The Score Magazine December 2019 issue

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 12 Issue 12 December 2019

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INDIA'S NATIONAL PAN-GENRE MUSIC MAGAZINE

BAND OF THE MONTH

THAYIR SADAM PROJECT Their learning experiences, on jam sessions, tech set up.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

ARUNA SAIRAM On her early influences, vocal techniques, practise routine and more

ALSO INSIDE: Indie Reviews, Future of Indie Pop in India, Nostalgic Notes: Rockstar and more.

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ON THE COVER

ARUNA SAIRAM

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

SOUMIK DATTA

READ ON

FUTURE OF INDIE POP IN INDIA

READ ON

JAILHOUSE ROCK

IN CONVERSATION WITH

LUCKY ALI & ELEIZER

READ ON BEST PORTABLE GUITAR AMPS

THE TEAM Director, Business Development Pragash VM Director, Marketing & Operations Sneha Ramesh Director Ajay Prabhakar Editorial Advisor Nikila Srinivasan Creative Director George Vedamanickam Creative Designer Manasi Doshi Content Contributors Shreya Bose Navya C Mukesh Amaran Souvik Chakraborty Aditi Sarawagi Kausthub Ravi

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SNEHA RAMESH

ARUNA SAIRAM She is accomplished, acknowledged and regarded as one of the most renowned exponents of Classical music. Drawing from her vast knowledge of pan Indian traditions, she is one of the esteemed figures in the world of classical music.

We had the absolute pleasure of interacting with her, who is also a recipient of the Padma Shri award from the Government of India.

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She chatted with us about her early influences, vocal techniques, practise routine, favourite musicians, collaborations and more.

Read on to discover more about this esteemed composer, collaborator and humanitarian.

Tell us about your early influences in Carnatic music The first memory is of my mother. She was a south Indian young bride transplanted into the huge city of Bombay.

She found a connection with herself by singing every day. Every morning, as a child, I used to hear her sing.

Sometimes, I dozed off on her lap while she was singing.

The early memories go on for a while. By the time I was four or five, a lot of musicians started coming to Bombay to perform at the newly formed sabhas. Those associations used to host artists but the only accommodations used to be matunga concerns which wasn’t really a great place to be in after your concerts. Somehow, the artists used to find their way to our house. Ours was a very small flat but even in that small place, the whole house used to reverberate with laughter, music and musical talk the moment these artists came in.

Every Sunday morning, I used to look forward to who would be coming on that day. It used to be MS Amma, or it would be MLV Amma or someone like that. As a kid, I got inspired not only by their music but by their personalities. Musicians are essentially, simple and childlike. They love good food and be in the company of people who like them and their music.

How important do you think is language and diction when Carnatic compositions are rendered?

Let’s look at the music first to understand what it is about. It is art music! It is highly virtuosic music but at the same time the lyrical content is Bhakti oriented.

This is a rare combination and not all kinds of music have this level of both these elements combined in it. It is primarily important to have good pronunciation.

Tell us your most favourite raaga of all time whether it is to perform or to listen to Brindavana Saranga is a very favourite raaga of mine and so is Thodi. I love to explore both these raagas as much as I can.

What do you think is the best way to get the younger generation involved in Carnatic music and encourage them towards it?

It is interesting because with the advent of so much other kinds of music and with the explosion of internet, it is just that the other music is ready and at hand and that is probably the reason why they are not taking the extra effort to come towards Carnatic music.

For example, two generations ago, all kids were interested in Carnatic music because that was the only thing available then. So, children don’t really say ‘I won’t this, or I don’t want that’. They adhere to what is available and appealing.

We have to do everything we can to make it available.

Talking about digital era, how have you leveraged the digital wave and made sure your music has reached younger audiences?

I didn’t have to do much in my earlier years. It’s only now that I’m understanding the impact of digital era. Few years ago, I was more like concerned about my live performances, practising and preparing and thinking of the live audiences.

It is still the case but that effect you create through a live performance can also be extended through digital media.

YouTube, in my opinion, has been a huge impetus in getting my music reached to people far and wide. I wouldn’t say I have explored them enough yet, but to whatever extent I could.

Did you face challenges as a young and emerging artist when you started out? What was your most challenging project till date?

When I was developing as a musician, there was a lot of confusion. I didn’t know how to go about

doing things. Quite a few times, I almost gave up.

But somehow I held on and I’m glad I did.

My most challenging experience would be when I worked with the dancer Chandralekha and she choreographed and I composed music for that.

In her productions, there is no lyric oriented content. I had to construct music in an abstract way. That was very challenging!

How important do you think is collaboration when it comes to music and how have you used that in your career?

Collaboration and interactions with other musicians enriches your music and soul. More than anything else, you are listening to the other person’s creativity and you sit in that aura of the other musician and are imbibing so much. Every time I collaborate, I feel I am growing in leaps and bounds in my awareness levels in music.

I have collaborated with a lot of musicians. I have collaborated with artists who sings Gregorian chants, flamenco artists etc.

In India with U.Srinivas, Shankar Mahadevan, dancer Malavika Sarukkai, Ranjit Barot and also young age musicians like Ambi Subramaniam, Hari Charan and so on. I feel, as much as you collaborate, you must stick to your roots.

You give a lot of importance to presentation during your concerts. What is your approach and how do you go about deciding the flow of your performance?

I go through several plans for a concert. I try to sing it out and check out the flow of the music. By the time, I reach the performance day, I would have had four to five plans. Finally, when I face the audience, the plan still changes. The whole journey from my first thought to the time I make changes on the spot, is a story of what I want to communicate. I am creative and spontaneous but always have a game plan.

What is your approach in presenting a rare raaga?

I usually go to a composition in that raaga to get an idea of how it should be handled. For example, if you want to explore the raaga Vagadheeswari. It’s got dissonant notes in it and is a different sounding raaga. But Thyagaraja has composed this beautiful composition Paramathmudu Velige.

I try to break it up to different phrases and look at each by itself and build my own structures around those phases.

Name your favourite Carnatic composers and what do you like the most about their compositions Thyaragaja is an all-time great because he covers a huge range of emotions. He can be very funny, deep, solid, madhyama kalam and much more. Muthuswami Dikshitar is all about ethereal pursuit of spiritual knowledge. Shyama Shastri is always in conversation with Kamakshi.

My very special composer is Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer because he predates these three people and has a very theatrical approach to composition. His music express the Bhagavatham mela tradition which represents musical theatre.

Tell us about your voice training Voice training was another trajectory by itself in my life.

I always had questions about how one can sharpen the voice.

I had been going to a Hindustani musician Pandit Wamanrao Sadolikar who gave me few tips and from few others. When I went to Germany to teach in a conservatory for three months, I met a voice master who trains leading Opera The

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singers for voice. The meeting with him was life changing.

He helped me find that core that changed my entire approach to find a connection between voice, body and mind.

Take us through your practise routine The day starts with 45 minutes of pranayama which is a very crucial part of a singer’s life. I consider walking as a part of my vocal preparation because unless the body is ready, it might affect my singing. Singers are sedentary people so that airing and movement ought to be given in order for it to react while singing.

I do some vocalises, some basic exercises like sarali varisai in different vowels at different speeds and holding the Sa at a particular pitch for long lengths of time.

For the intellectual practise of a repertoire happens after 10am.

On the concert day, I don’t sing so much but I think a lot!

Can western techniques help a Carnatic vocalist? Your thoughts on that.

This takes me back to the time I learnt from my guru in Germany. He made me understand that when you are talking about voice as an instrument, it is a particular instrument that is similar for all human beings. The nature of it is different while the mechanism is the same. There could be a shrill voice, mid-level voice, base voice, a deep voice etc. The voice box is the producer of the sound but the abdomen and chest are resonators of the sound.

What would be your tips to aspiring Carnatic musicians?

I am deeply impressed by young musicians today. They are working hard and are focussed and professional in their attitudes. If at all, I would take the liberty of my age, as an elder, I would only say two words Shraddha Saburi which meaning focus and patience.

If you hang in there and stay focus, sooner or later, things are going to happen!

RAPID FIRE Your favourite Non-Indian singer : Maria Callas, a famous Opera singer of yesteryears

Tell us something that your rasika has done that touched your heart

Recently, I had my birthday and there was this Artists in the Non-Carnatic field that you beautiful WhatsApp message that somebody sent me. It has some of my favourite yesteryears would love to perform with songs Baar Baar Din Ye Aaye by Mohammed Pandit Ajay Chakraborty Rafi and a whole collage of my pictures. It Your Non- Indian favourite song of all really touched my heart. I wanted to know who time this was and I called the number, somebody mumbles and it turned out to be a small girl Something in the way by Beatles called Anumita. She said she had 500 pictures Name an instrument you love to learn of me. It was very cute and I was touched Mridhangam because it was a young child.

Favorite food Vathakozhambu and Chepang kazhangu roast

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Artist of the month:

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SOUMIK DATTA

You are a well travelled musician, television presenter & composer. How do you juggle between all of these and yet stay true to what each one demands?

Over the years, its true, I’ve started exploring multiple career paths. At heart I’ve always been a musician. This led organically to becoming a composer and my passion for tv and film has led me to explore on-screen work. But at the core of it all, is essentially me. Each of these roles fulfil different parts of who I am. I’m grateful that we live in a world where that is possible. A few years ago, it may even have been unthinkable! But there is a lot in common between these strands too: frequent journeying, touring, devising, planning, committing vast sections of script and music to memory, collaborating with teams either on set or in a studio. All this fills me with tremendous creative energy. I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

How did you decide to pick up the Sarod at first and what inspired you?

I was thirteen and had recently discovered the sarod - an heirloom stored among various bits of vintage items that had accompanied my family on our move to London. There was something in that sound - a resonance that had completely captivated me. So during the winter holidays, my Dad brought me to see guruji, Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta, who took me under his wing and promised to make a sarod player out of me. That was a wonderful feeling, like being in the shade of a giant oak tree - protected, warm and nurturing.

You moved to London early in life and continued playing the sarod. Was it difficult to hold on to that discipline outside India?

I often returned to India to continue learning from my guru.

He had a very methodical way of teaching and ensured that while I was away I had enough material and home work to keep improving. I wanted to hold on to sarod even while I was in London, something about it made me feel like I was still in India. At that age, in a foreign country, surrounded by British and European faces, the sarod made me feel Indian.

It still does. And even when I play at festivals in Europe for western or mixed audiences, the sarod makes me feel proud to be Indian.

believe that practice needs to extend beyond your artform to the body and the mind as well. So I exercise at least 4 times a week, a cross or body weight training and conditioning, which prepares me for the work life. Having multiple careers does mean that life can get stressful and in those moments it helps to centre yourself and be grounded in something that is larger, more powerful and deeply profound: music.

How important do you think is preserving classical art forms?

How are you making your voice heard in this regard?

Classical art forms have survived all these years and I believe that they will endure long after us. It’s true, from time to time depending on mainstream trends, it feels like classical art is being overshadowed by popular forces. This is only the case when you try and commercialize classical arts. And while new trends are often ephemeral, there is a depth and rigor to classical arts making them very difficult to overthrow like the foundations of an old palace. Despite being a child of two worlds, classical and contemporary, despite being a crossover, hybrid artist, I have found that as a tool of self discipline and focus, nothing has prepared me for my life and path, the way Indian classical music has.

Tell us about your upcoming projects I am working on several new tv shows at the moment and am excited to share their details in the new year! It will mean more travelling this time to newer and exciting destinations.

On the music making front, I have several new projects in the pipeline many of which champion social causes. My latest album ‘Jangal’ which is out on Spotify and Apple Music now, is the first protest album I’ve made and marks this new direction merging art and activism. I’m also excited to be producing and composing the debut single for Indian actress Nithya Menen. All her fans who know her as a powerful, young actress are going to lose their minds when they hear her sing!

You are trained under Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta. What were your biggest learning from him that you incorporate even today?

The greatest gift my Guru gave me was the gift of perseverance. He himself was an example of an artist who had reached the highest levels of musicianship and yet practiced every day. Right up until the time that he died, he was always in touch with his instrument. This was the most important lesson, that as a musician, there is no end goal. It is a constant journeying forward, a lifetime of exploration and dedication to your art form.

You have collaborated with world renowned musicians such as Anoushka Shankar, Jay Z, Beyoncé and much more. How did such big collaborations come about?

London is a vibrant and incredible city, and I found that musicians would open doors and welcome me warmly. But also I believe that I was at the right place at the right time. So much works like that in the arts world and I’m grateful for all these amazing opportunities.

Tell us about your practice routine I practice sarod for at least two hours everyday. The first hour is always dedicated to technique and improvement. But I also

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Social Media

Same Game, New Rules This piece is in continuation to “Social Media is you best friend”, published in Score Magazine Last Month. Though this article can be treated as a standalone read, do check last month’s issue for a complete overview on the topic.

and the recent podcasts have initiated conversations among the fans and has had the biggest impact thus far.” – Abhay Sharma (Saxophonist for Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Adnan Sami and The Revisit Project)

Social Media seems, on most part, a marketing tool that relies on ‘viral luck’ or ‘organic acceptance’ to most young artists. Planning and scheduling is more or less ignored for social media and is approached more spontaneously. When in truth it is actually a carefully planned process to make it look organic and spontaneous.

#4 Tag and Credit – Posting a photo that was shot by someone else? Tag and Credit them. They will feel ingratiated and will engage in the post. The post will also show up on their feed attracting their followers.

Here are some tips to help you plan your social media strategy and get some noticeable results.

Let’s pick up where we left off last month, #1 Never tell them everything at once – Unless it’s a gig post, don’t cram everything in one post or in one day’s story. Leave the audience on a hanging note where they get a sense of closure at the next post. No one is expecting Emmy standard cliff hangers, even if the audience forgets about the last post, the follow up will be a delightful reminder and also gives the appearance of consistency. #2 Identify your target audience and collaborate – Identifying your target audience on the basis of demographics and mutual interests is crucial. This will help you realize potential collaborations with other social media creators. For e.g. Audiences that like electronic music are most probably also tech enthusiasts. Lending your music to a tech reviewer for their videos in exchange for a simple shout out or tag to your artist entity exposes it to their entire viewership. #3 Be diverse and put up more than music – Music is your main product. But filling up your entire profile with just your performances, noodling and studio sessions will make your profile look like a strict advertisement of your Artist Entity. People don’t want to follow a page that only advertises its product. Diversity in your content with the right hashtags will attract a diverse audience. Perhaps a shot of your amazing meal while on tour attracts a foodie who likes your kind of music.

“We have recently come to understand that our fans and people in general are interested in knowing the artist as much as the music. Thus, our interview series

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#5 Follow similar artist and brands you use – An underrated but effective way to network online. It also works your profile into the algorithms and presents you on ‘explore’ pages to other audiences. Tagging and following the brands of the gear you use will also help in the same regard and may also land you endorsements. #6 Follow Trends and Challenges – Got a new feature in your social media app after the last update? Use it! A new online challenge is making the rounds, participate.

Following trends will always help to immensely increase your visibility to random audience.

“The most important aspect of social media that a lot of artists ignore is using new tools. All social media platforms or apps have regular updates that come with new tools and features that one could use to amplify reach.

These tools should be wisely used by artists to reach out to their fans and build more audience. An artist should know his/her market and work on ways to strengthen and multiply the same using social media. More fans/ followers = more views or plays on your music.” – Zaeden #7 Hashtags Rule – Never underestimate the power of hashtags. They drive the algorithms and push you to the front. #8 Rule of 3 – You don’t have to be on every platform out there. Concentrate your efforts where you can manage and integrate with ease. Without a team specifically handling your social media, lax in your consistency is inevitable if you’re trying to be present everywhere. For musicians right now, Instagram, Soundcloud and Facebook are sufficient.

-Mukul Jain (Proprietor/Chief Engineer at Ferris Wheel Studios)

SHREYA BOSE

INDIE Mend (Tushar Mathur): It is an established fact that indie music has really taken off (wouldn’t be writing this column otherwise), but Tushar Mathur still feels the sting of struggle. His second single Mend has him crooning a despondent self-reflexive dirge that relates to the musician’s anguish.

Lyrically, he has gained impressive sophistication in the span of one song. “I've been feelin' like I've got nothing around/To star in your movie seems like work all year round” is an all-too familiar lament in artistic circles, for the star of success stays almost as elusive as empty seats in a Virar local. The lines “I just wanna be, what I saw in me/I just wanna know, when I'm gonna be in control” are particularly interesting.

On one hand, it is admirable that Mathur seeks to align with his own sense of creative excellence.

However, he seeks control which has its own pitfalls.

Such fleeting contradictions make for a human song that exhibits unashamed vulnerability.

The emotional labor of being isolated by failure and striving to stay afloat is also whispered upon. More than anything else, Mend has the potential to become an existential touchpoint for his fellow musicians.

Musically, low-fi chillhop sensibilities play around with a luxurious measure of creamy saxophone to top them off. The song is refreshingly uncomplicated yet perfectly relevant. It is well-made and deserves all the attention that Mathur laments he does not get.

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Merna (Nivid): It appears we now stand at the beginning of an industrial rock legacy in India. Nivid, a three-man unit of pulsating bitterness and excellent musical instincts has released a drone-laced, darkly-drummed

debut album that is delightful and depressing in perfectly equal measure.

The Nine Inch Nails influence is obvious, as would be for anyone even dipping toes into the genre. It is impressively replicated, and in Ascension|Yaga, it is mingled with more familiar sounds - sacred bells and frenetic drums often featured in yajnas. The combination is disconcerting, which is it's entire point.

The album is a searing indictment of everything we have been doing wrong on individual and social levels. True to the music that inspires the band (NIN and Deftones, among others), the songs offer biting satire. The Hindu Awakens|Hai Yeh Hindustan and Nationalism|Aagaya Hun Main reveal the mindset of someone deranged with political and religious radicalism. Aditya Virmani’s vocals are gritty, ominous, almost demonic. However, they do lack the derisive chuckle of Trent Reznor or Chino Moreno.

Nivid is still too serious about the evils of the world.

There’s More of Us | Nyay, Azadi, Barabari, Biradari (Na Milegi Tujhko) is particularly good, given the ferocity of it's condemnation.

Those that are different will be condemned, oppressed, tormented. Equality is an illusion.

The mighty reign, and they don’t really care two hoots about what the Constitution says.

REVIEWS Merna features extremely incendiary lyrics, and what makes it more powerful is that the band chooses to don the perspective of the oppressor while they sing or more accurately, chant. There is a hypnotic lull beneath all the stomping, noisedriven riffage. Think NIN’s Piggy and Closer, and you’ll get a sense of what I mean. It's not a stretch to imagine that the band was trying to make a statement on mindless propaganda and it's devastating results with this particular sleight of hand.

Buzzing, half-toned guitars create a fuzzy, eerie soundscape that provides the perfect context for the extreme ideas the album presents.

Thematically, they take a page straight out of NIN’s The Downward Spiral - “the journey of the album’s central character, through to the ultimate breakdown and destruction of their soul.”

Merna is a wonderful piece of art, created by three men who are eager to make listeners very, very uncomfortable. Apparently, they tested out their new music with secretly planned live shows included a festive celebration ( where they turned out to be a big hit) and a ghost-town in the middle of nowhere with what the band calls “some very violent promoters.”

Clearly, the band puts their money where their mouth is. They seem dedicated to flouting convention and have carved out 8 tracks that simultaneously food for thought and melodic appeal. Their penchant for experimentation has been firmly established with their debut.

Granted, a lot of Nivid sounds like NIN and The Smashing Pumpkins with Hindi lyrics. But it's hard not to admire the sources they are drawing their inspiration from. Industrial rock occupies a space between the cathartic aggression of heavy metal and the mellifluous distortion of punk and grunge. It represents a repressed rage and a hapless despair that never finds resolution. Nivid brings this glorious tradition to the Indian consciousness, and it's quite frightening how well it seems to fit.

Two Macha (Two Macha): The mandolin stands out.

The first thing that draws you into the work of this folk-acoustic duo is how the mandolin strings manage to tease and dominate at the same time. Played by bluegrass mandolin adept Dolinman AKA Diptanshu Roy, this European lute is the belle of the ball.

Dolinman is joined by the quirky, curious songwriting of Suren Vikash. He also lends his voice, which ranges from honeyed tones to a gravelly high pitch.

Their musicality carries, at its centre, the intention of social relevance. Yossane Perussu, for example, is about the green revolution, it's consequences and the state of agriculture and farmers in India.

They invoke Kabir with Man Masth Hua, and flutter about the frailties of love in Just You. In league with a host of collaborators, Two Macha’s debut album is charming and curious in equal. Suren sings in many languages, possibly to reflect the vast repertoire of sounds that inspire them. Firmly rooted in the history on Indian sounds, the band turns really good music into a thought experiment for their listeners.

Born out of a fortuitous meeting at the Ziro Festival of Music, Two Macha is an excellent addition to our country’s sonic tapestry. The songs enchant without end, and offer plenty to wonder upon. With every gently plucked string, beautiful and important stories are poured into the listener’s awareness.

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ADITI SARAWAGI

Future of Indi-Pop in India

Indian pop music also known as Indi-pop, I-pop, or Hindi-pop, refers to pop music produced in India that is independent from movie soundtracks. Indi-Pop saw a boom in the 90’s as music on television was not restricted to Doordarshan, and music videos took up most of the airtime on Channel V and MTV. The 90’s saw a slew of artists, bands and songs which still find pride of place in many playlists today. These include Shweta Shetty, Euphoria, Alisha Chinai, Lucky Ali, Anaida, The Aryans, Band of Boys, Bombay Vikings, Viva, Aasma, Mehnaz, and Leslie Lewis to name a few. Not to forget Shaan, KK, Daler Mehndi and Mohit Chauhan who migrated to Bollywood as Indi-pop saw its decline in early 2000’s.

Many blame the film industry for the decline of Indi-Pop yet others say it is the overkill of subpar music with everyone releasing albums and of course the advent of the digital space which ultimately saw a complete lull for Indi-pop.

Today, Indi-Pop is seeing a revival with Punjabi music, music videos and artistes focusing on releasing singles instead of whole albumskeeping up with the digital onslaught and

shortened attention span of the audiences. More than the music, record labels are focusing on videos as they act as selling points for the music. The idea to concentrate on singles is to maximise the attention each track receives and to increase its chances of being added to top charts, playlists and becoming viral, as the number of plays determines which is the most popular song at any given time.

Over the last couple of years, there has been a rise of Indi-Popmusic is no longer restricted to Bollywood and this is mainly due to the rising regional music culture and the underground music movement along with indie hip-hop which has taken the country’s music lovers by storm. Indi-Pop is also on the rise due to the fact that it has become a huge trend amongst urban India. This has also made way to a number of music festivals such as the Bacardi NH7 Weekender which started in 2010 and essentially is an annual music festival hosted in multiple cities across the country and hosts pop artists and bands such as Indian Ocean, Faridkot, Swarathma, Midival Punditz, Indian, Fiddler’s Green, Azamaan Hoyvoy, Dee En, and Easy Wanderlings. There are numerous smaller organizations as well which organise gigs like Boxout.fm and Sofar Sounds, which are being able to promote these events simply due to the growing popularity of Indi-Pop. Coming to the brand value of Indi-Pop artists and bands, a lot of brands are looking out for independent artists instead of the clichéd Bollywood celebrity faces. Brands like Absolut, and Red Bull have a strong presence in the underground music scene as do Bira and Kati Patang who invest heavily into live music shows. Budweiser has tied up with hip-hop sensation DIVINE to emphasize on its promise to give a stage to emerging talent while redefining the local music narrative.

The social media presence and consumer engagement of today’s Indi-Pop stars add to their accessibility and increases their reach via digital streaming platforms which has become a major revenue source to the artists as well as the record label involved. This in turn leads to further fame both online and offline leading to live music gigs and even brand partnerships.

This direct-to-fan model is a major reason for the success and growth of Indi-Pop.

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The Indi-Pop industry has become selfsufficient in its own right due to a multitude of factors and the future looks bright. The success and popularity of the genre shows that Indi-Pop is here to stay.

Band of the month

Thayir Sadam Project

Let’s start with the clichéd question of how the name came about

Bindu: Curd rice, or thayir sadam as it’s called in Tamil, is a favourite South Indian comfort food.

Thayir Sadam is integral to our identity in more ways than one.

We believe that what’s traditional is cool, and we bring that element into every piece we write. We embrace musical styles from around the world while staying rooted in Indian classical music. And yes, we love our thayir sadam. We wanted to wear this identity on our sleeve, and so we decided to call ourselves The Thayir Sadam Project.

The band consists of very popular and talented musicians.How did you all meet and come together?

Ambi: It was actually a few things that happened in parallel. I first found Mahesh’s cover of Adele’s Hello – it was amazing and I just had to share it online. Around that time, our friend from BBC, Ashanti Omkar, also suggested we collaborate with him.

Gayatri, the Trichur Brothers, and others. They are all talented artists and wonderful people – and have really taught us to explore newer creative paths for ourselves, musically.

Ambi: I’ve always believed in the power of exploring different elements of music. In collaborating with some of the music industry’s biggest legends, I saw this idea coming to life. I’ve been blown away by the way these different styles of music came together – and this was because every musician we’ve worked with is overwhelmingly talented and very open-minded.

Mahesh: For me, the biggest learning was to work with multiple artists from diverse musical backgrounds for one common vision. I can safely say it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had.

Tell us about your typical jam session and how long you guys jam for Ambi: Honestly, we don’t really clock it. We meet very often, and end up jamming together all day.

Mahesh: Our first song together was an Indian mix of Something Just Like This by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers. We recorded it remotely between Dubai and Bangalore! The first time we met in person, it was midnight and we had to shoot the video at four in the morning.

Akshay: We don’t keep them very structured. Sometimes we spend time discussing and coming up with ideas, sometimes we’re just in the flow of making music so we allow it to take its own direction. Because of that, we don’t usually have a typical amount of time that we plan to set aside.

Bindu: We were having a great time working together and wanted to collaborate together, but we felt like we needed to add another musician to this mix. That’s when Akshay came in.

Take us through your tech set up of making music

Akshay: Mahesh and I had collaborated before, so he introduced me to Bindu and Ambi. Just like that, we were meeting more frequently to create new content, and traveling for live performances. It’s so hard to believe it’s been over a year since we’ve been doing this!

You guys collaborate with legendary musicians in the industry. What has been your biggest learning experience through this?

Bindu: We’ve been extremely fortunate to have collaborated with some amazing musicians – Aruna Sairam ji, Ranjani-

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Mahesh: We produce and record all of our music on Logic Pro, using a UA Apollo Twin as our interface. On stage, apart from acoustic instruments, we run our backing tracks and loops through Ableton. We use it to trigger different sections of the songs we play.

Upcoming projects Bindu: We have a few new releases in the pipeline. We love working with kids, so we will continue doing that. Apart from that, we’re also very excited about our upcoming US tour next year!

KADAMBARI SRIVASTAVA

NOSTALGIC NOTES Nadaan Parinde, Rockstar - A Medley of Love, Loss, Longing

The stage is set. A rockstar full of angst is approaching as the crowd is growing wilder by the second. As he drinks himself into insanity and pukes on the red carpet he is supposed to tread on, you brace yourself for a noise fest which is what most of the music today is. Instead, when Jordan grabs the mike and starts singing, it’s an ultimate ballad of love, loss, and longing. Nadaan Parinde comes forth and Rahman’s finest melody syncs with Irshad Kamil’s words and Mohit Chauhan’s voice as Ranbir Kapoor emulates the pain of a man not wronged by anyone but himself.

As the song flips back and forth in terms of the highs and lows of notes, with the intensity of it piercing through the listener’s consciousness, you realise that the Rockstar’s journey is coming to an end. The great love which he lost to get the pain which would set him on the path of stardom, also set him on the path of an unforeseen destruction, which came with a pain he thought he could handle but couldn’t.

Rockstar will forever be cherished as one of the finest albums of Hindi cinema. But Nadaan Parinde is special not only because it touches and shakes your very core, but also because it brings Janardhan’s story to a conclusion. He achieved success at the loss of Heer, and he is lamenting, aware of himself yet unaware, lost in a medley of past and present. As the song concludes and he has a vision of Heer, the curtain falls on two lovers in two distant lands, as Rumi’s quote sums it up — Out beyond the ideas of right-doing and wrongdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.

Many among the audience went home with the impression that Nadaan Parinde was Jordan’s last ode, an obituary to the love he lost, Heer, and a celebration of the love he achieved, music, and the madness in between as his worlds collide, leaving him on the brink of insanity.

So, did he die?

Well, the filmmakers denied the same. However, the death was indeed the part of the first draft that Imtiaz Ali had created. Come to think of it, if the audience went home with the impression, it would have been way too predictable; the death of the rockstar who rose only to fall. But it was written off. Because this was the story of that rockstar. It was a story of him reaching his zenith, as he stood on the pyre of his biggest loss, his love. His suffering was what gave him strength. It would have been an injustice to the story as well as lamenting anthem he sung, to let him just die.

Instead, Nadaan Parinde was the grand finale, bringing forth all the emotions that Jordan had experienced till then, all the happiness, all the love, all the hope, despite the hopelessness of it all. Because no matter how intense the notes became, Nadaan Parinde still had the stanza which delicately sung of an innocent hope which pined for one last sight of the beloved.

Nadaan Parinde was a conclusion, but not on the setting sun of the rockstar, it just shut the curtain on his single act, only to leave hope for another one. Jordan leaves one stage, dreaming of Heer, only to suffer more, yet live more, sing more, create more, and maybe, hope a little more.

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

JAILHOUSE ROCK: Music and Musicians behind bars in India

Over the years, some amusing music experiments have been born within prison walls. When it comes to musicians in jails, the list will have a bazillion names. From unruly hipsters like Jim Morrison to activist-poets like rap group NWA, many musicians have gone to jail for their music or just their personality.

Sometimes, the reasons for being incarnated might be something like murder, destruction of public property or sexual abuse. So, let’s not delve towards that side. Most of the musicians in the US and Europe might go behind bars only for such notoriety but in modern times, musicians of the Third World mostly go to jail for political reasons.

Take the case of Vo Minh Tri, a major Vietnamese drummer who had to serve time for four years, only to be released in 2015. What was his crime? Writing politically sensitive songs.

Similarly, Uighur singer and musician Abdurehim Heyit was mysteriously taken captive by Chinese authorities two years back and he’s still missing.

Such cases are present in India too. Kabir Kala Manch is a group of ten musicians from Pune whose songs often are marked by strong social messages and critique of the state.

They often emphasise on the issues of communities that are socially and financially marginalised. But with the ‘antinational’ bandwagon in the country, this music troupe’s concerts started getting boycotted and three members were even arrested a few years back.

The Act which allows their imprisonment is the infamous 1967 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. It has been called ‘draconian’ by many for how it has been used to imprison artists on exaggerated accusations of political criticism.

Some Indian artists have had other fruitful experiences in prison. Raghu Ram, the grey-bearded bassist of Indian roc outfit Indian Ocean is one of India’s most popular activist

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musicians. In the 90s, when Narmada Bachao Andolan was in full swing, Ram was imprisoned.

The public movement started to prevent the construction of hydro-projects on the river Narmada by the government as it would affect the local ecosystem and the Adivasis (tribals) would be dislocated. Behind bars, Ram wrote and composed a song called Chitu.

Chitu was about a tribal man called Chitu who was displaced due to government policy. What’s amusing is that the jail where Ram was housed; it was Chitu’s house once upon a time. Ram recalls that he sang the song with the prisoners and even the warden joined in!

But probably the biggest celebration of music in an Indian jail was helmed by the jazz-pop-rap band The Ska Vengers.

It is one of those groups who makes jumpy dancey tunes but the lyrical content is much deeper and political. They have spoken against censorship and religious extremism but one of their members went to jail for not an ideological cause.

Their UK-origin keyboardist Stefan Kaye was jailed in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for overstaying his visa. There, he interacted with many prisoners and found out some of them might have even been innocent and imprisoned unjustly. As Kaye put it in his own words, ‘They were people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, people who were branded Maoists despite negligible evidence’.

This gave birth to The Ska Venger’s 2012 concert in Tihar Jail. It turned out to be the largest rock concert to be held in a prison. The 2 lakh rupees raised in the show through tickets were used to buy musical instruments for the inmates.

They even wished to start a music tuition program for the prisoners. The concert can still be seen as a unique Indian musical happening. Johnny Cash’s Folsom legacy was still alive, and maybe even better…

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How Christianity Found It’s Place in Rock ‘n Roll

WHEN

MET

KARISHMA D'MELLO

At face value, rock and Christianity seem glaringly dissimilar and almost uncomfortably incompatible.

The two share a complicated history marked with conflict, dismissiveness, resignation and somewhere in between perhaps, reluctant embrace.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a pairing that provoked the reactions it did, especially during that time.

Fundamentalist Christians were adamantly against the evolving genre that reinforced their beliefs of a “devilish” music, every time it hit a new landmark. But the unlikely pairing of Christian musicians and electric guitars created an interesting, and to some a conflict of grotesque proportions.

Elvis Presley himself was a Christian, with a love for gospel music as much as rock ‘n roll. His release of “He Touched Me”, earned him his second Grammy.

In fact, he was not on his own.

Rock ‘n roll, particularly in its earliest eras saw a deep connection between gospel or the music of the churches. The Pentecost churches of Southern America, are regarded as key influences on prominent musicians of the time. This, of course, was not well received by the church, who perceived it as an almost parodical display of music. Randall J. Stephens’ The Devil’s Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned and Embraced Rock ‘n Roll is perhaps, the most comprehensive literature available on the subject.

The conflict arises where on the one hand, rock ‘n roll is almost always prefixed with the glorious “drug, sex” to create an infamous adage popularized by the media. And on the other end of the spectrum, you have Christian ideology that makes no secret of its rejection of promiscuity or willful intoxication. How then could there ever be “Christian rock”?

A preacher was once quoted saying “If you really want to get turned on, I mean, man,

where the trip’s heavy, just pray to Jesus. He’ll turn you on to the ultimate trip.” The spread of similar ideology along Sunset Strip spawned a revival of what would then be called “The Jesus Movement”.

After the release of “Upon this Rock”, by musician Larry Newman, it officially set the ball rolling for Christian rock. However, even couldn’t match up to the expectations of extremist Christians at the time. They despised his work; rock was and would always be the devil’s music.

Which funnily enough brings us to “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music”, whose title alone makes a fair, thought-provoking point in itself, G. A. Thornbury’s biography on the life of Larry Newman and his struggles with the catholic church.

The problem with Christian rock lies in the perceived conflict of sound and message.

With Gospel music, its own signature style of music and lyricism are created to match each other in their nuances.

And so when the message of Christianity sounds through snarling guitars, heavy bass, and unforgiving percussions, the major criticism becomes that the message of faith is lost in all the noise.

While there do exist, bands who embrace the labeling like Petra, Servant and Third Day, other bands despised it. Because with it came the dreaded probability of being “pigeonholed” or pressured to promote a specific message through every song.

Some bands do feel the pressure of spreading “Christian propaganda” and choose to steer away from the label.

Although their music may center around their personal faith, social issues and morality, they do not actively channel anything that could be perceived as religious propaganda. A few may identify themselves with the genre, but on the whole, they choose to remain more about “rock with a message” than “rock with a Christian message”.

AKARSH SHEKHAR

Sound of

Centuries Oldest Organ in the World The Valère basilica in scenic southern Switzerland holds a unique record. It's the home to the “the oldest organ in the world still in continuous use”.

it sounds as it did originally but it does give us a reasonably good idea of what medieval music sounded like, which is extraordinary”, Voeffray said.

This unique instrument, which has been the focal point of a Gothic organ festival that has been held each year for 40 years in Sion, capital of the canton Valais, was built in 1430.

Contrary to what the uninitiated might think, gothic organ music can be very cheerful and is reminiscent of folk dances.

Voeffray begins by playing the “Music for Organum Antiquum, from the Robertsbridge Codex”, compiled between 1330 and 1448 and kept at the British Museum. “This is possibly the world’s oldest preserved organ music”, Voeffray said. He also plays Spanish baroque music along with some folk dance tunes from the 19th century. Despite its small keyboard, the organ at Sion packs enough punch to surprise listeners.

All visitors to this church are awestruck by the magical sound of this old organ. After a moment of uncertainty, they look up from the central nave and are surprised to discover the source of the magic.

It’s not every day that the ordinary person has the privilege of listening to a recital from an instrument which is over 550 years old. But this is a treat that can be experienced in the Valère basilica, a fortified church on a hill overlooking Sion.

The organ is reachable by a flight of steep, narrow, medieval era stairs. It's very different from the modern versions of the organ found in churches all over the world. The organ doesn't have a smorgasbord of buttons and pedals like most modern versions, it's just a modest, diminutive keyboard reminiscent of a simple piano.

Valère’s organ might be the oldest usable organ in the world, but it isn't the sole survivor from the Gothic age.

Other organs from the period are found in other European countries. Edmond Voeffray, the official organist at Sion cathedral, said: “In fact, Spain has a number of 14th century organs but their machinery had fallen into disrepair and so it has been replaced by modern mechanisms.”

“The organ in Valère is unique because the essential elements of its parts and mechanism were actually built in the Middle Ages. There are whole pipes that are original, which in itself is unique in the world,” Voeffray added.

“By 1700, this organ had been modified to play baroque music. Because of this, it’s not possible to say that

Now, if you were wondering about the evidence of the organ being built in 1430, Patrick Elsig of the Valais Museum of History has the answer: “From the murals in the church”, We know that they were commissioned in 1435 and the same person painted the decorations on this instrument. This fact, which is well documented, allowed us to date the organ accurately The wooden hull which looks like the prow of a ship was added in 1630.”

Elsig went on to add that “it should be emphasised that at that time an organ was an almost inconceivable luxury. This instrument would have been brought to Valère at the expense of Guillaume de Rarogne, a powerful figure who ended up as the bishop of Sion.”

Organist Edmond Voeffray added some clarity to the organ's financial significance. He said “The financial investment required to install an organ like this one was not inconsiderable. We mustn't forget that the organ was the most complex machine created by human beings until the advent of the Industrial Revolution.”

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NAVYA C

All Time Greatest Guitar Solos Ever The term expressivity takes up new meanings whenever the name guitar solo is mentioned. Guitar Solos are like a crown for every passionate number which speaks of various emotions that cannot be spoken in words. It actually elevates a song and makes it the main tune instead of the main song lines itself. Unlike piano solos or a violin solo which are more of the softer side, the guitar solo has a plethora of emotions involved with it. Literally every emotion which the songwriter would want to express in the song can be reflected in the solo. Classic rock in particular has had the credit of some fantastic guitar solos which every music lover could relate to. We bring you the list of some greatest guitar solos of all time that can make the winters even more pleasurable to experience!

Stairway to Heaven- Jimmy Page- Led Zeppelin: This marvelous song is a book in itself with those mesmerizing lines and thoughtful lyrics. The composition has so many hues that the new colors emanate whenever we hear it afresh.

The guitar solo which comes in between transforms the melancholic ballad into a power packed rock song for sure! In short the guitar solo is a thoughtful bridge that the listener needs to walk over.

Sweet Child of Mine- Slash- Guns N Roses: Axl Rose might have been on the limelight with his sultry vocals that would

melt anyone’s heart but it is the supremely talented Slash who takes over this song with his riveting guitar solo. He brings out an inexplicable awe to the entire song which would have been just another love song otherwise.

Crazy Train- Randy Rhodes- Ozzy Osbourne: Just as the name says, the song’s guitar solo brings out every bit of craziness possible. With swift yet appealing playing, Randy Rhodes brings out a mesmerizing madness to the entire composition!

Sultans of Swing- Mark Knofler- Dire Straits: Speak of eternal classiness, speak of Dire Straits. The British band has everything extremely stylish when it comes to lyrics, playing of guitar, the riffs and the rendition of course! The song has the greatest guitar solo which goes on and on as if it is an extempore expression.

Eruption- Eddie Van Halen- Van Halen: The band might be known worldwide for the famous song Jump, but Eruption is a fantastic song by itself. The tapping sections and tantalizing rhythm add to the suaveness of the song. Van Halen can get louder and the guitar solos can become even more magical!

Europa- Carlos Santana: Santana is greatly known for his spontaneous and guitar playing that is beyond rule and predictability. He believes in the soul form of playing and Europa just brings out that mystical aspect of guitar playing.

Light My Fire-Robby Krieger- The Doors: Jim Morrison was one breathtaking legend who is known for his unconventional approach towards music and songwriting.

His velvety voice might bring out the stylish appeal to the song which is followed by the funky keyboard, but it is the guitar solo which takes the front seat. Robby Krieger goes much beyond the limits to bring out a fantastic guitar magic!

While My Guitar Gently Weeps- Eric Clapton- The Beatles: The pioneer of classic rock, The Beatles had everything but the best. With mesmerizing vocalist, song writers, and excellent sense of rhythm, the song takes a magical front seat with the passionate guitar solo by the legendary Eric Clapton. This solo brings out a breathtaking new dimension to melancholy.

Cemetery Gates- Dimebag Darrell- Pantera: Being predominantly known as the metal pioneer, Pantera is known for head banging music which strikes a thoughtful chord in terms of lyrics. But Cemetery Gates starts out in a slow note but takes a giant leap with the guitar solo! Dimebag Darrell goes out of the way to express the best possible!

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ZILDJIAN EXTENDS K FAMILY CYMBALS WITH NEW SIZES AND TONAL COLORS The Avedis Zildjian Company is pleased to announce the extension of the iconic K family of cymbals, with the introduction of the new K Cluster Crashes and the addition of the new 14” K Sweet Hi Hats. These new additions complement the more traditional K family cymbals and offer a broader range in dark, alternative sounds.

The new K Cluster Crashes venture into new sound colors that are dark, funky, and trashy, filling the drummer’s need for alternative sounds. The K Cluster Crashes feature the traditional K style hammering technique with additional “cluster” hammer marks. They are extra thin in weight and include an unlathed bell for greater tonal spread and additional sound frequencies. These cymbals are available in 16”, 18” and 20” models. ”The K Cluster crashes are that alternative sound that drummers are looking for, something different than the norm. These Cluster crashes cymbals respond quickly and have a raw, trashy sound that’s perfect for drummers who want to be little different,” says Victor Filonovich, Cymbals Category Manager for Zildjian.

these great additions to our legendary K Family. The New 14” Sweet Hi Hats add another level of excitement to our award winning K Sweet Collection, with its versatility and sound these Hi Hats will blend perfectly with all genres of music,” says Filonovich.

The Zildjian Company has been synonymous with setting the standard for the development and manufacture of high performance musical instruments since 1623. As the world’s leading maker of cymbals, drum sticks and percussion mallets, Zildjian products are sold across the globe, under the Zildjian, Vic Firth, and Balter Mallets brands. From the beginner to the world’s greatest rock stars, jazz performers and concert percussionists, amateurs and pros alike choose Zildjian, Vic Firth, and Balter Mallets products to share their musical expression, without compromise.

The new K Sweet 14” Hi Hats continue the tradition of the award-winning K Sweet cymbal line released in 2018. The 14” model provides a more traditional sizing option for drummers looking for the same dark and sweet tonal colors featured in the 15” and 16” K Sweet Hi Hat models. All K Sweet Hi Hats features extensive K hammering, a thin top, extra heavy bottom, and unlathed bells, giving these cymbals a dark sound with a solid chick and full wash. Available as a pair, or as individual tops and bottoms. “We are very excited to offer

NEW RELEASE Zildjian Model Number

Description

K0720

14” K Sweet Hi Hat Pair

K0721

14” K Sweet Hi Hat Top

K0722

14” K Sweet Hi Hat Bottom

K0931

16” K Cluster Crash

K0933

18” K Cluster Crash

K0935

20” K Cluster Crash

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In conversation with

Lucky Ali & Eliezer on their newest project ‘Lemalla’

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Let’s get the obvious out of the way. How did the two of you meet, and what inspired the project and name “Lemalla”?

Eliezer: Lemalla, is the higher essence, it’s the higher the manner of being in our personality. I’ve always been fascinated with India, it’s music and culture. Then came a time a few years ago, when our management from the United States, recommended that we do a collaboration with an Indian artist and my search began. The very second I came across Lucky’s voice and his very presence of screen, I knew there was something there. I was fascinated by his depth, his songs, his humanity and felt a connection. We started with an idea of a song and three years later this became an entire album - of friendship, love and discovery.

Lucky: The meaning as explained by Eli, can be described as something that is higher than the thoughts that we operate on, a daily basis. It’s an aspiration, more than a goal. The album was about discovery, indeed…

In your new project, you emphasise the need for listening over “convincing”. Could you elaborate on how you managed to communicate this message through your music?

Both: There is the general approach that perceives the other and doesn't try to change the other and that's our basic premise of this whole project together, not to create conflicts butactually through our presentation create anexample of connection. Practically, music is an opportunity is to exercise this personality in the best way because music demands us to be… to feel, to sense, to express our senses and at the same time to be in dialogue with our partners that our creating together with us and to receive also their expression through that articulate together of the movements and developments.

On paper, you read as two completely different people, coming from very different spaces. During your time together, what similarities have you found between yourselves?

are taking us. That’s the key to understanding whose ideas are what moving forward together in thought.

In a world ridden with cultural conflict, “Lemalla” is almost rebellious in its representation of collaboration. Why do you think so many people and cultures, find it so hard to look beyond their differences and find common ground, and did you experience any of these challenges yourselves?

Eliezer I think that if we approached the ideas of community in the wrong fashion, we would subscribe to wrong ideas and then make things about ‘us’ or ‘them’ and engage in some sort of an unwanted competition, which helps no one.

But if we retain our individual personalities along with the right kind of environmental sensibilities - of belonging to an identity or faith - as also humanity, we could connect through every situation, as it is, to every person. Yes, this project was about taking a chance and fortunately so, we hope that this will become an example of the fact that racism is not only wrong but also destroys the very beauty of human connections.

What was your biggest takeaway from your journey together as musicians?

Both: ability to connect beyond language, words, geographical boundaries and other contrasts, just by listening to the language of our hearts, through expression, conversations and music.

Given that you both have somewhat distinct styles of music, was production a challenge?

Eliezer: Our attitude towards our collaboration was also the attitude of going to a new journey and coming out of known or familiar space. So it allowed us to go through an emotional dialogue of what we hear, what as musicians we want,collaborating with our partners because of their sound and their personality’s expression. We felt that its right energy of the songs and subjects of the song.

Both: Both of us see music as the language of the heart and write and compose out of seeking for answers within ourselves as well as humanity. tFor sure our beautiful friendship are expressed in hobbies we have together we are family people we tribe people, we lived in the movements of family and professional life with people that we loved being with, and we have a lot of common hobbies of history, may be learning, exploring and discovering things together. We both like to sit with friends, relax and carry on the feeling as long as its connected to inspiration and continuation and good vibes.

Music of course, has the ability to evoke a number of emotions in the listener. But if you had the choice of your audience taking back just a single idea or message, what would you choose and why?

As songwriters/performers, what do you feel is the most distinctive thing about you? And how do you bring these two elements together in your newest collaboration?

What do you admire the most about each other?

Eliezer: I think what’s unique about me is that I’m myself and no one else and that’s how I look at everyone else as their individual selves… A collaboration is just a beautiful dialogue between people and dialogues are and should be unformatted, accepting and organic…

During the making of “Lemalla”, how often did you have a clash of creative interests? And how did you manage to move past them?

Both: Its all the question of approach because, creating is all about bringing different opinions insituations. So the continuation is the expression of dialogues and just bringing up the options, we have to put our egos aside and just listen and be sensitive to our senses, to what we feel and like and also to where our collective emotions

Eliezer: To seek what connect us more than what divides us because, in the places of connection we create something new, which in turn creates an opportunity to fix and to learn from the past… All in order to create more positive situation, not to use our experiences or our talents in order to mess up the present that there is and creating together out of love, for love, for connection.

Eliezer: He is caring, Lucky's movements in life is a movement that brings blessing to all of his surroundings. He looks as everyone as an equal and his heart is open to love and with love.

I admire lucky, for living the true life of an artist… as also a human. I look at him as a teacher for me as well, and a partner and a friend…

Tell us about your favourite moment throughout the entire making of this project.

Eliezer: The strongest memory for me, was to see Lucky's face to face for the first time. At that moment I felt like I’ve received an answer for my intuition of a long-long time — that I my intuition was right. I found a friend to go on a journey with, that I'm very thankful for.

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SOUVIK CHAKRABORT Y

ASMR!

FOUR LETTERS THAT BLEW UP THE INTERNET

In this age of digital boom, the importance of good content has been paramount. The virality of long format and short format content is at an all-time high. The possibilities are amplified by the innovative content creators of our times.

While most of these creators deal with video storytelling techniques, there are a lot many others who are ruling the roost with a very different set of videos on social media. These videos are different than the rest, owing to the use of sound in their content. The world of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) has been weirdly refreshing for its content and presentation.

If you are someone who misses some quality tactile response in your body. And, long for the whispers of a light voice or the rustles of a feather touching your skin, or the sound of earlobes fondled. Then listening to the relaxing sounds of ASMR videos, should definitely help you out.

If you look up the term ASMR, you may not find its lineage much farther than the year 2010. It was Jennifer Allen who had coined the word in a Facebook group, to basically, define the tingling sensation of a human body to a certain kind of sound. And, ever since, it has been the fad in social media. To test the waters through various waves of sound!

While many would consider the kind of videos to be always of a sexual connotation, it may not necessarily be the case always. There are videos where a hairdryer had been on for a couple of hours, or a brush has been rubbed against a glass

bowl for thirty minutes. These ASMR videos have been a tool for relaxation for even those who have otherwise complained of sleepless nights or troubled thoughts in their solitary hours.

While this is a general introduction to the world of ASMR. This article is meant for understanding the aural part of these kinds of productions.

The first and the foremost thing to be considered is a good filter for your microphones. There should not be any selfnoise from the microphones. The microphones should be free from any hissing, humming, crackling or other white noises. Since most of the sounds captured are on a low level, it is imperative that the fidelity of the audio is maintained right at the incidence. In respect to the technical specifications; a value of 15dBA or lesser should usually give the best output. It's believed that an S/N ratio of 80 dB or above, is usually considered the best for ASMR videos.

Based on the kind of content, a creator is wanting to produce.

The microphones would vary, in their construction and usage. Though, the condenser microphones are considered to be the best in this category of videos, many creators might not be able to afford one at an early level in their career.

For a sound of brushing, tapping or any random sounds, one can opt to use an omnidirectional piece of microphones.

These mics are known for capturing the sounds equally from all the directions. A better feature would be the ability to select from multiple polar patterns.

For a three dimensional effect on a two-dimensional output, a lot of the content creators are turning towards the binaural microphones.

These audio pieces usually have two microphones, with a bridging space in between them. Each of the two microphones captures the left and the right audio channel separately. The binaural ASMR videos are so popular, that they have almost grown out as an individual genre amongst the various creators on social media. These kind of microphones are being frequented in the production of different sounds like whispering, talking and other interesting buckets of content.

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rode.com

The VideoMic ™ NTG is a feature-packed, broadcast-grade short shotgun microphone optimised for on-camera use. Flat frequency response, tight polar pattern, two-stage high-pass filter, precision gain control and a switchable pad ensure superior audio in any recording. An auto-sensing 3.5mm output interacts seamlessly with mobile devices and cameras, and a USB output offers direct connectivity with a computer or mobile device for ultimate versatility. An in-built rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides 30+ hours of usage, with an auto-power feature ensuring extended battery life.

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MUSKAN GOSWAMI

Jazz music is a surreal form of music. It calms you and rejuvenates you completely. Internationally, jazz music enjoys a massive following and now, the Indian audience has been readily accepting this form of music over the years. We have curated a list of jazz bands that are creating phenomenal music in the Indian industry.

Do take a note of these incredible musicians and get them in your playlist: 1. Drift Drift is a band which has an excellent expertise in providing a classic jazz experience. The band launched their first album Nico in 2013 and ever since then, they have been creating amazing music. The band is known for fusing classical jazz with many elements of contemporary Bebop.

2. UNK: The Radha Thomas Ensemble This is one of the most well-known jazz bands in India.

The band is Bangaluru based and is led by musician, Radha Thomas who is trained in Indian classical music. UNK was formed in 2011 and ever since then the band has been performing in India and abroad.

3. Rajeev Raja Combine The band is experimental and unique in every sense.

This band is known for creating fusion of melodic sounds of flute with classical and Italian jazz tunes. The vocalist of the band is also the flutist of the band. There is much popular music created by the band, including the album “Cosmic Chant�.

4. The Jazz B’Stards A one-of-a-kind jazz bands which is playing not only with rhythms but lyrics as well. This band is probably the only Indian famous band which has brought sarcastic lyrics in jazz music. So, if you are personally fond of sarcasm, you are sure to like this jazz band.

5. Fubar Ghetto An instrumental jazz band from Delhi which offers its audience with ample of serene tunes and sounds.

Formed in 2010, the band has gradually made a good name for itself in the industry. The band is distinctively known for providing music inspired by classic rock, jazz and blues. Their music is smooth and carries an aura of sensuality.

6. The Latination The Latination is one of the very few Latin jazz bands in India. This renowned band was formed in 2014 in Kolkata and ever since then, the band has played a crucial part in introducing this style of jazz music to the Indian audience. The Latination has a talented mix of French and Indian musicians. The band was founded

by Emmanuel Simon who is a versatile musician from Paris. The Latination consists of three other skilled members as well.

7. Syncopation One of the most popular jazz boy bands in India. The band is known for creating unconventional music.

Syncopation blends elements of funk, swing and bebop.

Founded in 2009, the musicians have been producing music which is centered around soulful melodies with modern funky grooves with a touch of improvisations.

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Sennheiser XS Wireless Digital A good connection doesn’t require being tied down.

Wireless means no obstacles, no distractions, just effortless audio, every time. As a liberating solution for the musician moving about on stage, or a convenient approach to practicing in the rehearsal room, XS Wireless Digital empowers your inner creativity by allowing you to roam free. Lose the cables but keep the connection.

One touch ease-of-use

XS Wireless Digital is like any classic romance, it’s elegant to see, complex in theory, but intuitive in action. These might sound like strong words for a wireless solution to your audio needs, but like any love story, you know it when you experience it. It’s an instant connection.

Your sound should be as boundless as your ideas.

Forget about having to set frequencies and step into the world of digital. Using a 2.4 GHz transmission, sync and go anywhere, anytime—effortlessly.

XS Wireless Digital is essentially a cable replacement. It works digitally, using a 2.4 GHz transmission to create a wireless peer-to-peer connection. With a simple touch of a button, step away from the cables and maintain a faithful connection. As a liberating solution for the musician moving about on stage, or a convenient approach to practicing in the rehearsal room, XS Wireless Digital empowers your inner creativity by allowing you to roam free. It means interacting with the crowd like you never have before and enables you to take your performance to the next level. It’s the power to turn audio limitations into audio opportunities.

Frankly, it’s a simple but versatile tool that means more than we’ve had the time to discover. What we do know is that it works, and if you’re looking to change your relationship with cables and frequencies, then you need to try it out. Who knows?

You might find you have an instant connection.

It’s simple, each XS Wireless Digital has only one button. Press to power up and link simultaneously, click once to mute, and hold to power down. It’s as easy as plugging in a cable, minus the cable part.

Digital for worldwide operation

Features • One touch ease-of-use • 2.4 GHz digital transmission for worldwide operation • 75m range (250ft) in optimal conditions • Up to 5 hours battery life on a single charge • Switch between multiple transmitters linked to one receiver • Configure any combination of transmitters and receivers • Mute from either transmitter or receiver

No more cables A good connection doesn’t require being tied down.

Wireless means no obstacles, no distractions, just effortless audio, every time. Empower your performance with the ability to roam free; lose the cables but keep the connection.

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

Best Portable Guitar Amps for Your Rock n' Roll Journey Orange Rocker 15

Blackstar Fly 3

Sporty 2-channel tube amp with tube FX loop.

Two channels and a custom-voiced 10“ Orange speaker are equipped to bring out the best of whatever guitar you plug in — P-90s to humbuckers.

In addition to its extra-wide gain range — which really does scream — on-board power scaling, which dials back the output from the full 15 watts to a more bedroom-friendly ½-watt with several stops in between, allows you to engage in the heaviest hard rock savagery without blowing out your family or neighbours.

Yamaha THR10 Standard Stereo 10-watter — makes a great study amp and audio interface.

Yamaha’s THR10 series outlines a full range of 10-watt modelling amps with on-board FX and 3″ stereo speakers. Whether stereo-miked for gigging out, connected to your laptop for convenient USB recording, or filling your living room or jam space with a compendium of classic guitar tones, the THR10s are real workhorses for the home, stage, and studio.

Friedman Pink Taco Mini 1 x 10″ tube combo for some hot rockin'.

A fairly 20-watt, 1 x 10“ master-volume tube combo derived from Friedman’s worldclass stage heads. This single-channeller’s USA custom transformers and 12AX7/ EL84 tube complement handle verge-ofbreakup Goldilocks tones with the grace and poise of a much larger amp, while still giving you plenty of range to drive that front end well into crunch territory. The Pink Taco Mini’s interactive 3-band EQ section is well matched for the open-back 10“ Celestion Greenback. But for those occasions when you need to fill an aircraft hangar, additional speaker outs let you add more speakers to push more air. Two features we really dig in the Pink Taco Mini are its 3-way gain structure switch, which goes a long way in appropriating vintage and modern tones.

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Battery powered. Heaps of tones. Ultra-portable.

The smallest and most affordable option on our list is the lunch pail–sized Blackstar Fly 3. No, it won’t fill an auditorium, but it can sure fill a bedroom, office, or subway depot with a touch of Blackstar’s both-sides-of-thepond signature breakup. One of the Fly 3’s strengths is its straightforward control set. Every function on this amp is represented by a knob or switch right on top of the chassis.

Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb A wonderful Tweed ’65 Princeton Reverb combo.

At 34 pounds, the ’65 Princeton Reverb pushes the envelope for what most would consider a “portable” amp. Its 15 watts of high-headroom Blackface quack, cluck, and spunk, driven by a septet of tubes and a highly interactive tone stack through an upgraded 12″ Cannabis Rex, make this amp the perfect platform for pedal lovers.

Roland JC-22 Jazz Chorus Cool-as-ice 30-watt stereo amp with twin 6.5″ drivers.

If Robert Smith could have dreamed his beloved 60-pounder would one day be available in a compact combo, he may have gone on to write some cheerier music. The Roland JC-22 drew its inspiration from that cult class8c.

The JC-22 is a true stereo combo, with twin 6.5“ speakers driven by two independent 15-watt power amps, a stereo FX loop that’s perfect for taking on pedal effects, and buckets of that famous Dimensional Space Chorus on tap to create three-dimensional results.

BOSS Katana Air Wireless operation and stereo speakers in a mini-head format.

Inside, you’ll find two custom-tuned 3″ stereo speakers, over 50 BOSS FX to stoke your creativity, and five amp models spanning American cleans to British high gain. USB connectivity and recording-emulated output also make the Katana Air the ideal centre-piece for your home studio. Thanks to its Bluetooth media-streaming capability, the Katana Air also makes a sweet little boom-box or theatre system for any room in your house.

AKARSH SHEKHAR

INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED MUSIC CREATION FOREVER From synthesizers to DAWs or from CD players to smartphones, the landscape of music has changed and is very different from the days of your parents. So, this begs the question, how did we get here? The invention of these instruments played a major role in bringing us here.

Phonograph Invented in 1877, the phonograph brought music into the living rooms of people across the world. Live music was only for the elite before that.

The phonograph was the first device that was able to reproduce recorded sound, even encouraging the rise in popularity of genres like jazz and blues.

Electric Guitar Where would we be without the electric guitar? How many of your favourite songs include an electric guitar? Created in 1941 by Les Paul, this instrument changed the musical landscape forever. The electric guitar also ushered in the nastiest and most rebellious genre of popular music, rock n' roll.

Multitrack Recording

are power tools with countless sounds that very literally ushered in decades of wavy tracks. Try to name ten pop songs from each decade, starting with the 70s, that don't incorporate synthesizers. Yes, you will most likely struggle to do so.

MIDI Controller If you do not have a synthesizer, you probably have a Musical Instrument Digital Interface or MIDI. This technology allows users to hook up to a computer or another musical device to play multiple electronic instruments simultaneously. With a midi controller, you can be playing piano one minute then shift to a guitar or harp without skipping a beat.

The MIDI controller allowed musicians to have access to a host of sounds that would be otherwise impossible and too expensive to purchase at once.

Auto-Tune

Something that is easily taken for granted, multitrack recording was like the introduction of the rocket to space travel in the realm of music. Though it is hard to imagine such a time because everything is digital now, musicians and sound engineers had to record a full track in just one take.

Love it or hate it, but auto-tune changed the landscape of music in the 20th century and those effects are still being felt today. The introduction of the Vocoder allowed musicians to bend and manipulate their voice, almost to the same extent as an instrument.

Multitrack recording enabled songs to be broken down into sections, one piece at a time, allowing more room for experimentation, and time to perfect songs and albums.

Turntable

Effects Pedals Though it may be weird to think of it now because most of these effects can be recreated digitally, effect pedals were hugely popular when they were introduced into the world of music. Effect pedals allowed musicians to add effects to their music: things like distortion, reverb, and chorus to different components of a track.

Synthesizer The creation of the synthesizer was born out of the desire to create or even replicate the enormous sounds found in live orchestras. Astronomically expensive when new, synthesizers

The next phonograph? Not really. But the turntable was a crucial component to one of the, if not the most influential genres in the world right now, hip hop. DJs across the globe started using the turntable to leave their own touch on popular songs, leading to the rise of house and techno as well.

Personal Computer A very obvious influence on music creation, the personal computer created a host of bedroom talents, some of them went on to become superstars. The PC allows just about anyone with a computer to step into the arena of music and create without a studio or even instruments. You can fire up your PC, install the required software and start creating music right away.

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

TIPS TO HELP YOU BECOME A

MUSIC RECORDING NINJA 1. Make sure that you leave headroom on your input to accommodate for unexpected overshoots (extra loud snare hit, vocalist leans forward, etc.) - keep peaks below -6dBFS at least.

10. The distance between a mic and source is very important for your recording quality. Be aware of the proximity effect as it can quickly make for a muddy, woolly tone.

2. Stereo or mono? Consider how you want recorded parts to be placed in the final mix and what the source requires.

Don't record things in stereo just because you can.

11. DIY efforts are needed for the reduction of echoes, resonances and increase separation. Packing blankets, duvets and carpet work as great absorbers, while dense, rigid objects (e.g. timber panels or flight cases) make great reflective separators. Listen, apply and then listen again.

3. Commit if it sounds good. Don't worry about the technical details too much, just record it and move on. Fresh is best, even if there's a little roughness around the edges.

4. Don't use gear just because you've got it or want to try it out. This is particularly important with EQ and compression/ limiting. If you're confident you want to commit them to tape or to disk then do so, but remember that you can't change it later.

5. Keep it short. Shorter analogue signal paths ensure better fidelity, so use the shortest and best cables you have. Remove all devices that are not being used, even if they are bypassed, as every connection and ground connection is a potential noise source.

6. Keep it simple. Don't use mics that you don't need.

Have a simple setup with mics that sound good together. Don't add stuff for that cool studio shot.

7. Pre-production is key. Have as clear an idea of what you want as possible, even if that's just a role or atmospheric 'place' for what is to be recorded.

8. Get the source right. Ensure that the instrument sounds its best (in tune, warmed up, or awake/ sober in the case of a vocalist) and sounds good in the room before moving any mics into place.

9. Don't spend ages auditioning mics, unless you have time before the performer(s) arrives, as you don't want to wear them out with your technical whims.

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12. Use the HPF or low cut on mics and preamps whenever the source lacks low frequencies. Extraneous noises like foot taps, distant road rumble, will eat the headroom and make your recording muddy.

13. Use the mic's polar patterns to your advantage, whether it's to screen out other sounds in the room or reflections off walls and windows. Look at the polar pattern data for your mic(s) to see which angles are the most/least sensitive.

14. Make sure you can always see the meters as you never know when something will need to be trimmed. They will also alert you to things you may have missed, such as a kick drum mic falling into the drum, a foot tapping on the mic stand or an electrical fault causing spurious noise.

15. Multiple microphone setups usually suffer from phase incoherencies, work towards minimising them for obtaining the most coherent and ear-pleasing sound.

16. Monitoring is key. Whether it's headphones or speakers, the performer(s) must have the best and most flexible foldback you can achieve as the better they can hear the better they will perform.

17. Backup everything. Make sure you save your project files regularly and backup at the end of every session. When you leave the recording venue take a backup with you, or if you're taking it away make sure someone else has a copy.

ROLAND UNVEILS NEXT-GENERATION FANTOM KEYBOARD SERIES All-New Expandable Keyboards Offer Fluid Workflow, Modeless Operation, Deep Computer Integration, and More

Roland, a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments and professional video products, announces the flagship FANTOM lineup, an allnew series of professional keyboards for music production and live performance. Developed from the ground up for modern players, the next-generation FANTOM 6, FANTOM 7, and FANTOM 8 models fuse Roland’s latest synthesizer technologies with fluid operation, an intuitive color touchscreen, and deep computer integration. FANTOM instruments also offer superb playability, and feature rugged, tour-ready construction to meet the demands of everyday life on the road.

Today’s professional keyboardists need an instrument that lets them compose and perform music with no creative roadblocks to slow them down. They also need to integrate seamlessly with the computer-based environments that form the backbone of modern stage and studio setups.

FANTOM is designed to meet all these needs and more, giving players a new type of creative hub to realize ideas and accelerate workflow like never before.

A key feature of FANTOM is its modeless interface, which makes technical limitations and confusing operation a thing of the past. Players never have to worry about what features work in which mode—FANTOM is always in full-on creative mode, providing a consistent working experience in every musical scenario. And with workspaces called Scenes, the instrument can be fully customized and instantly reconfigured for different composition and performance setups.

FANTOM’s flexible and expandable sound engine leverages decades of research and development, providing an endless range of inspiring and authentic electronic, acoustic, and hybrid sounds. Players can combine different synthesis technologies along with the onboard analog filter for new and unusual sounds.

There’s also an enormous selection of effects available to enhance individual sounds and process entire mixes.

With FANTOM’s potent DSP engine, players can focus on music, not rationing processing power. It’s possible to run all 16 parts with all available effects at once, complete with full patch remain for seamless transitions. There’s never any guessing about how many effects are available, or if sounds can be changed smoothly without limiting complex patches.

FANTOM models offer exceptional playability and aftertouch support with Roland’s best keyboards ever, including the acclaimed PHA-50 on the 88-key FANTOM 8 and a brand new semi-weighted action on the 76-key FANTOM 7 and 61-key FANTOM 6. In addition to the color touchscreen interface, there are plenty of knobs and sliders for intuitive and immediate control, plus a dedicated synthesizer section with oscillator, filter, and envelope controls.

FANTOM is a complete music composition platform, filled with creative options to build arrangements fast.

Available tools include RGB pads, a classic TR-REC style pattern sequencer, real-time recording with piano roll editing, and a grid for recording and launching clips.

FANTOM excels as a standalone instrument, but its powers grow exponentially when connected to computers, analog synthesizers, and other gear. DAWs and performance software like Apple's Logic Pro and MainStage can be operated from the touchscreen and panel controls, and virtual instruments from Roland Cloud and others can be easily controlled and combined with FANTOM's internal sounds. It’s also possible to drive modular and analog synthesizers from its dual CV/Gate outputs.

To learn more about the all-new FANTOM keyboards, visit Roland.co.in.

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KAUSTHUB RAVI & SIVANESH NATARAJAN

EXCITING NEW WAYS OF MAKING THE MUSIC AND THE SOUND FOR IT the same key. The velocity control and everything can be tweaked to taste.

TheoryBoard by Irijule– Music Theory Made Easy This little piece of tech caught our eye through a Facebook ad for a kickstarter campaign 2 years ago. As musicians who’ve given up hope on ever pushing our theory knowledge to virtuosic levels, this particular bit of kit looked extremely appealing. What it is, is basically a midi controller with drum pad like inputs on either side of a screen. The screen lets you choose a scale from a ridiculously large library. Anything from melodic minors to indian scales you name it! The TheoryBoard is split into two sections. The “Melody Side” loads four octaves of the single notes within the scale, while the “Chord Side” loads every cor-rect chord. Color is used to express the correlations between these two sides, as well as keeping chords that share the same root note grouped together.The scales that the Theo-ryBoard loads are universal for any instrument (guitar, piano, violin, saxophone, trumpet). As well as being a revolutionary musical instrument, the TheoryBoard also serves as a mul-tifaceted production tool. It keeps different elements of a song (baselines, leads, plucks, chord progressions) in

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It sounds like the perfect tool for us non-musician music makers doesn’t it? It truly feels like an evolution of the MIDI controller. While the Kontakt Complete does do something very close to this, the light up drum pads is quite inspiring and honestly just a ton of fun. In an area that lacks innovation, its refreshing to see something new like this come along. Its innovative lay out allows the user access to a new way of perceiving music, making it the ultimate hack for production and composition.

Never before has a MIDI controller given usthis level of insight into the language of music theory. In the two weeks that we’ve had this, we can honestly say that it has indeed quite ironically,improved our sense of theory.

This may really be down to the intuitive and fun way that everything is laid out. By merging color and sound the TheoryBoard provides a synesthetic experience for anyone interfacing with the product. Diatonic scales, chord groups, and the correlations between them are expressed through color giving the user a unique advantage by allowing visual reference points while playing. The TheoryBoard houses every scale known to man. When the user selects a scale they have full access to every note and every possible chord within that scale.

This removes any doubt from what can, or can't be used... All the right combinations are right there at your fingertips. The TheoryBoard is for anyone interested in composing or producing music. A complete novice could pick this up and instantly level up their un-derstanding of theory, while advanced producers could use this to derive new inspiration.

updates to the al-ready amazing piece of software. We first heard of this one from none other than Bob Katz, one of the greatest mastering engineers and among the ones who wrote a lot of the rules we follow today.

DynOne is a 5-band, linear phase dynamics processor that can be used directly on the audio, or in Parallel Compression mode, with custom-built crossover filters that have been designed to avoid phase alignment issues.

Kush Omega Transformer Model TWK Kush audio has long been one of our favourite manufacturers of audio tools. Mostly due to the fact that they operate and think very differently to others.

Gregory Scott is well known for his alternate views on mixing and mastering techniques. One of his favourite tools has to be saturation/distortion. He says its useful for adjusting signal clarity and im-pact when he needs an element to be more present in a mix — without resorting to EQ — as well as for grit and excitement.

This new plugin borrows from the famous Tweaker unit. It is a single-channel VCA dynamics processor.

One of the best features of the Tweaker is the Drive control, the first knob in the audio path section. It can bring a lot of soul and life to an element in a mix. There is a full range of tones that can be achieved with Drive, from gentle presence to quite aggressive tube-amp-like sound. The Tweaker distortion module offers just that, a simple one knob solution to your saturation needs. Its the most simple plugin you could possibly use. It has a drive knob in the centre to dial in the grit along with a phase flip switch, a button to pad by -20dB and some volume control. And it just simply works! It works on most sources and scenarios. You could use it to add a ton of grit to a drum parallel, some more presence to guitars in a mix or even a nice subtle saturation on your mix buss. It does is all and the best part is its just one knob! It really is a little bit of magic in a digital box.

This particular plugin has also been freed from the iLok ecosystem so feel free to go check it out and have fun!

Leapwing Audio DynOne Continuing the recent trend of new tools that are in the market, lets talk about this one, the DynOne which recently got a third version with some really good

The original version of DynOne was actually released last year, and this v3 release con-tains a handful of subtle, but useful tweaks. You have five faders in the middle of the GUI that control the volume of each band so you can subtly alter the tonality of your material by bringing up the parallel compressed versions.

Straight off the bat, we were able to load a mixbus preset that added some excitement to the top end and controlled the lows, and adjusted each fader to taste, giving us a great sounding result in less than a minute! Not only is this excellent for multi band compres-sion, where it really shines is in parallel. If what you are looking for is a transparent level or loudness raise the DynOne has the most transparent parallel compression I’ve heard. It can “invisibly” raise the level of a recording a considerable amount without creating any artifacts. In fact, it’s so invisible you may have a hard time believing it’s actually in your chain. In that case, bypass it, and suddenly the level will drop and your jaw will drop, too. It works almost as well as bringing up a fader, but without overloading the peak level, which a regular fader would cause if the source material is already near full peak level.

A lot of people claim that it competes if not sounds better than the 10,000$+ boxes that mastering houses have been using for decades. Its certainly is as transparent and has the depth but it never lacks the warmth. Transients are preserved far better than many other compressors and the sound retains depth and dimension far better.

DynOne is very transparent at reasonable gains, but sooner or later you’re going to start hearing tonality changes or compression pumping, if you push it too far.

The more purist the source, the less level boost you can get away with. This stands to reason, but you may even like some of the sound quality that comes from raising the faders very far. It’s ok to use it for an effect if that’s what you are going for. Or if you need as much transparency as possible, If you need to make things louder or denser, to bring up soft passages, for example, it’s always best to combine multiple processes — do a little lifting in the Dy-nOne, and add a little lifting using other processors in your mastering chain.

This barely scratch the surface of DynOne’s capabilities.

It can also do downward com-pression, or upward expansion. The only downsides are the cost of the plugin itself and the face that DynOne uses up a tremendous amount of CPU power, because the quality of its filtering and internal resolution are impeccable. And impeccable DSP is very costly in system resources.

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MUKESH AMARAN

ALBUM ARTicle

RAJMOULI DIXIT Hello, a little bit about yourself and your background in arts and music?

And I have kept water as a common element in all the covers.

I’m Rajmouli Dixit, I’m pursuing Masters in Hindi from Delhi University, and did my bachelor's (in Hindi) from Ramjas College. Professionally, I am a freelance photographer, filmmaker, writer and visual artist working all over India.

Talking about the album cover, so the boat is carrying the protagonists in all the song covers, taking them to some fantasy place. It symbolizes the wavelength of the inner self and the destined place.

I have trained in Indian classical music and have a taste for folk music.

The band wanted the cover to unite the imagined world of all the songs

At this point in your career, what role did music have to play in you getting to where you are?

So, this was the artwork which came out eventually.

Music for me is as natural as breathing, it has to be there to be alive, not necessarily the conventional form of it, but wherever I can get it, in whatever form.

Music is a space of healing, worship, friendship and love.

Tell us about your collaboration with Submarine In Space from conception to creation and the end product.

Happy (the lead guitarist) has known me from college days, and I have always been flattered by his genius in music. It's started with Happy, narrating to me, the idea of his album. While he was working on the music pieces, he gave me a brief idea of the songs and what the band members were thinking about it. This gave me a rough idea of what they were looking for or imagining.

And then left it on me, to work on.

It was a very free process because band wholeheartedly believed in my artwork. After completing there were some little changes, which is very obvious.

But during the process I had full freedom.

For this album I made 5 covers for the song and 1 album cover.

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Tell us a little bit about the process that is involved in making a piece by Rajmouli.

There is no standard or set process that I follow.

It's organic and spontaneous.

What drives me is a hunger for perfection, fueled by fantasy.

How is creating an album art different from creating other art?

There is no difference as such. The medium changes, depending upon what the client demands like digital or handmade, etc. that's it. But the process is same for creating any art piece.

Tell us about your art style and the concepts behind your artworks.

I don't dwell in particularities. But whatever I’m creating it’s definitely something I’m madly in love with. Every creation of mine whether it is an artwork, a photograph, or a piece of writing, it emerges from a fantasy, something I have been crazy for.

It's very important that my creation doesn't discomfort me because it's not merely a product that I’m delivering, it's a part of me which I’m sharing.

GIG CALENDAR DECEMBER 2019

MUMBAI

DELHI Dec 5th

Krank Sessions x Nightvibe | Tim Engelhardt LIVE (Vivrant)

Auro, Delhi

Dec 4th

KRUNK Live: Fakear (FR), (((O))) (PHL) & Riatsu

AntiSocial, Mumbai

Dec 6th

Giants of Jazz 2019 : Ivan Santos Trio

The Pianoman Jazz Club, New Delhi

Dec 5th

FRWD 019 Ft. Garden City Movement

AntiSocial, Mumbai

Dec 7th

Giants of Jazz 2019 : The Shuffle Demons

The Pianoman Jazz Club, New Delhi

Dec 6th

The Little Door, Mumbai

Chezin

The Pianoman Jazz Club, New Delhi

Big Miz | Levitate x Disconnect 007 - TLD Bandra

Dec 7th

WAVLNGTH Presents: Moodymann | Mumbai

AntiSocial, Mumbai

Dec 20th

Maribou State (DJ Set)

AntiSocial, Mumbai

Dec 20th

2Blue- Tribute to AC/DC & Guns N' Roses

Hard Rock Café, Andheri

Dec 24th

Blckroom X-Mas Edition: Arjun Vagale + Ana Lilia

AntiSocial, Mumbai

Dec 12th Dec 12th

MediumRare Weekender

Auro, Delhi

Dec 16th

Lautaro

The Pianoman Jazz Club, New Delhi

Dec 16th

Viken Arman (Live)

Auro, Delhi

Dec 19th

SoundTank #1YearAnniversary ft Blackstratblues: When It's Time

Auro, Delhi

Dec 20th

Rock Tree

The Pianoman Jazz Club, New Delhi

Dec 30th

Rohan Sen

The Pianoman Jazz Club, New Delhi

BANGALORE Dec 5th

The Local Train LIVE at Fandom

Fandom, Bangalore

Dec 5th

Tribute to Radiohead ft. The Tram Lines Proje

Hard Rock Café, Bangalore

Dec 7th

Hubris India Tour | Bengaluru

Fandom, Bangalore

Dec 8th

Regional Rock ft. Jammers

Hard Rock Café, Bangalore

Dec 13th

Tribute to Poets of the Fall ft.

Winterchild

Hard Rock Café, Bangalore

GURUGRAM Dec 12th

Rock Tree - Tribute to Bryan Adams

Hard Rock Café, Gurugram

HYDERABAD Dec 5th

Hard Rock Café, Hyderabad

Thursday Live ft.

Pipedreams

KOLKATA Dec 14th

MOX Party Express

TopCat CCU

Dec 15th

Lunachixx : Disco Edition

TopCat CCU

Dec 27th

SITAR METAL Live

TopCat CCU

If it isn’t here, it isn’t happening! Write to us at contactus@highonscore.com to get your event featured!

Tag us on social media to get your gig featured.

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Point Source Excellence From Nearfield to Main Monitoring Genelec The Ones monitors are revered every day in thousands of studios around the globe for their perceptual qualities, technical brilliance and spectacular design.

Now introducing the new members of The Ones Family, 8351B and 8361, and the Adaptive Woofer System, W371: Unparalleled room-tailoring continued to the lowest octaves, for the most critical listeners and applications. You don’t know how great your room can sound before hearing it with natural direct sound, controlled reflections and pure neutral low frequency response.

Distribution by Sound Team T: +91 22 2881 4041 E: info@soundteam.in www.soundteam.in

THE ONES.

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T H E W O R L D ’ S F I N E S T U LT R A - N E A R F I E L D - M I D F I E L D M O N I T O R S

W W W.G E N E LEC.C O M / T H EO N ES