in Whitefield will be the right places to be at. Apart from the hotels, regular clubs like Nero, Sutra, Fuga and Cosmo will also have their share of fun as they too bring in artistes and performers. And if you can’t get into any of these, you might even try Caperberry, I Bar, Zero G, Opus, Taika, Athena, Hint, Amnesia, Ivy, Unwind Island, Hypnos and Fusion Lounge. For the real party hopper there’s definitely no dearth of places.

Gone are the days when we would cuddle up in bed to watch New Year Eve shows on Doordarshan. Days when we would arrange a bonfi re party with family and friends and while away the last night of the year. These days Guwahatians are going the wild way. The pub culture is here for good and just like in the major cities of the country even we love to get out of the house and party away the night. Several restaurants and eat-outs plan special programmes for the night. But it’s the resorts in the outskirts of the city that see a huge number of people. Places like Spring Valley Resort, Greenwood Resort and Brahmaputra Resort arrange musical evenings and special treats for the revelers. People throng these places not just because they promise to off er a lot of fun but also because these places are beyond city limits and they make for a nice drive out of town. Then there are the private clubs like Gauhati Town Club, India Club, Guwahati Club and Gymkhana Club which arrange parties for members. Gauhati Town Club, has a choc-a-bloc party season planned out with four events lined up in December. On December 5, they have planned for a Sunidhi Chauhan musical nite and on December 18 it’s going to be Mohit Chauhan and Shreya Ghoshal. While both events will take place at the Sarusajai stadium the fi rst one is for invitees only but you can get tickets for the second one.

Shillong is the Goa of the North East. And not just during the end of the year, as people from all cities in the region head out to Shillong whenever they need a break. Not many years back, people here used to simply enjoy a small family gathering on New year’s eve. But much like Guwahati, the scene is changing here as well. So if you’re the party hopping kind, head for places like Cloud 9, Tango, Shillong Club or Polo Towers. Dj nights, theme parties, fashion shows grace these occasions. While Cloud 9 and Tango will appeal to the younger lot, Shillong Club parties are for the old crowd and the club members. WORDS: BIDISHA SINGHA

VIBES PASSION

ou may love the IPL or you may hate it. But you can never ignore it. And the 2010 edition was something we, the Assamese people couldn’t ignore at all. It threw up a home-grown lad into the midst of high-power international cricket and we can’t thank IPL enough, for that. Abu Ahmed, the speedster from Guwahati was part of the Sachin Tendulkarled Mumbai Indians side which was runner’s up at this year’s IPL. Abu was also part of the team which recently participated in the Champion’s League Trophy in South Africa. And he was pretty instrumental in his team’s victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore as he scalped the key wicket of Jacques Kallis. For those who follow Assamese cricket regularly, Abu is not an unknown name. After all, this 21-year-old youngster has been consistently creating waves in the national cricket scene. But he does admit that his journey from Maligaon Cricket club, Guwahati to the Mumbai Indians dressing room has been far from smooth. “When I ﬁrst started travelling for junior national camps everyone used to be taken aback to see a teenager from Assam making it for the camp,” Abu says. “But once they

saw me run in with the ball, hardly anyone raised questions about my selection.” That’s how the biggest of names have proved their detractors wrong. Way to go, Abu! But how did Mumbai Indians happen to him? “I was in talks with a couple of other IPL teams, but the moment I got a call from Mumbai Indians, I knew where I had to be,” he gleams. And this call came in only because the youngster had been consistently performing well at the national and international level tournaments. One such tournament was the 2006 Under 19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. Abu shared the new ball with V Yomahesh and picked up 10 wickets, including four in the semiﬁnal against England. Although India lost out to arch rivals Pakistan in the ﬁnal, this medium pacer had arrived. And it was during this under-19 stint that Abu met the God himself — Sachin Tendulkar. “We had a preparatory camp before our tour to New Zealand in 2007. Since Sachin was practicing over there,

Abu Nechim Ahmed, Assam’s first and only IPL player till date, on the pleasures of playing with the game’s best names

“There was so much to learn from the likes of Tendulkar, Zakbhai, Malinga, Jayasuriya. You just have to be around them and you would be wiser with every passing day. And the learning was not just about technique but also about maintaining the body and leading a good life” he interacted with us for almost half an hour. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.” So, quite naturally, when the Mumbai Indians team, led by Tendulkar himself, approached Abu to be a part of their set-up for IPL-III, he didn’t hesitate. However with Mumbai Indians’ strong pace bowling line-up which included Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga, Ryan McLaren, Dilhara Fernando and Dhawal Kulkarni, Abu did realise that it would be tough to get to be in the playing eleven. He was in fact taking it as a learning phase. “There was so much to learn from the likes of Tendulkar, Zakbhai, Malinga, Jayasuriya. You just have to be around them and you would be wiser with every passing day. And the learning was not just about technique but also about maintaining the body and leading a good life,” Abu informs. His patience paid oﬀ during the IPL as on the eve of the Mumbai Indians’ tie against Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings, Zaheer Khan was ruled out and Abu was asked to ﬁ ll in Zak’s boots. “I could hardly sleep the night before the game,” he says. And how was it like playing

STAT SPEAK z Date of birth: November 5, 1988 z Batting: Right-hand batsman z Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium z Major teams: Assam, East Zone, Mumbai Indians z When Abu joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2006 he was dropped from all national squads and also from his domestic side, Assam z He played for the Royal Bengal Tigers in the ICL and took 21 wickets from 10 T20 games. In three 50-over games Abu took 7 wickets at an average of 28 to a packed Chennai stadium? “When I entered the Chidambaram Stadium, I had a feeling that’s completely inexplicable. You just have to be there to feel the moment. Obviously there was pressure to perform at the big stage, but I don’t think I did too badly,” the pacer quips. Apart from that one match Abu didn’t

get another chance during the tournament. And it was not because he conceded 26 runs in his two overs but because his team had too many pacers to pick from. He did however, “thoroughly enjoy” his team’s fantastic ride up till the final of the tournament. That includes the much-talked about IPL parties. Though he admits that he hardly parties and that he can “neither sing nor dance”. He rather prefers watching Hindi flicks or even his other passion — travelling. “I am an avid traveller and luckily cricket helps me pursue both my passions,” he smiles. At such a young age, Abu has seen a lot of the world. No wonder why he is so calm and composed. Even the IPL fever has not deterred him from his main goal, which is to play test cricket. “Being the first Assamese to play IPL is fine. But I want to follow in the footsteps of Debasish Mohanty and Shiv Sunder Das (test players from Orissa) and be the first Test player from Assam,” he reveals. Even Assam wants that. Real bad!

WORDS: AMIT KUMAR

VIBES MUSIC BAND OF THE MONTH

reddy’s Nightmare started capturing the minds and hearts of the Aizawl audience ever since guitarist Jonah and bassist Mike teamed up with vocalist Jeﬀ and drummer Rindy and formed their own band in the spring of March 2009. Bursting with teenage angst and energy, these four friends created a fresh distinctive sound that is both youthful and soulful. WHEN DID IT ALL START? Before Freddy’s Nightmare, each of us had always played in other bands. We formed our band just a week before a competition at NIT Silchar in 2009. That was the ﬁrst time we played together as a band. AND WHAT IS YOUR MUSIC ALL ABOUT? It’s a fusion of hard rock, post punk and

blues. We draw inspiration from diﬀerent genres of music and mostly from Blues. We listen to all kinds of music from the likes of Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, RATM, Incubus, Blink 182, Mr. Big, Son House, Jack White Derek Truck, etc. HOW DO YOU BRING IT ALL TOGETHER, THE LYRICS, THE RHYTHM AND THE SINGING? Most of the songs are written by Jeﬀ and he mostly writes secular and free-will kind of lyrics. We write from our experiences and it’s mostly about personal reforms. We then collaborate on the music. Throw in our ideas and luckily for us it has worked every time. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THE SONGS YOU MAKE WILL WORK? Sometimes we make our close friends listen to it before we make it public. It’s like

BAND BASICS Band members: Jeff Ralte (Vocals), Jonah Ralte (Guitar), Mike Fanai (Bass), Rindy Khiangte (Drums) Popular songs: ‘O’ Dirty Shoes Dance Centre Stage Away from here Favourite Indian Bands: Medusa and Them Clones Awards: Winner at the MICAH Challenge Cry For Justice Beat Contest 2009, Aizawl. 2nd Runner up at NIT ThunderMarch, Silchar, 2009. Link: ww.myspace.com/freddysnightmareband

we take it for a test drive and if they like it we know it’s going to be a hit. It works out that way. WHAT’S THE MUSIC SCENE IN MIZORAM LIKE? There is an endless amount of talent. We just need the right platform and support. There’s also the need for a new way of listening, be more open to our kind of music. Audiences need to acknowledge the young breed of rock bands and singers. BUT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE QUITE A FEW SHOWS BY NOW. WHAT’S THE BASIC IDEA BEHIND A FREDDY’S NIGHTMARE SHOW? Our shows are spontaneous, high adrenaline and hyper-active. The most important criterion is to get the audience involved. We love it when the crowd goes wild. Even if the crowd does not jump up and down the band does. And when the audience starts singing our songs, it’s awesome! We are barely a year old and to see the crowd show that kind of support...we feel blessed!

don’t really screw up on stage. Touchwood! GREAT! SO, WHICH WAY IS THE BAND HEADING NOW? We are still very young and have a lot to learn and endure. Success doesn’t come easy and we are willing to try our hardest to reach our highest potential. We are shamelessly aiming for the big platform. Someday we’ll rock the national rock scene and rock it good.

ORIGINALS OR COVERS? We play originals most of the time but we do play covers as well. Playing covers of familiar songs is a big hit. But we do love giving them a little Freddy’s Nightmare touch. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KEEP THE BAND TOGETHER? A band is a unit made up of different characters. There needs to be unity and a good relation between the members. Otherwise, you can’t compose or make good music. You can’t have a good show without good communication. It’s so important to talk it out, no matter how trivial you think it might be it’s always better to discuss and try to come up with solutions. Even we have different opinions and artistic differences too. But we also have a way of working things out and we owe that to the interpersonal relationship amongst us.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST OBSTACLES AS A BAND? Finance, promotion, management! WHAT ABOUT EMBARRASSING ONSTAGE MOMENTS? (Smiles) Jonah tends to start with a six string guitar and ends up with only four strings by the end of the show. Jeﬀ improvises when he forgets the lyrics. Apart from that we

ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MUSICIANS? Never give up and “Dream Big”. It’s not how good or how bad your equipment is, it’s how you use it that makes all the diﬀerence. We never had computers or compact discs to listen to music. We only had cassettes that we listened to all day and night. We practised from the only resource we got, never doubting our potential. Today, we have better resources to access music and equipment from all over the world. Youngsters should make use of these resources in the best way they can. PHOTO COURTESY: FREDDY’S NIGHTMARE

VIBES MUSIC FYI

Adam and the Fish Eyed poets Genre: Proto bleaknik Rating: 4/5 Snakeism, the debut album from multi-personality front man Kishore Krishna manages to find a mushy, ripe area right in between. It adds just the right amount of sentiment and skill to his art form, further packing the album with arrestingly simple melodies that ultimately flesh out into sneakily complex songs. Fundamentally, the project’s process of building from small chunks enables them to put endless diversities on each basic section of their songs. It launches with a pulsing bass line and a plaintive piano separately and then packs them together in several recipes later in the song. Even the vocals are, by and large, just another component heavily played with, leading all the way and over-powering with choruses just as you begin to grow accustomed to the overall balance. ‘Charming’ is the word that defines Snakeism. While most of the guitar-based indie pop that’s made waves over the past few years has been characterised by scenester animosity and attempts to fit in, this record is carefree and instantly likable even if it doesn’t seem to care what you think of it.

http://adamandthefisheyedpoets.bandcamp.com/

Jamiroquai Genre: Electronic / Experimental Rating: 5/5 British funk / acid jazz / pop / sugar-spiceeverything-nice band Jamiroquai is back with their seventh studio wonder, Rock Dust Starlight, a groovy and decently produced craft, likely to find favour with almost anybody who’s looking for something to tap along with. The sound of the new album has moved on from just electronic, disco influenced tracks and reverted to a more organic and live sound. Rock Dust Starlight is the band’s first album since 2006 and is a welcome return of Jamiroquai’s trademark blend of ’80s funk and pop sensibilities charged with a live feel — familiar, yet refreshingly different to so much of their current competition. An attempt at pushing envelopes, at least vocally the new CD has surprises for all those big-time Jamiroquai fans that’ve been waiting for something different from the band. This one doesn’t just make you move, it helps you emote. There is an omnipresent pop sensibility in all of the tracks. The rest, let’s just let the beats do the talking, shall we?

Three years back, they sparked a power / Christian-metal revival in the country. Today they’ve made their presence heard in the form of their first full length — Here And Beyond. A concrete set of tunes that manage to impress for the most part, this independent release features rearranged versions of five of their older songs from their eponymous E.P. It is here, however, that old fans might be a wee-bit disappointed, because in my humble opinion, the re-done versions have somewhere down the line lost the feel. Nonetheless, the newer tracks manage to keep one going. Here And Beyond and Superhero showcase huge amounts of individual talent and a wide range of sounds and melodies all delivered with fair technical exactitude. What I really like about Here And Beyond above all that is the solid songwriting that Slain has managed to showcase throughout the album. This is an out-and-out ’90s prog. / power metal album — one which will work well with fans of Journey, Symphony X and Whitesnake.

Shakira Genre: Pop Rating: 4/5

The coming together of wit, drollness, derision, sentiment and experience in Sale el Sol showcases a rare songwriting ability that is exhibited and possible only through Shakira’s sultry effortless vocals. Shakira delights with perplexing hooks and heart-touching compositions, ones that promise to excite even after repeated listens. Conflicting to her debut, Sale el Sol is a deadly serious, ambitious pop / rock album, indulging into the dance-pop domain in bits and pieces. More often than not, it’s a global pop/rock album with hooks strong enough to keep you humming long after the CD’s done playing: these are pop songs performed as arena rock, belonging not to a single country but to the world as a whole. As such, the album touches on everything from the expected Latin rhythms to glitzy Euro-acoustics, trashy American rock & roll, and stomping Britpop, all interposed by some bleak confessionals, as Shakira sings about a clearer sky and life’s experiences at large. Some of the concepts don’t necessarily gel, however the album is alive with purpose and, more often than not, Shakira winds up with music that is unique as both songs and recordings. Many artists/bands may be bigger than Shakira while others may make more meaningful albums, but as of 2010, no other pop artiste tries as much and accomplishes as much as Shakira, as this often eventful album proves.

Kid Rock Genre: Rock ‘n’ Roll Rating: 4/5 “It’s the same song spinning / but the same song’s always been true,” said Kid Rock on his last album, his 2007 release Rock ‘n Roll Jesus, and it’s very obvious that it’s something he’d written in support of his own journey as a musician. Kid Rock can’t and will never be accused of having made the most revolutionary music of his generation, but his last few albums have been steadily loaded with just the kind of catchy country-rock songs that millions of people secretly love, regardless of how much they pretend otherwise. Very fittingly, his latest offering Born Free showcases a step ahead in Rock’s ability as an artist, more notably, his transition into the classic rock/country sphere. He calls it a “transformational” record, one which retains his edge, wit and swagger but one that bids farewell to his rap-roots for good. Producer Rick Rubin has assembled artistes from very contrasting backgrounds for collaborations in the album; something that Rock has worked at ease with. What Kid Rock attempts in Born Free is a little complicated — his songs stand to compete with Skynyrd and Seger as the soundtrack of choice for boomboxes and eveningdrives across the world. This is the sound of the white-trash, downriver, Bay-area rocker in him coming through, tearing through the jive rapper image that brought him to fame. Fans and critics alike saw it in him raging to come out when he was trying to ape beastie boys, but once the country-rock number Picture revived the sales of his slowly diminishing career, he just couldn’t resist it. Apart from a loop here and a bridge there, this is classic whitetrash rock through and through. And yes, he’s wearing his derivativeness on his sleeve, but he’s got a way with it and that is EXACTLY what sells. This one’s an eye-opener, an experimental slab of country tinged rock ‘n’ roll one that’s bound to set the cat among the pigeons! WORDS: KAUSHIK BARUA

VIBES MUSIC

PHOTOGRAPH: VIJAY KATE

ON THE RECORD

uitar can very well be his middle name. But Michael Angelo Batio rather enjoys being called MAB. This heavy metal guitarist has surpassed every known level of playing and is now a guitarist to be revered and followed all over. His bands, Holland and Nitro, may not have done too well but his career as a solo artiste has won him uncountable accolades and awards. One wonders what it takes to be a string king like MAB. Maybe it’s the fact that this guy can play with both hands or maybe it’s his expertise in playing the piano as well. We’ll never know until he tells us himself. So let’s find out: HEY, HOW HAS IT BEEN HERE (INDIA) SO FAR? Oh, it’s my first time in India and I love it. Over the years I have heard a lot of my Indian fans asking me why I haven’t come here. We worked on getting shows but were never successful. Until now and here we are. (Smiles) HOW DID YOUR PILOT GIG IN HYDERABAD GO? It was great, but it actually got cancelled WHY? They didn’t have the proper permits, we did it the next day and we got a day off to rest.

MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO RECENTLY STORMED THE HYDERABAD SCENE WITH HIS NEAT RIFFS AND IMPECCABLE PLAYING. POST THE GIG, KHALID WANI CAUGHT UP WITH THE STRING WIZARD

DID YOU LAND UP IN HYDERABAD DIRECTLY? No, we landed in Mumbai and then we ﬂew down to here. It was weird, my ticket said Bombay and I landed in Mumbai. But I eventually realised these are the same places now. SO, YOU GOT TO DO SOME SIGHTSEEING? I only stayed at the airport. All I could see was the traﬃc while I was heading to my hotel. AND DID YOU MANAGE TO TRY INDIAN FOOD? I did manage to try Chicken malai tikka. And I love spicy Indian food. AND HOW WAS THE FAN RESPONSE? YOU SIGNED ANY AUTOGRAPHS? Oh! Yeah. I gave away some of my signature guitar plectrums, we did photo sessions,

signed a few guitars. I also met my youngest fan (a 6-year-old) who had brought his guitar for autographs. I like to treat all my fans equally and give them as much time as I can. I like that. PEOPLE HAVE THIS NOTION THAT MUSICIANS HAVE ATTITUDE ISSUES, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? I think it’s a misconception. It’s mainly because of the organisers that such a notion has been created. And anyways news travels faster these days, thanks to the internet (Smirks) THE WORLD HAS INDEED BECOME SMALLER BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET. ISN’T IT? Very much, yeah and I think that’s one of the reasons why I am here. It’s the I-Pod generation around the world and anyone can see a YouTube video of any other artiste. Small world! AS A KID WHAT MADE YOU TAKE UP AN INSTRUMENT, YOU INITIALLY STARTED OFF WITH PIANO WHEN YOU WERE FIVE AND THEN WENT ON TO GUITAR? A lot of factors. First up, I’m left handed but there are no left-handed pianos and so I played right-handed. And since I played guitar right handed too, that’s what gave me the ability to do all this stuff. My left hand, the fret board hand, became the stronger hand. And it served me well really early on when I started playing shows at the age of ten, where I developed this whole show of playing over and under. But as I went on, I realised that my right hand was very deficient. When I got to 14 years of age, it suddenly dawned on me that I had this super fast left hand but my right hand just sucked. So I spent two years developing my picking technique with strict alternate picking. Literally, I’d play hour after hour to get my right hand to equal the left hand. But the piano playing helped a lot when it came to developing my technique on the double guitar as it enabled me to play two different parts at the same time. YEAH, THE PIANO REQUIRES GOOD CO-ORDINATION OF BOTH HANDS. IS THAT WHY YOU CAN PLAY THE DOUBLE GUITAR DESPITE BEING A LEFT-HANDED GUITARIST? Well, as I said I used to take a right-handed

VIBES MUSIC ON THE RECORD

guitar in the initial days, but I never used to enjoy it. And I consider keyboards to be my second instrument. I play the keys on all of my CDs. My piano instructor at the University told me that I had the facility to become a concert pianist. I studied everything from Bach 2 part inventions to Bartok and more. I love the sound of keyboards in music. COME ON MICHAEL, MOTHER NATURE HAS BEEN VERY GENEROUS AND GIVEN YOU THE GIFT OF BEING AMBIDEXTROUS. MAYBE YOUR LEFT HAND WAS A BIT DOMINANT BUT OTHERWISE I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT A MORTAL MAN CAN BE EQUALLY GOOD WITH BOTH HANDS. Yes, I am truly ambidextrous. I can throw a baseball with either hand. I can bat left handed or right handed. I play hockey and golf right handed and American Football left handed. My zodiac sign is Gemini. The sign of the twins! YOUR FIRST GUITAR WAS AN OLD FENDER STRAT — A GUITAR FOR A RIGHT-HANDED PERSON. YOU COULD NOT AFFORD A “LEFTY”. DO YOU THINK THAT THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A BIG ADVANTAGE IN THE END — YOUR STRONG LEFT HAND DOING THE MORE COMPLICATED THINGS? Yes. That is also what my father said when I got the guitar, that I would have an advantage because my strong hand is my fret board hand. That is why I developed and invented the “Over-Under” technique on 1 guitar. But, I had to work hard to develop my picking hand. I practiced alternate picking for two years before I was able to master the technique. SO WHAT WERE YOUR INFLUENCES WHILE GROWING UP? When I was ﬁve, I only listened to what my parents were into. My father was into pretty eclectic stuﬀ like Frank Zappa and B.B King so it helped foster my tastes. Zeppelin and Sabbath were my favourites, as I really loved the “power” of it. It actually made me want to be involved in rock as a performer. That’s where my urge of listening to rock came from. When I was 10 years old the radio was popular so I started listening to this rock song which had a distortion so I wondered why can’t I get that sound from the piano,

PHOTOGRAPH: VIJAY KATE PHOTOGRAPH: VIJAY KATE

Holland was such a good band, we got signed immediately, and we just had it in us. There were people who were interested in us and they really liked us but I wanted to make it too bad I didn’t really make any money. HOW WERE YOU MANAGING YOUR EXPENSES, THEN? Ha-ha, I was doing sessionals music for big brands like Pepsi, McDonalds, Burger King but after moving to LA that didn’t exist. So I had saved up money in Chicago and then travelled to LA. It wasn’t till Nitro.

I was like what’s that sound? There was this local music store I went to and that’s where I got to know that the sound was coming out of an electric guitar. OKAY. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY YEARS WITH HOLLAND. We (band members) were all from Chicago and then we moved to California, we were really a good team of musicians. The vocalist (Tom Holland) and I were great friends.

WHAT ABOUT NITRO? Well Nitro was formed by this guy called Jim Gillette, he was really young when he formed Nitro and like I have a degree in music from the University, he wasn’t that educated but had the hidden talent. He is extremely smart and he is really a hard worker so Jim and I would work 15-16 hours a day. We worked on hundreds of songs. Every hour of the day we would work on Nitro and that’s how it became successful and famous. BUT WHY DID IT BREAK UP? It’s very funny what happened. MTV was all powerful back then in our times and they

Jim and I have always remained good friends. We spoke just a few days ago. In conclusion, we just felt it was time to do something else. I was a bit surprised at our cult status at ﬁrst but in hindsight we have stood the test of time because we wrote good songs that meant something to us and as outrageous as we were, we were “the real deal”. We could actually DO the outrageous things our label said we could do.

PHOTOGRAPH: VIJAY KATE

controlled who made it big and who didn’t. In the early ’90s the whole scene was from LA, bands like Poison, Motley crew and us. LA bands had a reputation in United States. We had cooler looks, we were more professional and had an extra edge. But MTV got this new sound out of Seattle i.e. Pearl Jam, Sound Garden and it was really good music, completely diﬀerent than Hollywood and they stopped playing LA music. They (MTV) literally said STOP; they completely stopped playing our music. They had the power t o say “you are out and you’re in”

but I grew sick of it and eventually moved on. So yes I would say that I have a really good ear for music and I analyse most things that I hear. When I listen to music I analyse what the guitarists are doing, not just to relax and enjoy the song.

WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST OUR BUDDING MUSICIANS TO DO WITHOUT BEING DEPENDENT ON OTHER PEOPLE? YouTube. See it’s easier now than ever because you have more visibility without investing any money. A band could make a video and upload it online, we call it going Viral. See I use the internet too, my video has more than 7/8 million views and now that I have numbers it’s like an asset to me. Internet is a place ﬁlled with people who say good as well as bad things about you. But big companies don’t look at what bad people have to say. They only care about the numbers, that’s the magic.

OKAY BACK TO GUITARS. WHAT KIND OF A GUITARIST ARE YOU? Well I was classically trained with a degree in music theory but I also had an ear for it. I was a session guitarist (for television) from the age of about 19-25. Then my strength was taking an idea from the producer and making it into a real live tune. That work paid well

PHOTOGRAPH: VIJAY KATE

YOUR RECORD LABEL M.A.C.E MUSIC WAS THE FIRST ONLINE LABEL IN 1996. Yeah, it stands for Micheal Angelo creative enterprise. I changed the way I did everything. When MTV almost F****d my career I didn’t want that to happen with other upcoming artists.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE IMPORTANT POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND FOR A GUITARIST TO ATTAIN SPEED PLAYING IN GENERAL? I would say that in order to play fast, you have to first learn how to play slow. It is all about co-ordinating both your hands so that they’re able to play together. I used to make my students play slow first. I learned this technique from having taken piano lessons and I used that to teach speed playing on the guitar. When you slow it down and force people to physically and mentally concentrate, it gets more ingrained in their heads and because of that, they can become a better and fast player. And only then would I show them other exercises. So it really comes down to the discipline of concentrating on what you’re doing really slowing and getting that right movement correctly. I did a study of lot of different guitar players and found that though there are some that pick from the wrist or elbow, I found that it’s not that important. The majority of players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, myself and anybody who plays really fast and accurately, when they’re playing medium to fast speeds, they never move their thumb and index finger.

VIBES MUSIC ON THE RECORD

SHRE

so fast that they couldn’t catch my shadow, so they called me the shadow less hands. So I trade marked it and I have a tattoo in Chinese of that. That CD was a tribute to some of my favourite artistes by doing my versions of the songs that I liked. Got Mark Tremonti to play on the album and a tribute to Randhy with Rudy Sarzo.

CIFICS DDE R SP E

h MAB is ambidextrous and he can play two guitars at the same time, either in synchronised or separate harmonies.

h The Double Guitar is another of his innovative inventions which he commonly uses live and in studio recordings. h He was voted as the “No. 1 Shredder of All Time” by Guitar One magazine in 2003. He was also listed as one of the “Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time” by Guitar World Magazine and one of the “20 Greatest Shredders of All Time” by Total Guitar Magazine, both in April 2008. Batio also won the 2009 Guitar World magazine Readers Choice award in the “Best Shredder” category.

PHOTOGRAPH: VIJAY KATE

h He invented and successfully played the very first ‘quad’ guitar. The Quad Guitar is actually 4 separate guitars with back plates determining its shape. However, the instrument was stolen during a Nitro show in El Paso, Texas, and only two of the four parts required for its assembly have ever been recovered. It is because of this that he has not played the quad guitar in many years.

ANY PLANS OF COMING UP WITH A TRIBUTE TO DIO? Maybe, I kinda knew him. But I guess I have already come out with two tribute albums and that’s enough. And unfortunately my latest album was released before he passed away.

So it doesn’t matter if you use your wrist or elbow, what matters is the motion of your thumb and index ﬁnger. It has got to stay stationary. There are exceptions to the rule though but 95% of all guitarists do use this common technique. HOW MANY GUITARS DO YOU OWN AT PRESENT? 104 in total HOW DID YOU EVOLVE TO DUAL AND TO QUAD GUITARS, WHAT DROVE YOU TO THIS IDEA? WHY NOT 8 STRINGERS? AND ANY SURPRISES TO SOMETHING MORE THAN QUADS? The four neck guitar was an answer for a record company, they wanted something really wild. THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE IMAGINATION. HUH! Yeah. But for me it’s the question, when you get 8 strings it has now become the 5 string violin. If you know what i mean. I like 7 stringers. HOW WAS IT WORKING ON THE ALBUM ‘HANDS WITHOUT SHADOW’? IT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE AN EXPERIENCE COLLABORATING WITH PEOPLE LIKE MARK TREMONTI, RUDY SARZO (OZZY OSBOURNE) AND WITH DIO (R.I.P). Aah, Hands Without Shadow, that name was given to me by Chinese people when I toured China. They said my hands moved

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO THESE DAYS, ANYTHING THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOUR FANS? In my I-pod I have like 1800 of the 2000 song capacity used up. I recently bought every single album that Led Zeppelin put out as I realised one day that I did not own one of them. I also have the Beatles, and modern stuﬀ like Children of Bodom, Lamb of God and Dream Theatre. As for the surprise, I like bluegrass bands like Nickel Creek. WE HEAR THAT YOU WORKED ON A MOVIE ‘SHOCK EM’ DEAD’. (Laughs) Yeah, I acted in it. They thought I was perfect for that role. I played a demon. I am also doing another movie it’s a Randy Rhodes documentary and I play my tribute to Randy, I am interviewed in it. ANY PLANS TO GIVE YOUR MUSIC FOR MOVIES OR GAMES? Yes I have a song in this game by EA sports. I always have my songs and stuﬀ coming out in a lot of such forms but I don’t really like talking about all that. WHAT’S UP WITH YOUR LATEST RELEASE ‘BACKING TRACKS’? Yeah this is something related to the internet. Many of my fans want me to play some of their favourite tracks, so I did and I knew it was not gonna be a huge seller and I’ll tell you why. Because every person that buys it makes a copy and gets it for free and I knew that was gonna happen. I did it for the fans, that’s my pay back for the fans.

VIBES MUSIC ON DEMAND

HOT ARTISTES TO WATCH OUT FOR “I don’t want to go on this way. I want to change starting today. But without his words nothing shall ever be,” professes Shillong based gospel rock outfit The Way. Formed in 2009, this band has been making quite the noise having topped Local Reverbnation charts lately, for weeks at a row. If you like the expansive, emotive, ‘windswept’ sound of Petra & Rascal Flatts, then The Way is worth checking out. At times, you can also hear the tight, breezy indie sound of Snow Patrol as well as the melodic layering of the Strokes. Batista Lyngdoh and Barry Kupar Syiem swing from solid Lo-Fi riffs to Magdalene-style echoing reverbs, further packing the sound with solid structures and rhythm. With the sweeping grandeur of a solid groove section combining with Wealthy Sunn’s wobbly vocals, comparisons are often made to The W’s and that perhaps is reason enough for you to not waste any more time and add them to your favourites’ list on Facebook. Link: http://www.reverbnation.com/thewaychristianmusic

If you haven’t heard of this Guwahati based sextet yet, your life, for obvious reasons, hasn’t been half as eventful as mine. Take my advice, leave your cave and take your hands off your ears. Axis is a quintessential, back-to-basics Rock ‘n’ roll band, armed with a host of singles — ones which I, personally, favour listening to live, than on tape. Riotous with teenage hormones, they are an olive branch to pub-goers, smeared with fun-filled songs and bluesy stabs. Axis’s ability to regress into melodic blues tunes, and then shift the pace majestically back into hardrock/classic rock blends their tastes and sound profoundly. Unlike most others in the scene today, boredom isn’t in the equation with this band; they have an ability to keep you on tenterhooks throughout their wickedly rampaging sets and absurdly brilliant act. This one’s a band you should definitely watch live and tell all your friends about.

Everything you ought to know about James Maxwell and his band Zachrs from Shillong is epitomised by his latest cover Thinking of you. Beginning with an acoustic intro of unimpeachable cool it illustrates a vigorous obsession of a positive, profound pop perspective. (Whoa! Too many Ps) Maxwell is also an artist with an ear for catchy rock ‘n’ roll ballads, borrowing a little from contemporary pop-rock as well as a lot from, that genre unto himself, John Mayer. Happy me is a riff driven affair with a nimble guitar lick assailed by an enormous, rudely interruptive kit. Bassist Alex Jobas and Drummer Wilgar cut across this solid build-up with short and sharp grooves which do as much to the rhythm as the harmony of the track. It’s the kind of typical acoustic-fun formula that, if gathered suitably, never gets old. Link: http://www.reverbnation.com/zachrs WORDS: JAI

VIBES MUSIC

he has largely remained unnoticed in our country but Sentienla Toy Threadgill, the singer-composer from Nagaland, has made the West sit up and take notice of her on many occasions. In 2007 her album How Many Stories Do You Read On My Face was released in Japan by Intoxicate and later in the US on Circular Moves Records. Wall Street Journal, Downbeat magazine, BBC Radio, National Public Radio and jazz legend John McLaughlin were all in awe of the lilting tunes of this petite beauty whose music is hard to define. While she was studying in Mumbai, she caught the eye of Louis Banks and thus started her musical career through jingles. It was here that she met famed American jazz artiste Henry Threadgill and married him a couple of years later and settled down in New York. Most recently Toy has been awarded the Torch Prize from the New York University where she also completed her PhD in Ethnomusicology. In a tête-à-tête with Vibes, she delves deeper to tell us more about the phenomena that is Senti Toy. Excerpts: FIRST THING FIRST, WHY IS IT THAT DESPITE BEING AN INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE YOU ARE NOT REALLY KNOWN IN INDIA? ISN’T IT DISAPPOINTING OR DO YOU LIKE IT THAT WAY? Being popular was never a priority for me. Somehow the album offer happened to me at a time and moment in my life when it sounded like the fun thing to do and I said yes. I’m glad I did. Yes it would be great if my album had been distributed in India as well. Considering how no effort was made to publicise the album, I have been extremely fortunate to have had any attention whatsoever. YOU REMAIN SHY OF PUBLICITY EVEN WHEN

PHOTOGRAPH: MICHAEL GAFFNEY

SOUND OF THE SOIL

YOU’VE SWEPT THE WEST OFF THEIR FEET. IS THAT WHAT MAKES SENTIENLA TOY THREADGILL DIFFERENT? I haven’t swept the west off their feet to begin with! I would hope that it’s what I have to say or what I sing that makes me different, if at all. But my real hope is that I can be imaginative and inspired. OKAY, SO HOW DID MUSIC HAPPEN TO YOU? I’m not sure how music happened — that’s the power of music in a way, isn’t it? It draws you in or you draw yourself into it because of the sheer joy and fulfi llment you get from it. I started singing as a very young child because it was just fun. I could go on for hours just singing and having the best time of my life. Music to me is about an extraordinary force, it’s about upliftment and emancipation — artistic, emotional, intellectual and so on. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR MUSIC. I am a singer-songwriter with many influences. As a child I started with American country songs moving on to rock, jazz, world music etc. I always enjoyed songs with interesting melody lines, I still do and I enjoy unusual time signatures in music. As a songwriter I enjoy the lyrics as well. WHAT WERE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS? As a child growing up it was mostly gospel songs or country songs and of course Abba, Queen and the Beatles until I went to Bombay and discovered jazz standards, Joni Mitchell and the likes. And working with all my musician friends in Mumbai, I learnt a lot — to appreciate funk, jazz, fusion. As much as I continue to enjoy old music, I also look forward to hearing new bands and artistes of all genres. WALL STREET JOURNAL LISTED YOU ON THEIR CHARTS AS

PHOTOGRAPH: MOAZZAM ALI BROHI

IN FACT x How Many Stories Do You Read On My Face is the debut album by Senti Toy. It is yet to be released in India. x While studying for her Masters in Philosophy in Mumbai, Senti established herself as a singer and voiceover artiste on TV, radio and film. She worked primarily with Louis Banks, India’s best known jazz pianist and composer. x She was featured on MTV Asia as one of the 20 top singers of India in 1993, even without any album or releases to her name. x Senti moved to New York City over a decade ago after she married composer Henry Threadgill. x How Many Stories Do You Read On My Face was selected by Jim Fusilli of Wall Street Journal as one of the Best of 2007.

‘ALTERNATIVE POP’, WHICH DOES NOT SEEM TO DEFINE YOUR MUSIC. WHAT GENRE DO YOU FALL UNDER? Actually WSJ had me in both categories — pop and alternative pop. In Japan it was ‘world’ music and pop. I do enjoy that versatility. I suppose it falls more under the big umbrella of the “popular” genre no matter which sub-genre it gets pigeonholed into. “Alternative pop” is itself a huge category, anything that’s not commercial sounding sort of gets shelved in there. I am happy to be in several categories at once! THE MUMBAI SCENE HAS SHAPED YOUR STYLE OF MUSIC TO QUITE AN EXTENT. HOW IS IT DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE IN NEW YORK? In Bombay it was the studio culture that was thriving. That’s where the best musicians worked and that’s how I met them and worked with them singing jingles everyday. But as far as live music was concerned there were never too many places to play. I believe there are a few places now but it’s still not thriving such that musicians can think about making a living playing live music. I think that’s the biggest difference. YOU WERE RECENTLY AWARDED WITH A DOCTORATE ON ETHNOMUSICOLOGY. WHAT’S YOUR DOCTORAL THESIS ABOUT? My thesis is called “The Politics of Affect and Acoustemology.” I’ve always been very interested in what we call the “feel” of music, not the emotional “feel” of music but rather the musical feel or the sonic feel. It comes from my own experience with traditional Naga music where even though I get the notes, rhythm and pitch correct I still feel a difference in the sonic ecology that I am conditioned to inhabit evident in the way I reproduce the songs. Essentially what I do is think of affect in music as part of the sonic vibrational macrocosm of music and not as something contextual or adverbial or adjectival, but an acoustic phenomenon that changes over political and historical periods

VIBES MUSIC SOUND OF THE SOIL

HIS ENSEMBLE, VERY VERY CIRCUS, HAD A UTOPIAN COLLABORATION OF ARTISTES. HOW WAS IT BEING A PART OF IT? It was an exceptional experience — the writing of the music and the parts were challenging and intricate — we were all on edge trying to get it right. For me it was also the calibre of the musicians that excited me. I got to see how they work, how this rather complex music comes together after many rehearsals. It was nerve-wrecking for me in the beginning trying to get my part right and when it all came together it felt glorious!

PHOTOGRAPH: NHUMI THREADGILL

“Being popular was never a priority for me. Yes it would be great if my album had been distributed in India as well. But considering how no effort was made to publicise the album, I have been extremely fortunate to have had any attention whatsoever” of time. This is what I try to explore in my dissertation. YOUR HUSBAND IS AN EMINENT MUSICIAN HIMSELF. IS HE AN INSPIRATION? Yes, he is deﬁnitely an inspiration. The most important thing I learn from him is to try not to fall into habits musically but to keep thinking afresh. This is something I have always thought about as a young girl too

and I see it realised in the way he approaches a composition or just in the way he thinks about music. Although his skills are far more advanced than mine, and our music sounds very diﬀerent, I am still inspired by him so much. WHAT DOES HE THINK OF YOUR MUSIC? Does he like my music? He says he does...I dunno! (Smiles)

YOUR MUSIC IS INTERSPERSED WITH LYRICS THAT VEERS ON THE POLITICAL AND PORTRAYS A DEEP SET ANGST, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO US IN THE NORTH EAST. IS THAT BECAUSE OF A WHOLE NATION’S STEADFAST INDIFFERENCE TOWARDS THE REGION? It goes back further than that — the “shame” that we were made to feel about our own culture and our way of life. But now we are rediscovering our rich traditions and finding our voice and I think it’s an exceptional moment. Of course India’s perception of “tribal” and “backward” has not changed much but I try to go past that. I think it’s really upon each and every one of us to excel as educators, leaders, environmentalists, artists, scientists and so on to find our own strength and empowerment. We have to focus on excelling at educating ourselves in our region to recognise our own wisdom and perspicacity that will take us forward in every way THERE ARE MANY ARTISTES FROM THE NORTHEAST MAKING THEIR MARK INTERNATIONALLY. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE NORTHEAST SCENE? I think it’s wonderful and certainly not surprising that the Northeastern artistes are finally getting the recognition and audiences they deserve, particularly musicians from Shillong who are really making their mark. It’s a wonderful example for the rest of us that demonstrates what talent combined with vision, determination and discipline can do. WORDS: AMRITA MADHUKALYA

VIBES MUSIC WOC

Here’s a lowdown on all that you want to and need to know about music sequencers Music sequencers have revolutionised the way we make our music. They are basically programmers that can write softwares to record and play musical notes. Sequencers don’t play mechanical sounding notes of exactly equal length, but rather recorded and played back expressive performances by real musicians.

ne of the first few sequencing softwares to have hit the scene is Fruity loops, the revamped Fruity Loops Studio now faces stiff competition from new entrants in the field. It is the most complete virtual studio currently available. With it you can create a variety of files — wav, MP3 or midi songs or loops as soon as you launch your music. It can play any sample file (wav), generator (FL Studio soft- synth, VSTi & DXi) or midi instrument you feed it. It has a host of options to choose from — from the wave editor, to the piano roll, classic graphic representation of ADSR (attack-decay-sustainrelease), oscillators, sequencers and almost anything that is purely musical. The sound it produces is very good and it can deliver endless amounts of variations. And with a $ 99 price tag, it is the best investment that a music addict can make.

CID Pro 7 software is a professional music workstation for composing, recording, mixing, and arranging audio and MIDI tracks. In 1998 when it hit the market as a loopbased music sequencer, Acid Pro was the first-ever automatic audio loop-based music software of its kind, where you drag-and-drop an Acid loop file (for example a drum or bass loop) onto a track in Acid, and that loop would automatically adjust itself to the tempo and key of the song, with virtually no sonic degradation. This catapulted Acid Pro to its fame and it became popular with composers, producers and DJs. Its automatic loop time-stretching and tempo-matching technology is second-to-none, and its straightforward pick, paint, and play functionality has helped make ACID Pro one of the favourite loop-based music creation tool for millions of users worldwide.

aster Tracks Pro was made especially for Windows or Mac OS, to author and edit MIDI data. David Kusek at Passport Designs originally created it, and it is now marketed and continued in development by GVOX. In Master Track Pro you can play back up to 64 tracks with independent track looping. The program’s wealth of powerful features, combined with its easy-to-use interface, has set the standard for MIDI recording with professional musicians, amateurs, and multimedia producers alike.

VIBES MUSIC VARIOUS ARTISTES

PHOTOGRAPH: MITHUN

THE MUSICAL BEGINNINGS “I started my journey as a musician in 1999. I was one of the guys who started the Hindi rock scene and it was initially very difficult to make a breakthrough because back then, people didn’t understand the concept of Hindi rock at all. Although bands like Junoon were around, but they had a heavy Sufi influence and so they were more of Sufi-rock bands than anything else. Also, bands like Euphoria were putting out albums but they were again into a lot of fusion and had more of a pop-sensibility. I was one of the guys who did rock without any other influence. Just the Hindi lyrics and the rock format. Also, at the time it was quite difficult to convince labels to

FACT FILE Origins: The band was formed in 2008 after Nitish Pires’s solo project Sarhadein got released through Raga to Rock. Band members: Nitish Pires (vocals/ Guitars), Raja (Keys), Krishana (Lead Guitars), Tublu (Drums/Perc), Deepu (Bass) Albums: Soch Lo, Sarhadein Popular song: Ud chala, Tanha mein, Sarhadein Link: http://nitishpires.com/theband http://www.myband.co.in/Nitish_Pires

PHOTOGRAPH: HIMANGSHU

ot all musical tales are bright and rosy. Some stories are shaped and crafted through sheer grit, struggle and a lot of will. Here’s one such story which has it all. Nitish Pires, the band leader, writer, composer and vocalist of De Nitish Pires Band (DNPB) hasn’t had it easy at all. But that has only inspired the young man to push the envelope a little further every time he failed. With his will to be heard and to reach out, Nitish is now on a journey across India stopping at unplanned destinations and belting out his best. On one such stop-over, Vibes caught up with the man who doesn’t want to throw in the towel.

invest money for such projects. I struggled everyday just for the love of it. I used to go to Universal music and sit at their reception for hours at a stretch and after three years when I fi nally got my fi rst contract I was on top of the world. I was 22 then. And I was steadily beginning to think that I’d fi nally set out on the path I always wanted to tread. So, they got all the things together and released the album but then I slowly realised that they released it just for the heck of it. I’m not even sure how many copies they made and it never even went to the shelf. This was a big shock because I had taken loans to make the video I had also done the audio on my own. The label hadn’t paid a single penny and eventually I didn’t get anything out of it. Nobody

really got to listen to my music. Eventually, my band split. We weren’t getting shows anymore and DJs had suddenly become the trend.” THE CONTINUING STRUGGLE “I came back with Sarhadein in 2007. There was a friend of mine who sponsored me with this album. So, this time I was beginning to think I’m technically correct. I have good video representation and I’m going to market it well this time but eventually I reached the same shitty situation. I went to a few music-labels they said the same things ‘Give us the marketing money and we will release your stuﬀ ’. There was a friend of mine who had a small label and since I knew him well we released the album through him

VIBES MUSIC VARIOUS ARTISTES

PHOTOGRAPH: MITHUN

but it didn’t work out because it didn’t have enough network and not enough links. MTV did release the video and gave a little bit of support. They played it and did whatever they could.” THEN CAME CHAURAHA “Chauraha is a concept album. It’s based on a guy who takes a wrong direction in life and the day he realises that he turns back to find all doors closed for him. It’s a beautiful story that was inspired from teachings of the Bible and the Gita. So when I was done making the album I was pretty confident I would get back-up because nobody else was doing this kind of a thing at that point. Sadly, I faced the same things again. This time the offers were worse. There was this one label who offered me a contract saying ‘You make your own video and give us eight lakh, we will market it’. I asked them what I would gain from it. They said they’d give me 35% royalty from CD sales. So, then I asked them ‘if they could assure me that I would do well in the market if I give them the money and they were like “How can we guarantee that?” I walked out at that very moment. I was extremely pissed. I was confused about one simple thing — we have what it takes, we want to work hard. Why wouldn’t they accept us like the way we are? I mean

I’m sure they wouldn’t have asked Metallica for the same thing! And I don’t see why we should be treated any differently!” TOUR TRAVAILS ȅ NEW BEGINNING “I did all I could in terms of approaching people. A simple opportunity was all I was asking for. And music labels were not providing me that. So then I formed my own music label called ‘Music Hawkers’. When I did that I realised I wouldn’t be able to market this because I didn’t have money with me. So, I sold whatever I had, my house, my car, everything! My wife was always a huge support. I made my album, a video and took out 3000 CDs. Then I suddenly got this idea. I realised that the only way of connecting to an audience would be to go to them and make them hear your music. So, that’s how it began. I brought myself a van, my own sound, powers etc and got my act together. I decided I will go to different places all over the country and try spreading the word, with just one thing in hand, the power of my music. I guessed nobody would think twice for a gig. And so far, that’s exactly how it’s been. I can practically play anywhere.” STARTING POINT “I started my tour journey from Mumbai. Initially, it was kind of difficult because I

was driving alone. But then, I slowly came to realise that the whole tour was about ‘faith’. I started this tour with Rs 2000 in my pocket and it was faith that brought me here. I was stuck in Pune for 10 long days. Faith got me opportunities, the money poured in and I was able to get through.” WHY NOT USE INTERNET? “I’m not doing this just for myself. I’m doing this for others as well. I want to connect with people through my music. I’m trying to be a voice for those people who worked their asses of to promote their music but couldn’t do it because of these music giants and labels. Tomorrow when this tour ends and when people get my message, it’s going to help each one of us. And I can guarantee you that.” TOUR END “It’s not an organised tour. If it was I could have called people saying ‘Main aah raha hun’, things would have been a lot easier. I go to a city, stay there for a few days, learn about the place, meet people, make myself heard and once I think I’m done, I move on to the next one. I never know what the next destination is. Hence, I’m really unsure when it’s going to come to an end.” WHAT NEXT? “I want to continue what I’m doing, helping myself and helping other aspiring musicians reach a better platform to perform and be heard. I want to do this on a global level someday. I’m also working on this site, it’s called Ungli.com. It’ll be a platform for people to talk about and discuss the elements / happenings / evils of our society at large. I’m a ﬁ lmmaker too. So, I’m thinking of getting back to that as well. So yeah, loads on the list. Stay tuned!” WORDS: KAUSHIK BARUA

to e b i r c s Sub ANY TOURS IN THE NORTHEAST? There are two shows for October – one in Guwahati and another in Shillong. But

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VIBES MUSIC VARIOUS ARTISTES

De Profundis loves performing in India. And on their second tour this time, they even managed to slip in a gig at Guwahati. Vibes caught up with the boys from London HOW DID IT ALL START? In 2005 Roman (guitarist) answered an advertisement I’d placed on the internet and we decided that we would start something completely new. I brought a drummer friend and Roman brought another guitarist, and we found a bassist from Oxford, which completed the ﬁrst De Profundis line-up. That didn’t last too long though and we’ve had various line-up changes down the years.

AND THIS IS THE BAND’S FIFTH INCARNATION. HAS THAT

AFFECTED THE BAND IN ANY WAY? Well, I wouldn’t know if it’d be correct to call this the fifth ‘incarnation’. But yeah, we’ve changed five drummers since we started out. (Laughs) Where we come from, we have lots of musicians but mainly guitar players. And when we lost our drummer it was really hard to find a replacement. This had affected the band and its progress to a large extent. Then again, we’ve been extremely lucky in that case as well. Time and again we’ve managed

to find people who’ve played stuff we exactly wanted them to play. However, when Nick came in, the band cut loose for the first time. We started writing the stuff that was in our heads. With him we achieved a new level of freedom.

WHAT DOES DE PROFUNDIS MEAN? ‘De Profundis’ is a latin phrase which means ‘From the Depth’. It could mean anything actually. From the Depths of what? You’re not really sure! But we like the fact that there’s no speciﬁc meaning to this because that way, we think people aren’t expecting a speciﬁc sound from us as well.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PACT WITH GREY AND SAURIAN. We got in touch with G&S almost a year ago after we did a gig with Iron Maiden in Bangalore. We’ve worked with them ever since. They’ve helped us to a great extent in making this tour possible. There is a lot of demand for metal in India. But it’s really

hard getting gigs specially a good stage. Luckily, Both Anupam Roy and Shashwat Gupta have helped us out with that bit.

THIS IS YOUR SECOND TRIP TO INDIA. WHAT MADE YOU COME BACK? Has to be the music and the culture, man! It’s our ﬁrst time in the northeast, by the way. Also, another reason why we’re so connected is that we have very good distribution in India — most music outlets have our CDs thanks to Sony Music.

YEAH, LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT TOO  YOUR PACT WITH SONY. Sony saw us last year when we played at Rock in India alongside Iron Maiden. They were quite impressed. They wanted to get us on board. They heard our album and showed interest in signing us and in distributing our music.

THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS STAY IN LONDON BUT BELONG TO

“De Profundis is a latin phrase which means ‘From the Depth’. It could mean anything actually. We like the fact that there’s no specific meaning to this because that way, we think people aren’t expecting a specific sound from us as well” DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. DOES THAT IN A WAY CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR SOUND? Yeah, it does actually. If you’ve noticed, we’re not only from different countries but also from different age groups. Hence, despite metal being the common influence we all have different tastes and preferences seeping in through our respective instruments. Which is why, when you listen to our music you’ll get to hear a lot of extreme stuff and at the same time a lot of calm fi ll-ins as well. It’s basically about how

variedly we’re inﬂuenced.

ARE THERE ANY BAND IDEOLOGIES THAT YOU FOLLOW? Well, we don’t really speak about any ideologies in our music. We’re kind of against any of that. The lyrics that we write are about how we feel or how somebody would feel in a speciﬁc situation. Some of the stuﬀ is autobiographical and some very general but when it comes to ideologies we don’t push any agendas.

OKAY. WHAT’S UP WITH YOUR NEW ALBUM  A BLEAK REFLECTION? THAT’S WHY YOU’RE DOING THIS TOUR, RIGHT? Yeah, we recorded this album in May. Compared to our previous album this one’s

VIBES MUSIC VARIOUS ARTISTES

a lot more natural sounding, a lot more evolved, a lot more complex. There’s a lot of stuﬀ happening. It’s a very long record as well. It’s almost 70 minutes. The music here is also a little hard to digest after just one listen. I really think we’ve created something that takes an eﬀort from the listener’s side as well. Another thing we really like to profess with this album is the fact that we are just being a metal band here — not doom, not black. We have so much happening in each song that it’s really hard to typecast ourselves into one genre.

TELL US ABOUT THE SONG WRITING PROCEDURE THAT WENT INTO THIS ALBUM.

METAL AND MORE Formed in: November, 2005 Band members: Craig Land (Vocals), Roman Subbotin and Shoi Sen (Guitars), Arran McSporran (Bass), Nick Tingle (Drums) Releases: Nocturnal Splendour, Cold is the Grave Songs: I will Stand, Crimson Waters, Link: http://www.deprofundistheband.com/ http://www.myspace.com/deprofundisuk

Our songs are generally quite long. Almost about 8 minutes, in general. I think all of us believe in taking the listener into a musical journey. We’ve taken different moods. We’ve contrasted different sections. We’ve tried to develop different themes and melodies. Our approach to songwriting is closer to prog-rock and classical music on this one.

ANY INDIAN BANDS THAT MIGHT HAVE GRABBED YOUR ATTENTION? Yeah, we’re actually quite familiar with bands from India. The Guys from Kryptos, they’re very cool. We’ve played with Escher’s Knot twice. Loads of them, actually! Can’t name just a few.

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE METAL SCENE  GLOBALLY? HOW DO YOU GUYS KEEP PACE WITH IT? Well, it’s really hard to talk about such things. You never know what’s in and what’s out. But the thing with us is that we do what we love to do and not what’s popular.

SO, IS THAT THE DE PROFUNDIS SUCCESS RECIPE? Well! We wish there was a recipe as such. We’ll tell you what we exactly do — as a band it’s either us practicing, rehearsing individually or promoting the band. Another very key component for a metal band is to really kick it live because that’s what these metal fans want. They don’t want a band that stands there looking at their shoes. We always want to get as sweaty as those bands out there. And that’s the kind of policy we’ve always followed. WORDS: KAUSHIK BARUA PHOTOGRAPH: HIMANGSHU LAHKAR

VIBES MUSIC FEAT.

magine thousands of choir members from all across the globe, dressed in traditional attire and parading through the streets of downtown Cincinnati, USA. Well, that could exactly be the Shillong Chamber Choir’s next big target. And after all that they have achieved in the recent past this might well be a very simple task for them. It has been a dream run for this group this year. They not only bagged three gold medals at the World Choir Games 2010 in China but also held the entire nation

spellbound with their western chorals and Hindi classics on the sets of the reality show India’s Got Talent, Khoj 2, which they won eventually. But if you thought that’s the end of it, you’re wrong. For the Shillong Chamber Choir has recently added a new feather to their cap by performing before the US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. So, how did it feel singing for the Obamas? “It was a very good performance and a moving experience to play in front of Obama. We were thankful when Sonia Gandhi said that the show would have not been the same without us,” says a proud director of the troupe, Neil Nongkynrih. Apparently, Rahul Gandhi was

Nongkynrih’s classmate in school and the two got to meet after a long time on account of this event. “It’s not just we feeling good about the act, everyone at Rastrapati Bhavan, Rahul Gandhi, the foreign secretary, Barkha Dutt and our fellow performers from the south also said the same thing. So, the general feeling is that we really made the show!” he exclaims. Not just the present, but even their immediate future seems to be packed with glorious events which include concerts at Paris, Vienna, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong as well as a special performance for the Kuwait Royals. From very humble beginnings this graceful bunch of singers from the hills of

VIBES MUSIC FEAT.

Shillong have gradually built their singing empire. People join a choir usually to enjoy singing but for Nongkynrih there was a special intention behind it. It was a humble eﬀort from him to hone musical talents and share his musical knowledge with like-minded people. The choir’s bass singer and media coordinator, Damon Lyndem talks about this eventful journey which began in 2001 when the UK based pianist, Nongkynrih visited Shillong and chanced upon a few old friends who gave him the

idea of starting something like this. “It was a very informal beginning, just an effort to introduce practical singing in choir music. But we never had a vision. Later, the choir really seemed to grow and people really appreciated the music and so we started to invite singers for auditions and since then we’ve been doing concerts,” he informs. In the present 16-member troupe, except for Lyndem and another member Donna, the others are all new. The choir is different from other choral groups in context of their original notes as well as their youthful way of presentation. They are pretty sure that there are only a few choral groups which can do music as unique as theirs and synchronise as good as them. As Lyndem explains, “When you say choir music, people normally assume it to be church choir. At first it was very difficult for the people to identify with us because we can sing classical,

spiritual and circular music at the same time. We do music which is pleasing to the ears and sing a whole variety of genres right from jazz to classical to spiritual,” he says. The choir also sings in many languages — German, Italian, English, Khasi and Assamese. And after winning India’s Got Talent, they do Bollywood music as well. The choir is now keen on doing a lot of classic Hindi music. “Music is life…it’s in our blood. We grew up singing in the church,” Lyndem asserts when he’s asked about his inspiration. The choir believes that music is an international language which everyone understands and it can hence bridge gaps. “We love to sing because we believe that by singing, we can speak our heart out, we can share with the rest of the world who we are and that’s basically what interests us” he adds. Another good reason for their love for music is the support from their dynamic director who can harmonise their music together. Their interest lies in how they harmonise, listen to each other’s parts and the joy is when they can accomplish the task of harmonising. “For that, we have to write notes, practice the piano, do a lot of vocal exercises and our minds have to be fresh before we do a concert,” he says. Teaching them about life and more, Nongkynrih is a lot more than just a music teacher. As Lyndem says, “I think he’s the shepherd with a ﬂock of sheep. He’s a

THE CHOIR MEMBERS WITH SONIA GANDHI

world class mentor who’s disciplined and very time specific. He can collaborate with any artiste and bring out something as graceful as our voices.” Being in the business for four years now, everyone in the troupe has become a trained musician by now. While all of them sing and most of them know how to play the piano, some can even play the violin and the percussion. They came in the limelight after participating at the World Choir Games 2010 in Shanghai. And the choir now hopes to participate in the next championship to be hosted in Cincinnati, USA in 2012. “We were the first choir from India to go into the World Choir Games this year. There were about four hundred choirs from all over the world participating in different categories. We were a small number compared to the other choirs. We had to sing on top of our voices as we performed in an auditorium with no microphones, just relying on our autistic voices. Still, we managed to win in three categories — spiritual, gospel and popular music. So, it’s a great achievement for us,” he beams. As for the reality show, it just happened by chance as their director was initially not very impressed with the idea of participating in a reality show. Lyndem says, “We were reluctant in the initial stage, but once

NEIL NONGKYNRIH WITH FRIEND AND EX-CLASSMATE RAHUL GANDHI

we were there, we were totally into the competitive spirit. And when the judges and all other contestants appreciated our music, we were conﬁdent that ‘Aah! We can do it!’”. But they were still very apprehensive about whether the whole of India would want a choir to win. But, they did win. “People voted for us, not only from the northeast but votes came in from all over India, that’s what the organizers told us,” he says. As for the immediate future, the choir

will soon be cutting an album. Apart from making music the choir is also busy supporting the cause of music. “It’s a school for people who’re willing to learn music. Right now, it’s just a new born baby as we haven’t had the time to think how we can make it grow into a bigger platform, but we’ll surely work it out,” Lyndem says. A jubilant Meghalaya can’t stop talking about their latest stars but the members still act modest and grounded even after their huge success. “After coming back to Shillong, we saw how happy the crowd was. The IGT has helped us in so many ways; people now know where we come from. And for a group like us which has been struggling since 2001, it has been a reward for our hard work. Winning IGT deﬁnitely gave us an identity in a much larger crowd, but win or no win, our music still carries on.” We hope it does forever. WORDS: HIMAKSHI GOSWAMI PHOTO COURTESY: THE SHILLONG CHAMBER CHOIR

VIBES MUSIC VARIOUS ARTISTES

ands come and bands go. Very few survive the vagaries of the music industry to make a name, a name that doesn’t fade away too soon. Lacuna Coil, the gothic metal band from Italy, is one such group. With a career that spans over a decade and with five album releases to their name Lacuna Coil is not your average European band. It is in fact a colossal edifice amongst its contemporaries. And that’s what was witnessed at the three-day Kingfisher Premium Great Indian OctoberFest when the Italian headbangers set the Bangalore stage on fire. Metal heads from across the country watched as LC shred the live stage apart with their high decibel tracks. But just before they took to the stage LC vocalists, Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia, sang a different tune for Vibes. Here are the excerpts: HEY ANDREA, YOU HAVE BEEN THE FRONT MAN EVER SINCE LC WAS FORMED. TELL US HOW IT ALL STARTED? Andrea Ferro (AF): Well, initially it was just a bunch of neighbour kids madly in love with music. We weren’t really serious then, and didn’t know how to go about it. We have had some changes in the line-up too. Initially, I was doing both bass and vocals, along with Marco Coti Zelati who has been our main bassist since then. Michaelangelo, who was in the drums, was replaced by Leonardo Forti, even before we could come up with a studio album. Forti was later replaced by Cristiano Mozzati, and then there was an addition of a new guitarist, Cristiano Migliore. We have a six-member lineup since 1998; that’s when we released our first studio album, In a Reverie. And it’s been the same line up till date. AND HOW DID YOU STUMBLE UPON THE NAME, LACUNA COIL? AF: We were called Sleep of Right initially which was later converted to Ethereal. The latter was more serious and we knew pretty well what we were supposed to do. We released our first Extended Play (EP) through Century Media, but when it was time to make a studio album, we

YOU CHOSE TO HAVE A FEMALE VOCALIST, WHICH IS PRETTY RARE. WEREN’T YOUR LISTENERS SKEPTICAL ABOUT IT?

Cristina Scabbia (CS): That’s a question we come across quite a lot. And yes, perhaps, there were some who were skeptical but we didn’t think about it. We were doing what we wanted to do. I was initially asked to do some backing vocals along with Andrea, which turned out nice. So, we decided to stick together. Also, by then, Andrea left playing bass and got into vocals completely. YOU’RE ALL FROM ITALY  A NON ENGLISHSPEAKING COUNTRY. YET, YOU DO ENGLISH SONGS. WERE

YOU NEVER INCLINED TOWARDS ITALIAN MUSIC AS WELL? AF: We were never surrounded by Italian music; instead, it was always something English. I have grown up listening to all prodigies from the West. I have always listened to English music, especially rock and metal from US and the UK. Italian music is melodic, but it is not really the right stuﬀ for rock. There were a few local metal bands doing English music when we started out but they weren’t really successful. We got lucky, for Italy is surely not the ‘rock and roll’ haven. It’s tough to survive if you are just doing English music there. BEING A METAL BAND, HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO GET A LABEL TO SIGN YOU? AF: I think we have just been lucky. Once our demos were ready we sent it to Europe with some of our photographs. Century Media Records, an independent record label, showed interest and that’s how it began. THERE IS ROCK, METAL AND ORCHESTRAL STUFF IN YOUR MUSIC. WHAT’S THE BASE FOR LC? CS: It may sound clichéd but we really don’t want to do the same thing that we did ten years back. People may be reluctant to explore new avenues, but we aren’t, which is why each of our six albums have been diﬀerent from the other. Our basic element of making the songs ‘dark’ will remain the same. All the songs may not be shallow and

KNOW MORE

PHOTOGRAPH: NISHAL LAMA

were told that the name, Ethereal, already existed. So, we had to look for some other name. We wanted a name that could be a representation between heavy and atmospheric; that’s pretty much our style. That’s how we decided on Lacuna Coil. Of course, the name can be interpreted in many ways, but the closest would be ‘Empty Spiral’.

Origin: Milan, Italy Albums: In a Reverie, Unleashed Memories, Comalies, Karmacode, Visual Karma, Shallow Life Band members: Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro (vocals), Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi (guitar), Marco Coti Zelati (bass guitar, keyboards), Cristiano Mozzati (drums, percussion). Popular songs: Heaven’s a lie, Swamped, Our truth, Enjoy the silence, I like it Link: http://www.lacunacoil.it/ http://www.myspace.com/lacunacoil

VIBES MUSIC VARIOUS ARTISTES

PHOTOGRAPH: NISHAL LAMA

dark, but there surely will be a few on these lines. We are deﬁnitely a metal band ﬁrst with guitars but we also have a lot of atmospheric sounds as well with keyboards. OF ALL THE ALBUMS SO FAR COMALIES SEEMS TO HAVE BROUGHT ALL THE LUCK. CONSIDERING THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TOURS PLUS RADIO AND TV COVERAGE, DO YOU THINK THE ALBUM WAS SOME KIND OF A BREAKTHROUGH? CS: Yes, to some extent, Comalies can be considered lucky. This was the album that brought all of us together. We got serious and we weren’t really taking it as a hobby anymore. Young bands need to know that signing a deal is where your journey starts. Comalies helped us in that. Also until this album got released we were still playing in Europe. We knew that if we wanted to be successful in the US, we had to go there and play. Comalies gave us that opportunity.

ONE OF YOUR SONGS, HEAVEN’S A LIE GOT PEOPLE CRITICISING THE BAND FOR BEING ANTIRELIGION. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? CS: Well, we never thought it was antireligion, for that wasn’t our idea. Yes, the title might sound a bit like that but that’s not what we meant. It says, Your heaven’s a lie, which is very subjective. We were not giving our judgment. There are people who preach today, and they make you look at a thing as if it’s the heaven, which may be wrong. So, the song goes for them. WITH SIX PEOPLE IN THE BAND, HOW DO YOU DIVIDE THE SONG WRITING DUTIES? CS: Most of the work gets split and everyone knows their duties. As far as the lyrics are concerned Andrea does most of it, for I am good with the vocal lines. We work on it together many a times. We work on the music fi rst and let the lyrics take it later. THE 2009 RELEASE SHALLOW LIFE IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER ALBUMS. IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A LOT OF DARK ELEMENT. WHY IS THAT? AF: Well, we never called ourselves completely gothic. The dark element was more prominent in the fi rst few albums, especially Comalies. And as I said we don’t want to stick to just one thing, we would try out different things. For sure, the dark element will be present in a song or two in all our albums, but not completely. We will have three elements in all our albums: rock, metal and dark.

PHOTOGRAPH: NISHAL LAMA

WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT ALBUM? AF: We are still in the composing stage. We have completed the music for ten songs already, and now we will have to work on the lyrics and vocal lines. We hope to release our next album by next summer. THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST PERFORMANCE IN INDIA. WHAT’S THE FEELING? CS: Frankly, we don’t know a lot about the country. Th is, being our ﬁ rst performance, we don’t even know what to expect. Whatever bit I’ve heard is from fellow friends. We can’t wait to see more of India, especially Indian culture. I love Indian jewellery, and would love to go shopping, perhaps, buy some nose rings and other accessories. I have heard a lot about Indian food and movies too. DID YOU EVER PLAN FOR A TOUR TO INDIA PRIOR TO THIS? AF: We are deﬁ nitely excited to have come to India, and we look forward to playing here. As far as coming here is concerned, well, it’s not really in our hands. It’s about promoters who will have to talk to our agents; bands are the last ones to know.

VIBES MUSIC TRACK RECORD

Wintertime love by The Doors

ith this, The Doors tried their hands at waltz, though it was not the kind of music they were associated with. But then, it was The Doors! Wintertime Love has beautiful instrumentation with Morrison crooning along in his to-die-for voice. Definitely, a winter classic!

Winter by Rolling Stones

luesy with amazing riffs and a distinct piano line, this is pure classic rock of the ’70s era. In the song, Mick wishes he were in warmer places such as California and Stony Canyon.

Don’t eat the Yellow Snow by Frank Zappa

ne of the few commercially successful Zappa songs, Don’t eat the yellow snow is a wellcomposed song with cleverly silly lyrics. Worth listening more than just once!

TOP 10 ROCK SONGS Say you’ll haunt me – Stone Sour Tighten up – The Black Keys Animal – Neon Lights

November rain by Guns ‘n’ Roses

his GNR classic had a very memorable and expensive video. And it symbolises the ’90s rock scene. It won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography. It features a sweeping orchestral backing and is one of Guns N’ Roses’ longest songs.

Trapped under ice by Metallica

his early Metallica number is all about deep fears and horrors, juxtaposed against the despairing nature of the harsh Canadian or upper Midwestern winter. Hetfield’s harsh vocals and lyrics depict a hard, winter life.

Cold shot by Stevie Ray Vaughan

guitarobsessed SRV terrorises his women with his nonchalance in this vintage Vaughan. His signature style intact, Vaughan offers fluid riffs with his dreamlike voice.

Little lion man – Mumford and Sons Radioactive – Kings of Leon

Snow by Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Love-Hate-Sex-Pain – Godsmack

his 2006 hit by the Grammy-winning funk quartet was RHCP’s third number one single in a row. It is featured in the credits of Death Note: The Last name.

Waiting for the end – Linkin’ Park World so cold – Three days grace Listzomania – Phoenix Porn Star dancing – My darkest days feat. Zakk Wyde

TOP 10 COUNTRY SONGS Come back song – Darius Rucker Mine – Taylor Swift Stuck like glue – Sugarland As she’s walking away – Zac Brown Band feat. Allan Jackson Anything like me – Brad Paisley Farmer’s daughter – Rodney Atkins If I die young – The Band Perry Roll with it – Easton Corbin

– Rascal Flatts Turn on the radio – Reba Why wait

Fake plastic trees by Radiohead

arking a change from their ‘grunge’ career, this song is about a failed love affair in an artificial world. It quickly became a fan favourite and an instant Radiohead classic. Was included on the soundtrack of the hit movie Clueless and earned the unswerving loyalty of Alanis Morissette.

Snowblind by Black Sabbath With Ozzy’s killer riff, heavy percussion and rebellious lyrics, ‘Snowblind’ is pure classic heavy metal. The beautiful rhythms are an added bonus. This is classic Sabbath and the best holiday song to grace your playlist.

Girl from the North county by Bob Dylan In this ode to a former girlfriend, Dylan juxtaposes wintry feelings with her beauty. Eventually he found her before the album came out and she graced the album cover.

VIBES MIX

CAMPUS CALL AT TEZPUR UNIVERSITY In most Indian marriages or relationships ‘virginity’ plays a huge role. It’s taken for granted that the holy vows are exchanged only between two virgins. But is it really that big a deal? Does the concept of marrying someone with a sexual baggage rankle? Is it important that the future spouse has to be a virgin? Let’s see what some TU students have to say on that… NIVEDITA: This word is an example of how society always forces its ideas on people. And the fuss is created more in the case of women. Losing one’s virginity doesn’t make one impure or bad just as being virgin doesn’t make a person good.

DIPANKAR: It doesn’t matter what her past was. Yesterday is history. People may do certain things when they weren’t mature or luck may betray people at times. So long as she is true and committed to me, I won’t and shouldn’t mind.

GIRBANI: Being a virgin is not a matter of dignity but a lack of opportunity.

JAYANTA: A virgin is pure. A guy waits for whomever he marries and it is special. My wife must be virgin. Because I got her through a social way and not by pimps and it’s based on norms, respect and understanding. If she is not a virgin, what is the difference between her and a whore?

ARPEE: Virginity is over hyped. It is completely a matter of choice. In the Indian context it is the woman who is expected to be a virgin prior to her wedding. It is time that the secret is let out of the Pandora box.

DEVAYON: I should not expect anything from my wife because it would be hypocritical. I should worry about more important factors like intelligence, stability and maturity.

SWIKRITA: It’s sad to find a woman being always questioned about her chastity. That’s nothing but the chauvinistic attitude of men. One should have the freedom to live one’s life the way one wants to. Such social obligations like maintaining one’s virginty should not be dumped upon women.

ANKUR: Let me tell you, virginity lost is adulthood acquired. Although I would prefer a virgin I also accept that true love has nothing to do with virginity. If someone truly loves his wife, virginity shouldn’t be an issue.

VIBES MIX

he sweltering sweat drops have stopped emitting and you won’t need your handkerchiefs anymore to wipe your brow, except maybe to wipe oﬀ a running nose these days. The mercury has stopped going up any further and a thin cold air has started invading the dust laden atmosphere. With global warming playing spoilsport by reducing the chill, in comes the shortly lived but much-awaited winter. However the heat that generated from the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the R1000 crore scandal in the state and the more recently Adarsh Housing Society scam have caused more harm than the bygone summer heat. And so we are all set to don the diversely hued sweaters, jackets, pullovers and cardigans to cover up the shame lost during summer. The good old winter is back in time to provide us with the necessary respite we all

have been so eagerly waiting for. But in the process I will lose out on displaying my tattoo for four whole months. That, though, won’t stop me from advertising my sex appeal, whatever good is left, that is. Winter is a season of multiplicity. You have manifold reasons to celebrate. Come December and we are all geared up for Christmas and then another new year is awaited with lots of glee and gaiety. A state of joyful exuberance creeps up from the toe to the top and you can’t help but gulp down ample pegs of ‘spirits’ to keep the spirit up. Cheers to that!! And even if Bacchus fails to provide you with the much desired ecstasy you can maybe hug and cuddle your paramour beyond any rational thought and self-control without getting sweaty or stinky. The winter chill prolongs the fun and enjoyment without the aid of any aphrodisiac. Even on the practical side winter is a

proﬁtable season. You can cut down on the number of deodorants. You can still risk wearing nothing underneath your jacket or sweater and more importantly you can save gallons of water by not taking your bath daily — why do we need to bath everyday when you won’t even sweat or smell? Such is the magnanimity of the wintry days that you can actually be truthful about saying that you didn’t take a bath as it was too foggy for you to see the water in the bucket. So let’s all pray and try to keep the winter months from staying longer than scheduled. With a comfortable chill enveloping us, with the seasonal parties keeping us way beyond our nap time and the morning dew forcing the sun to stay indoors longer, thus letting us sleep awhile, winter time gives us ample reasons and moments to cherish and enjoy. So, folks it’s time to get some logs to light my ﬁre. Let’s get cozy!

VIBES MIX

The Ex-factor! T

ILLUSTRATION: KAMAL

he business of friendship is a rather simple equation. But the equation suﬀers a beating as soon as love enters the scene. And when love departs from that same scene the equation gets all the more complex. Bottom line: the friendship changes. It may get better or worse but change does happen.

The question, therefore, is: Can a man and woman, who have known each other inside out, emotionally as well as physically, still be friends? The obvious and maybe the most popular answer will be a big ‘NO’. But there are people who think otherwise as well. Pooja, a Delhi University student thinks it’s possible, “I’m still friends with many of my ex-boyfriends so I don’t think there’s any problem with the situation.” Even Nikki, a student of Don Bosco Engineering feels the same, “If there is mutual understanding between the two why should there be a problem in being friends.” Coming from girls, that’s quite a revelation.

What’s even more surprising is that the boys tend to differ in their views. Debojit, a student of Dr. MGR University, Chennai says, “Even if you try I don’t think it will be possible to just be friends with that one person whom you thought to be ‘the one’.” Kaushik, an engineering student of Jorhat Engineering College vouches for the same. “For me it would be tough as the soft corner will remain,” he says. That brings us to the question of intensity. How true was the relationship or how involved were the individuals? Most boys and girls tend to think that friendship after love is only possible if the relation was not that serious — what today’s youngsters call the “timepass relationship”. There are also certain individuals who are friends with some of their exes while they can’t see eye to eye with a certain few. As you see, one may have more than a single ex and it then boils down to the camaraderie between the individual and his or her respective ex. Some relationships might end in a sweet note thus paving the way for friendship, while some may simply be all fury and fire. Then there is also the question about why the relationship broke in the first place. If it’s because a couple just drifts apart realising that they are not really good for each other, maybe then the friendship can be sustained. But if it’s the trust factor, then God forbid! If a partner has not been loyal in a relationship how could he or she be trusted in friendship? So the answer to this new-age predicament is basically a host of some other questions. Everybody has their own opinions and views and finding a definite answer is not possible. In the end it’s your life, it’s your situation and it’s your decision. Love as most people say is a risky

Even before you say it he or she might just figure out your troubles and be the life saver. ( Gifting becomes much easier as you already know their likes and dislikes. ( He or she can help find you a new partner as well. Remember Jaane tu…Ya Jaane Na?

game. If you’re lucky enough you’ll end up with your soulmate if not you may just have to try a little harder. Meanwhile, you may just hope to remain friends with all those you bumped into on your way to finding that one true love.

For all those who are still confused about whether you wish to be friends with your ex, here are some pros and cons that’ll help you take the call:

PROS ( Your ex who’s now your friend already knows you inside out and will therefore be a big help in times of need.

CONS ( The ex knows you well and if he or she likes to tell tales or is a big mouth you might just have to face quite a lot of sniggers. ( If your ex wants revenge your birthday or any other happy occasion might just be ruined by that totally obnoxious gift which your ex (now a friend) might hand out to you. Expect the unexpected as hurting you on your big day will be a nice way to get back. ( Your new partner might not take your friendship that sportingly. So if you do not wish to spoil your present relationship, stop being friends with your ex. WORDS: RAJNISH CHAKRABORTY

WORDS: RAJNISH CHAKRABORTY

VIBES MIX

An unconventional debut in Love Sex Aur Dhokha has catapulted Arya Banerjee into the big league. Nishal Lama catches up with this new girl in tinsel town

PHOTO: NISHAL LAMA

oung, sexy, brash, talented and a selfconfessed Bollywood girl — that’s Arya Banerjee for you. Of late, though, she is more popular as the LSD girl after her acting debut in Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhokha, which brought in many laurels for this Kolkata bred Bong. She plays Naina, the disgruntled struggler who teams up with a sting reporter and tries to expose the casting couch nexus. LSD might not really be a big budget debut vehicle but for any actor worth his salt it is indeed quite an entry into B-Town. And Arya has indeed made quite a few heads turn. In a freewheeling chat with Vibes, Arya tells us all that we need to know about life before and after LSD.

How did LSD happen? I came to Mumbai two years ago to take up an acting course. But I was unsure about movies until I decided to take up a course on cinema studies from Anupam Kher’s Acting School. And I got the opportunity to work on LSD even before I finished my course. I wasn’t really looking for a project at that time. I was lucky to have got LSD while I was still studying. Moreover it was a different project and a script that was very new to Indian cinema. And how was it working for the film? Dibakar Banerjee is an amazing person to work with, and I’m really lucky to have got this opportunity to have worked on my first movie with him. Do these acting courses really help? Yes, the course was extremely helpful. I am an avid reader but never in my dreams did I

think that even cinema would require a person to read so many books. I was fortunate that the course acquainted me to books by some of the best in world cinema. And the best part was to be taught by somebody like Anupam Kher. I couldn’t ask for more. The acclaim and the popularity apart what is special about the film, for you? Everything was special about the movie — right from the script to the screenplay. We had to work both as camera persons and actors for many of the scenes. There was not much editing done during the post-production to enhance our performances. So, a major part of the movie looks just the way it was shot; real time and real space. It was deﬁnitely a challenge for all of us and more so for me because it was my ﬁrst time. You have been walking quite a few ramps after the film. Has the movie

is still on. I may not be doing stage shows, but I have always been in touch with music. One day, for sure, I would do something with music, which may not be entirely classical, but surely something to do with a newer style. My dad has left his legacy and it would be a matter of great pride for me if I could even accomplish a part of all that he has achieved in his life. I lost him when I was just two years old. His memory is like all the lullabies I have listened to as a growing kid. It’s just like stories that freshen up every time somebody speaks to me about him, somebody who knows him well.

also opened up new vistas for you as a model? Not really. I have been modelling for quite some time now even before I came to Mumbai. While I was in Kolkata, I had done shows for brands like Christian Dior. I have even been to other cities when I was doing shows back home. In fact, it was one of these shows that took me to Guwahati three years

up early in the morning to go to Kamakhya temple. Considering that I am not much of an early riser, it was one helluva motivation to have got up so early to go to the temple. I think the place is immensely rich culturally. In fact, if I get a good script I won’t mind to even work in some of the regional movies there. I have heard about some great ﬁlmmakers from Assam.

“I loved Guwahati. I remember waking up early in the morning to go to Kamakhya temple. Considering that I am not much of an early riser, it was one back. The beauty of the place still beckons me. I went there a year later, and this time I went till Shillong. The place is magniﬁcent. What else do you recall about Guwahati? I loved Guwahati. Though there wasn’t much time to go see the whole place, I deﬁnitely did my best. I do remember waking

Your father, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, was one of the greatest sitar players of the country. And even you have a degree in Hindustani Classical music. Does music feature in your scheme of things? There are two things that I want to do in life — movies and music. I have been learning music ever since I remember and the practice

But don’t you feel the burden of his legacy? Initially, yes, there were many questions that confused me, but not anymore. Today, I know very well what I want to do. For sure, there were many people who were sceptical about me joining the movies, but there was nothing I could do. ‘Movies’ are my true calling. What kind of roles are you looking at? I consider myself a complete Bollywood girl. I am a complete matka-jhatka girl, so, would rather look for a character that fits me the best. Doing an intense character may be difficult, but I will get into the skin of the character, for that’s the only way you can do justice to your role Mumbai is your new home. Do you still plan to come back to Kolkata some day? Of course, I do, but surely not any time soon. I have been in Mumbai for just two years now, and I see that I am yet to start off my journey. I went there two years back without knowing what to expect, but today, I am more informed. My foray into movies wasn’t unintentional, and I know there is a lot to be done.

VIBES CORNER

The famed Guwahati eatery, Naga Kitchen, is now open at Bangalore. Silvester Phanbuh finds it hot, literally olace for meat lovers in Bangalore comes in many forms and locations and with the Guwahati based Naga Kitchen opening down here, things are hotting up. Situated in the bustling and cosmopolitan Kamnahalli Main Road, the restaurant has a bamboo themed entrance with a warm lamp-lit interior adorned with Naga paintings and ornaments. The rustic styled furniture with cane chairs is comfortable and sticks to the northeastern theme. Being a terrace restaurant, the natural ventilation provides a wonderful setting amidst the mild Bangalore weather. Besides the ﬂagship orders of bamboo shoot or axone pork, the anishi, yam,

pumpkin and cabbage based meat dishes are a delight. The non-vegetarian thali is a no-frills presentation that constitutes a wholesome Naga meal and is recommended for someone trying out the cuisine for the first time. The portions are generous and it is a complete picture with two meat dishes, boiled vegetables, curry, salad, mashed potatoes and hot chutney — served with rice. The meats served are pork and chicken with fish dishes too, so there is something for everyone. There are vegetarian offerings too, and in a city where there is no dearth of vegetarians, it can be perceived as a thoughtful addition. I am aware of the famed hotness of Naga cuisine but on this particular visit, I was a little over-zealous and asked for our axone pork to include more chilly. The chef

obliged and as I downed my second round of chilled lemonade my tongue was grilled in an invisible fire, I made a mental note to mention the repercussions that come with telling a Naga to make his food spicier. Another interesting segment is the chutney section, with the Northeastern dry fish chutney and fermented soya bean chutneys the most recognisable. We happened to be fortunate enough to try out that day’s special — crab chutney, surprisingly mild in comparison to our orders of fiery hot pork dishes. One challenge which the restaurant would probably face is maintaining a certain quality in taste while at the same time procuring the unique northeastern ingredients over such a large distance

continuously. Admirably, in just 3 months, the place has managed not just to attract the northeastern crowd, but also received a lot of interest from the local foodies, evident in local publications and blogs. The portions are large and the prices are aﬀordable, with a meal for 2 easily covered by 400 bucks. It’s an oasis for Bangalorean foodies looking to experience new cuisines and home-sick northeasterners alike.

Drop in at NAGA KITCHEN 26, AVS Arcade, Opposite Addidas Showroom, Kammanahalli Main Road, Bangalore Landmark: Next to Nandhini Hotel

VIBES CORNER

ON CLOUD 9

f it wasn’t for Cloud 9, the Shillong party scene wouldn’t be what it is now. What started as an impromptu musical sitting with Lou Majaw in 2002 has now metamorphosed into a weekend culture of musical soirées and delectable treats. This place has played host to a number of artistes from all over, be it renowned DJs or popular bands. The big names that have graced the Cloud 9 scene are DJ Ivan, DJ Nikhil Chinnapa, DJ Pearl, DJ Jazzy Joe and international rock band Firehouse, Lou Majaw, Ace of Spades, Skinny Alley, Krosswindz, Pentagram, Cassini’s Division, Soulmate, Revel Souls and Felixes. Whew! But if you thought Cloud 9 is only for the music lovers, you’ve got it wrong, for it also showcases other stuﬀ like paintings and photographs. It’s truly a Hybrid lounge in its own queer way.

Drop in at CLOUD 9 HOTEL CENTRE POINT POLICE BAZAR, SHILLONG-793001

anskriti as the name suggests is a reﬂection of Indian culture, albeit Rajasthani culture. This sleek store at Guwahati Club is a storehouse of all things Rajasthani and if you love to add a traditional touch to your homes this is deﬁnitely a place to come to. A franchise of the popular Udaipur

brand this place stocks quaint clocks, charming jharokas, eclectic photo frames, wood carved mirrors, bed linens, saris, salwar pieces, intricately designed jewellery boxes

and several decorative items. Two things that looked particularly interesting were a camel bone vase and a braster — brass carvings on a wooden platform. Almost every object in this shop tells a story and if you wish to make your own stories out of them, just be ready to shell out some bucks and take these pieces home. Drop in at SANSKRITI GAUHATI CLUB, OPPOSITE T.C. SCHOOL, GUWAHATI - 781003

know if I told this to my girl after being with her for two years, we would go straight into break-up zone. But I do think that she and I are best as “friends in love” rather than the typical ‘boyfriend – girlfriend’ type! She is awesome and I think I am as well, and that’s basically the problem. There is love, for sure, but we cannot commit to each other and this makes us miserable. I guess we are just too alike to be able to let go oﬀ our giant egos and this is the major pitfall of our relationship. I asked around to thwart this gnawing doubt in me and I realised that most guys think alike. But when I asked the girls in my class, the so-called committed ones were all ‘mush-mush’ about how happy they are when I know for sure that their guys weren’t all so ‘rosy’ about them. So, it brings me back to where I started, Guys have relationship phobia, don’t they? SAGAR M

ILLUSTRATION: KAMAL

basically work in a KPO and we have to deal with clients we never see and will probably never see as well. But we still wear formals, high heels and the guys wear their best formals and co-ordinated ties. Well, it does make the oﬃce look very professional and ‘corporate’! All said and done, I am not one of those people who looks for opportunities to hate the work place, but when certain situations spit on your face, you can’t help it…can you? The other day my boss asks me to handle a particular work apart from what I already do. Of course I knew I had been liked and appreciated for my work, otherwise why would my boss give me the best client database to work with. Uh-oh, too happy… too soon! For my ‘nosey’ colleague had something else in mind! This particular creature loves to take credit for all the hard work I do...be it presentations, reports, emails, documentations et al. Now I’m not the one to go around talking about my work but I do hate it when someone else just uses my hard work and claims it as his own. It just makes me furious every time I think about it. So I took it on me to teach him a lesson and now I do the exact same. I take credit for his work and put him in tight spots at every possible chance. He hates me but who cares? I know all this is nothing new. There are colleagues and bosses who use other people’s toil and sweat to earn their brownie points. They ‘butter-up’ the bosses, ﬁnd easy ways to spend the day at work by faking outdoor meetings while chilling out with friends and commit several other un-punishable crimes. But can we stop it? No! The reason is that some parasites don’t die they just stick around to suck it all out from you. SUMAN CHAKRABORTY

Issues, opinions, questions, conundrums...feel free to raise them all. For whatever boggles you irks us as well. So, e-mail us at bhejafry.vibes@eclectic.co.in and start ranting.