The Score Magazine - November Issue 2011

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 04 Issue 04 - November 2011

thescoremag

@highonscore www.highonscore.com

` 50/-

India's Pan-Genre Music Magazine

Frank’s Got the Funk &

a NEW ALBUM!

HMI’s

Band of The Month

AVIAL

Snooping around with

ANOOP DESAI The Stringed Carnatic

Focus on the

FISH EYED POETS

MANDOLIN SHRINIVAS

ADNAN SAMI

Toned Up & Tuned In!

ECCENTRIC PENDULUM - Indian Metal Makes It To Wacken, GERMANY

For franchisee and business inquiries call 099260 08383 | Mail at info@derbyjeanscommunity.com www.derbyjeanscommunity.com www.facebook.com/derbyjeanscommunity Featured here Daniel Gildenlow of Swedish progressive rock band Pain of Salvation fame sporting Derby Jeans Community

the edit PAD I

Editor-in-Chief Nikila Srinivasan

Executive Editor Shirin Albert

Associate Editor Sandhya Ramachandran

Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar

Creative Director George Vedamanickam

Operations and Marketing Pragash VM

Marketing Executive Sneha Ramesh

Public Relations Satishkumar Narayanan

Executive Advisor Siddharth Vipin

Content Advisor Solomon Porres

t’s a new month and a new issue and we at Score are excited! Setting our sights high, we have interviewed a whole range of artists who have made huge contributions to the Indian and international music scenario starting with our cover artist - the immensely talented and classy, Mr. Adnan Sami. With his album release around the corner, Score can’t wait to see what this genius has in store for his fans next. Another surprise was meeting the evergreen and demure Mandolin Shrinivas who is still pulling all the right strings 33 years after his first performance. We celebrate and congratulate Eccentric Pendulum’s selection to perform at Wacken, the biggest Metal festival in the world, with a travelogue of all the highlights and mischief the band was upto.

With the past two months we have managed to achieve many things, the biggest being The July Month of Rock 2011, where we brought down four of the country’s biggest Rock Acts. Many thanks to the managers and members of The Bicycle Days, Swarathma, Agam and Avial (HMI’s preset Band of the month). A big thanks to our official sponsor Derby Jeans Community for their support. With the feedback we have been receiving till now, we are more determined than ever to make this an annual event and create that platform we have been talking about for months now.

Our Score Night fever refuses to die down with its continuous success, week after week. A big thank you to all our supporters and friends in the music fraternity for your unflagging support and enthusiasm. We would love to hear from you, our loyal readers, so do write to us at contactus@highonscore.com. Follow us on Twitter @highonscore and continue stalking us on Facebook for future events and shows. The best is yet to come. Trust me!

So until the next issue, get high on Score!

Cheers!

Content Support

SHIRIN ALBERT

Mihir Sinha Nilankur Dutta

Executive Editor

Event Support CK Vignesh

brand partners

Photography Pretika Menon Bhagath Kumar Karthick Ramalingam Madhana Gopal

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DISCLAIMER: Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

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ADNAN SAMI

Adnan Sami on his concert in Chennai & a deeper foray into the musician’s mind in this exclusive story!

ANOOP

24 DESAI

From American Idol to Billboard, This Desi Boy Desai Does It Right! What perfection means to him and the lowdown on his latest alum, Zero.O

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HMI Guitar’s Band of the Month Avial -A mélange of Mallu melodies, style & sentiment, we get a surreal taste of the band as we trace their roots & success.

NAKED

36 AMBITION

A band that’s bare appeal lies in its creative composing - super heroes really do come to the rescue of these emo rockers!

SHE WAS

38 BORN THIS WAY

But not without some help from the 80s going by the sound of Lady Gaga’s latest album. And as far as the identity goes, we try to break it down.

i nside

THOSE TEN THINGS

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Keshav Dhar is riding high & solo. But when grounded, he is a man most intriguing!

MANDOLIN SHRINIVAS

Imagine representing the Indian metal diaspora at the mother of all metal gatherings - The Wacken Open Air.

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E{C}CENTRIC PENDULUM 16 An exclusive tête-à-tête with the master behind stringed Carnatic where he talks about some of his best memories in a career spanning decades.

ADAM & THE FISH EYED POETS

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The coolness extends from moniker to music. It’s a one-man show that 23 year old Kishore Krishna helms and how!

Double Take

Sri Kumaran Stores Artiste of the Month

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Sunitha Sarathy & hubby, Rahul Gopal open up about the essence of their harmony & what makes them tick!

ABHIJIT VAGHANI

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He rejuvenates the remix trend with his spin on RaOne’s Chammak Challo! And his sincere aims to break the mould in B-town.

TALES FROM THE BIG APPLE

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It was a journey of sorts stumbling unto these alleys of pure, perfect music - the sound of New York in four dimensions .

FRANKS GOT THE FUNK

For Natasha Pinto, it’s about emotion and not skill alone. A piano prodigy at 3, her tastes range from House when she wants to boogey to Jazz when she’s keeping her crib tidy!

QUIRKS ‘N QUERIES

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A look at the making & also the matter in Chennai band FGTF’s debut album as they take it to the Next Level quite literally.

Sulk Station’s front woman Tanvi Rao is quite a delight with her randomness and laid-back opinions

Ariel Caldera

A man of immense determination and panache, has shown the world repeatedly that through intense will-power, you can achieve just about anything.

W

ith the growing numbers of artists and their namely talents, excellence with versatility, is a trait quite rarely found in the arena of arts and culture today. UK-born Adnan Sami was the new four-pack celebritysinger, actor, composer and pianist. A live performer since the age of five, he is one of the fastest players in Asia.

His musical journey began as a concert pianist, equipped with the knowledge of both Indian as well as Western classical music; two elements he continues to implement in his music even today.

Adnan Sami has always displayed undeterred dedication towards his music. His turbulent personal life, never seemed to come in the way of his professional life. After a temporary halt in his career due to some immigration issues, as he belongs to the Pakistani ethnicity, he stood his ground and made an entry back into the country and into the music industry. His obesity, a major point of discussion and gossip ended with yet another display of grim determination; that of him losing seventy kgs. With a new sense of confidence the ever cheery Adnan Sami hit the limelight again.

I caught up him over the phone after his concert in Chennai and saw a side of him that only a few get to. His hearty laughs, jovial nature and, most of all, deep respect for his craft, made my admiration go up the “awe� ladder.

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Cover/PR Photos: Ritesh Ramiah

Adnan Sami We sum him up as

Me:

So Adnan, congratulations on the Chennai show.

Did you enjoy it as much as the audience did?

Adnan: It was great fun! Great fun! The audience was...

Me:

Now please don’t say Chennai has the best crowd you have ever seen. That’s what everybody says!

Adnan: (Laughs) No! No! Well, without being too politically incorrect here, I mean everybody has their way of looking at things, but from my experience, the people here do not clap unnecessarily. I mean, they clap only if you are clap-worthy. And in lay mans terms, that means they don’t take any bulls**t! Twenty years ago, I did an Indian classical show on the piano and I was stumped. I could hear every single member of the audience thumping their hands on their laps, counting the taals. And that is something I have not experienced anywhere in India! It is always wonderful to play to a crowd which not only enjoys the surface of the music but also the depth and the intricacy as well. How’s that for an answer, HUH!

Style & Intensity

Adnan: Well, technology now allows us to do that. I was sitting there with my mic, headphones and laptop, and people were able to chat with me through texts. People from some part of the world would ask me to repeat a line or to try anther variation. There was no editing and mistakes were made and corrected right in front of them!

Me:

That reminds me, you kick started your career with classical music. You had a close relationship with Ustad Zakir Khan and did a live concert with him in ‘89 in Karachi. Why didn’t you pursue classical music? You were also a student of Pandit Shivkumar Sharmaji and Maharaj Katha, two famous figures.

Adnan: Actually, that’s a wrong fact. Maharaj Kata was a dancer and he taught me how to dance, not play the piano. That was by Pandit Shivkumari.

Somebody looked up Wikipedia, didn’t they?

Me:

Oh no! Sorry ‘bout that!

Adnan: That should be “blueberry muffin points.”

Adnan: (Laughs) It’s alright, it’s alright. Happens all the time. Popular misconception. I keep asking people that if he was a dancer how could he have taught me the piano? People consider Wiki to be an authority on things. It’s absolute nonsense. They got my birthyear wrong. It says ‘73 but I was born in ‘69. That’s absolutely fine by me. (Chuckles)

Me:

Me:

Me:

Brownie points indeed.

(Laughs) Definitely definitely! Now moving on to my next point. I came across this link on Facebook. You had recently telecast a live video of you interacting with fans while creating a album. How in the world did you manage to pull it off?

Adnan: Well, it was a new concept. And oh man! We had more than 500,000 people logged in and lakhs of producers. The basic idea came about from the instance that all the time people ask questions like ‘How did you compose this?’, ‘How did you put this instrument in?’ People are inquisitive about the creative process. And the most clichéd question- ‘What came first, the music or lyrics?’

It’s like asking whether it’s the chicken or the egg?

That was basically the trigger to let people be a witness to what goes on in the studio and the recording processes.

Me:

And how were you able to connect with all of them?

I’m sure you are thrilled about it! So as I was saying, classical music?

Adnan: I started my career in classical music and its still there. The first two albums, Live in Karachi with Ustad Zakir and Ecstasy, were classical.

Virgin music released some of my work a couple of years ago. Infact, I taught classical music to children for one entire year on Pakistan television. Wiki never mentioned that now, did it!

From an artistic perspective, it is wonderful to be able to stretch your creativity to different genres and in different capacities. Being an instrumetalist, then a singer, composer and arranger. I keep myself occupied and in turn it keeps me refreshed rather than burning out or feeling saturated.

Me:

Very true. You have managed to do a lot of things but you did leave one thing out - your movies!

Your last was Sargam in ‘94 in Pakistan (opp his ex-wife, Zeba Bakhtiar) which was a hit and now you have a new project which is slated for release by the end of July next year. Any apprehensions after a huge break?

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Adnan: No apprehensions at all. I look at creativity on a broad base. A singer has to also act when he sings; he has to emote. In a love song, for instance, vocal expressions need to be created in order to make that convincing. The only difference is that you are only modulating your voice to create that effect. Difference is the camera is another kind of microphone, it’s visual. For us, the microphone is like a camera as well. It is capturing everything but through audio.

Me:

Neat analogy.

Adnan: Retakes are similar. Live performances, be it singing or theatre, everything is live and you just get one shot at it. This movie is a musical thriller where I play the lead. I’m not really acting, I am a musician and I’m playing a musician. Except that I have to stick to the parameters of the dialogues given. In music videos, we lip-sync and act. With movies, there are dialogues, in between, so it’s a matter of linking the two. The role is a little different here. I wanted to take something more challenging. Do something where I’m not just a musician.

Me:

And your coming out with a new album too!

You have a lot on your plate this year, don’t you? How do you manage?

Adnan: It’s certainly been a long time since my last album. I’m quite excited. It’s a new collaboration with Yash Raj films and their label. A lot of firsts in terms of recording. There is my own interpretation of a ghazal. I have composed a sufi track. Never done it before even though I was a huge fan of Sufi Kalam.

I always tell people, friends who egg me on to do something different, that I would record only when it comes naturally to me. I have sung in so many languages, form Bengali to Malayalam but what people don’t know is that I speak Punjabi too! I have recorded a Punjabi

track too. The album is called Main Tere Paas Hoon. The album has some fun, tongue and cheek humour and romantic tracks as well.

Since 2005, I hadn’t been able to disconnect and really concentrate on an album until MTPH. This comes out in November this year.

Me:

Alright. Now, I don’t really have to tell you how much of an acclaimed singer you are and the awards you’ve received but...

Adnan: No, no! Please do! I loooove flattery. That’s what I live for. Wiki is accurate that way. They must have told you I am awesome. They do get it right sometimes!

Me:

Well, there’s MTV and... Ok, I’m not doing this! (Laughs) My final and most important question of all. You have accomplished so much musically in your life. Is there any particular advice you have for youngsters who want to pursue music professionally; important lessons learnt from experience?

Adnan: It is pretty simple. Get into this profession if you’re really passionate about music. It’s not about ‘Oh man! I love to be a rockstar. I have girls hanging around and groupies waiting on me.’ Not the whole sex, drugs, rock and roll.

Ultimately, it boils down to your music. What often happens is that when success hits you you start doing everything but the music. And the success is temporary. Another tip - you have a lifetime to make your first album, but six months to follow up. No one expects the first album and when you do come out from the block, you’ll come out as an underdog.

Whatever you do initially they will love you for it, with a pat on the back, they’ll cheer you on. But six months down the line, the pressure is on for the next hit. Get your facts right kids. It’s good to have a good record, but what is important is whether you can sustain your success.

With all the talent and his infectious laughs and never-ending jokes, Adnan Sami has all the ingredients to be the perfect musician and more. It was a pleasure talking to him and we at Score hope he continues to be as versatile and experiment with his work and to enthral audiences from across the world.

When asked about the Chennai audience at his most recent show, Adnan says, “It’s always wonderful to play to a crowd which not only enjoys the surface of the music but also the depth and the intricacy as well.”

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Photography: Madhana Gopal

One on One with Sami A singer or an instrumentalist Instrumentalist

Most priceless thing you own My wife! She’s priceless! Priceless! For everything else there's Mastercard!

Best Concert till date Wembley in 2003. It was a very emotional one. I saw huge names perform there as a kid. So when it was my chance to perform there, I couldn't believe it.

Songs on your playlist Paco de Lucía’s interpretation of "Roderigo" andJames Brown’s “Sex machine”. Huge contrast.

Artist Wishlist You would not want to know my list. It's insane. the first person would have to be Elvis Presley! A video with Marilyn Monroe in it as well. Imagine that! Monroe, Meena Kumar and Madhubala too. Jesus Christ! I would’ve loved to have worked with S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman! S.D. had a rustic quality in his voice which I love. As a composer, I would have loved to have worked with Kishore and Rafi Sahab and Madan Mohan. Presently, I would love to work with Sting and Beatles.

Like Father, Like Son It’s in the genes!

Unlike any other father in the world, Adnan Sami has every reason to take pride in his son, Azaan, who is now a music composer. “He was four years old when he went away to live with his Mum. So there was absolutely no contact for ten years and no influence from my side. No music,” he replied in a somber tone. And in a second, he livens up saying, “Sudenly, after ten years, he chucks a CD at me and says, ‘Baba, can you have a listen? It’s just some stuff I’ve done.’ I was like, ‘Whaaaaat!’” The two respect each other’s space when recording and get together afterwards for inputs. There is playful tit for tat banter but all in all, a loving relationship. “He is very focused and doesn’t want to be influenced in any way. Of course, when I listen to him, I don’t listen to him as a father, I’ll listen to him as a musician.

Uske baad main uske kapde phadta hoon.”

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SANDHYA RAMACHANDRAN

BYALEXANDRA ST AN The odds that you DID do a drunken grind with the speaker system while this track hollered, are pretty high.

Artist inspection 21. Blonde. Eastern European. Alexandra Stan is from Romania and completely fits stereotype (read bad English, sucker-punching-in-your-facesexuality and dance music). She manages to be somewhat hot even with the weird teeth that remind one of the, erm, friendly Transylvanian twins that took 2000 by storm (Google Cheeky Girls at your own risk). Stan’s debut single was actually a track called “Lollipop.”

It’s so idiotic, it’s hilarious.

Musical dissection There is the saxophone doing its thing with staple club beats. And techno pumped vocals on the surface.

The song is about a girl describing the effect a man (Mr. Saxobeat?) has on her. The male “Mm yeah” refrain is supposed to be a victory moan in heat, perhaps.

YouTube Obsession Zooming to the top of dance charts worldwide and getting enough YouTube views (31,233,377 to be exact) to earn viral status, what is the formula behind the success?

The video is about a hot girl who has been very bad and so she is put in prison in order to behave. But the chubby cop, who probably gets none, is no match for her whispery monotones and come-hither moves. Hot girl and her prison mates help themselves to cop uniforms and get away.

Right from the handcuffs to the cage and the bald police stroking his baton, this is innuendo 101.

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There is a randy blonde in handcuffs and black leather, writhing suggestively with THE most strategic of slow-mos. Nothing competes with that, except maybe a redhead in the same circumstances.

Avail 20 % Offer on Select Aesthetics Services Offer Valit till 28 Feb 2011 * Conditions apply

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On working with Marty Friedman

On Social Media

God’s greatest gift to musicians. Unfortunately, too many have their priorities wrong and put attention and Facebook ‘likes’ ahead of quality, flooding the interweb with a ton of mediocrity.

In one word - surreal.

Receiving praise from a musician of that stature is the most inspiring thing ever. It also put a lot of my insecurities with regard to my abilities to rest. I’ve since become a lot more comfortable in my own ‘musical skin’, so to speak.

5 678 ‘‘

Indian musicians are too hung up on ‘looking good’ and doing all the cool things rockstars do, at the expense of actually making quality music.

On producing your own music

On drummers in India

There are some incredible Ears are funny little things; drummers in India. they keep playing tricks on Unfortunately, I feel people you. It’s important to get a are dissuaded from third person’s perspective learning to play the drums because they often hear because it’s a very loud things that you’ve instrument and involves a subconsciously ignored or lot more initial forgotten. expenditure.

The Score Magazine 12 November 2011 Photography: Siddhartha Menon

On composing alone

Composing alone gives you the most creative freedom until you need someone to bounce ideas off when you hit a roadblock. Things work best in pairs. More than that hinders progress more than encouraging it.

Managing a day job, a band AND your own music

It’s not hard logistically, but the latter two can leave one with confused creative headspace when done around the same time. Alternatively, it can inspire new ideas when in a creative rut.

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On being a cult figure in the Indian underground I’m flattered. I never expected my stuff would get this kind of attention, and from the looks of things, it is trending slowly upwards.

On playing 7-string guitars

I wanted one for the longest time and when I finally got to try out several different ones, I just didn’t connect with them. Hopefully that changes in the future.

e s o h t

What started off as a humble home-studio project called Hydrodjent, slowly spiraled into his imperial solo project Skyharbor.

things

10 with

KeshavDhar

AKHIL SOOD

Watch out for Kehavs debut album featuring groovefilled hooky ambient metal tracks and several celebrity guest appearances including Daniel Tompkins, vocalist of English metal band TesseracT. Keshav also happens to suffer from a rare condition called diplopia, which enables him to see two of everything!

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On seeing two of everything

It has benefits in certain situations, which I’m sure I don’t need to spell out. It can be incredibly annoying too for e.g. driving at night with every oncoming car flashing FOUR headlamps, all on high beam. (Had I mentioned, this guy is a terrible driver!)

Views on Indian musicians

I hate to stereotype but despite being immensely talented, we are a lazy bunch. We’re too hung up on ‘looking good’ and doing all the cool things rockstars do. We need to be ready to make sacrifices and put everything we have into our craft.

The Score Magazine 13 November 2011

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I still can’t forget the day John sir (John McLaughlin), invited me to be a part of his band. I was overcome with a deep sense of achievement and gratitude towards god.

Madhumita Prabhakar

The Strings That Pull

Mandolin Shrinivas It takes talent, luck and discipline to be a great artist, but sheer hard work, conviction and some degree of tenacity to take the leap from performer to pioneer. Such is the story of world-renowned instrumentalist, Mandolin U. Shrinivas.

NOTES FROM THE VERY BEGINNING Born in Palakol, Andhra Pradesh, he hails from a family that has a lineage of great musicians. “My father, Satyanarayana, used to play varied instruments, but, it was the mandolin that captured my senses as a child. When he was traveling, I would often take the mandolin and play different notes.” It was such incidences that inspired his father to realize the young boy’s deep passion for music.

THE ROAD TO FAME Belonging to an orthodox generation, Shrinivas faced numerous hurdles in pursuit of his dream. It began when he could not find a Guru who would teach him ragas and compositions on the mandolin. It was only later that his father’s guru, Rudraraju Subburaju, sensed the young boy’s aptitude in music and decided to teach him. Nine years young and ready to give his first performance at the Thyagaraja festival, Shrinivas confronted his second hurdle. Often, his well-wishers would quip that the mandolin is an unorthodox instrument and he ought to learn a common, more widely accepted instrument.

Yet, he went ahead to prove his mettle during his first performance. “When I began playing, there were hardly 10-12 people at the concert hall, the reason being that nobody believed that an instrument like the mandolin could bring out Carnatic Music in its true sense. But 3 hours later, to my amazement, I could see close to 4000 people seated in front of me. It was truly a soul-inspiring moment.”

MILESTONES WITH THE MANDOLIN THE INDIAN FINE ARTS FESTIVAL 1981 Even today, people remember his fantastic performance at the festival. It was in his words, his first big break. He had been given a 2 pm – 3pm slot, a time when there would hardly be any audience. But it so happened that legends S Balachander (popular Veena artist) and T N Seshagopalan (noted Carnatic musician and composer) were among those seated in the first row. What happened at the end of the concert is still spoken among millions across the world. It is believed that T N Seshagopalan, moved by the young boy’s performance, took off his marriage ring and gifted it to Young Shrinivas. The headlines in the next day’s Indian Express carried a half page article on a young boy’s magnificent experiments with an unknown instrument. Thus evolved the maestro’s popularity in the world of music.

THE JAZZ FESTIVAL IN WEST BERLIN Another feather to his cap was what transpired during this tour. Shrinivas, who just turned 13, was given the golden opportunity to perform amongst famous artists like Don Cherry and Miles Davis. At the end of his performance, he was obliged by the raptured audience to extend the 45-minute performance to an hour-long encore.

EXPLORING THE LANDS OF DREAM & SHAKTHI Besides classical music, Shrinivas made a foray into fusion music in 1992. It started in a studio in London, with Micheal Brook, when he was recording for a traditional album. Worldrenowned violinist, Nigel Kennedy, happened to be at the studio and was impressed with the skill that Srinivas showcased. “It all happened in a flash. The very next day, we decided to form an international fusion band with great artists like Nana Vascoleos, Jane Sibbery, Nigel Kennedy and Micheal Brook.” Thus came to reality, Dream, a band that composed tunes with a blend of ragas, progressive rock and techno music. One cannot forget the rise of yet another legendary fusion band, Remembering Shakthi. The band was born in the 1970s and then enjoyed a 20-year hiatus before being re-invented by well-known artists like John McLaughlin, U. Shrinivas, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan and Vikku Vinayakram. In spite of his achievements and holding such public adulation, U. Shrinivas still comes across as very approachable with a debonair smile and a magnificent ardor towards his prized possession – the mandolin.

KNOWING THE LEGEND ► He is the first Carnatic musician and first South Indian to be a part of the Cevantino Festival in Mexico (in 1987).

► U. Shrinivas was the only representative from India to be a part of the Olympic Art Festival at Barcelona, in 1992.

► ‘The

Saturday Night Live’ concert in Bombay with the Shakthi line-up which became a world-wide sensation, is one of his most popular shows.

► His student community is spread across Australia, China and the Middle East, most of whom have already started giving public performances.

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Photography: Madhana Gopal

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HELLO, EP It was great fun. These random dudes would walk up to us and go ‘Where you from? India? Wow that’s a long way from here,’ or someone would walk up to us and say that they either saw us live or heard about us through a friend of theirs and they couldn’t believe that metal existed in India and that they’re really happy to have us at Wacken.

Heart warming stuff!

- Ashish Kumar (guitars)

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Playing at Wacken is the most humbling experience ever...

- Nikhil Vastarey (vocalist)

MADHAV Ravindranath

EC{C}ENTRIC PENDULUM Wacken 2011 - 70,000 fans. 4 stages. 3 days. More than a 100 metal bands.

Wacken Open Air. The name conjures up images of beer flowing, tents dotted over a massive campsite and heavy metal playing all day long. The biggest Metal festival in the world, Wacken Open Air in Germany is a Mecca for metal fans everywhere. Ever since its first show back in 1990, the festival has hosted some of the biggest metal bands in the world such as Amon Amarth, Kreator, Dimmu Borgir and many more. The 2011 edition would be no different, with metal stalwarts, Morbid Angel sharing the stage with Mayhem, Sepultura and Judas Priest among several others.

Eccentric Pendulum’s voyage to Wacken Open Air began last year when the Bangalore-based metal band won the Wacken Metal Battle - India leg and got a chance to compete at the finals of the WOA Battle-of-the-bands 2011 In Germany! Needless to say, there was a flurry of activity to book tickets, arrange for visas and practice like crazy.

After arriving in Hamburg, Nikhil (vocals), Vibhas (drums), Arun (bass) and Arjun (guitars) met up with Ashish who had flown himself in from France. The band met the Wacken correspondent at the Hamburg HBF and set off to the concert venue via the official Wacken transportation. (Holy Shyte Moment) It was the 3rd of August at about 1pm when the band arrived at the festival grounds. The registration manager handed out envelopes with the band’s artist tags, with the words, “That will help you to get the girls, but this is what will get you around,” and then handed them the WOA Wet Stage wrist band which allowed them free access anywhere in the entire Wacken festival! (Holy Shyte Moment) That was as real as it could get.

After pitching their tents and helping themselves to complimentary crates of beer, the band went to the WOA press booth where they gave an interview to Metal TV. Vibhas and Arun represented the band while the rest retreated to explore the rest of the grounds and watch the other bands hit the stage.

Zip to an hour before the gig. The band was taken to their green room which was stocked with more beer! The stage manager greeted them with “Welcome to Wacken,” and reminded them that they were not the only band playing that night and they needed to stick to schedule.

As the clock touched 9.30pm, Vibhas, Nikhil, Arjun, Ashish and Arun stepped on to the stage in front of a capacity crowd for Eccentric Pendulum’s first performance on international soil. (Holy, HOLY Shyte Moment) The FIRST INDIAN METAL BAND to take the stage at the mighty Wacken Open Air Festival. A few minutes to turn on the guitar processors, plug in guitars and the bass, set the stage volume levels and Eccentric Pendulum launched into “Sepia Drown” from their debut EP The Sculptor of Negative Emotions. The next 45 minutes was a blur of headbanging, moshing and circle pits as the 4000 odd metal fans watching them went berserk. Playing a mix of songs from their EP and their upcoming full-length Winding The Optics, Eccentric Pendulum delivered a veritable powerhouse of a performance, blending crushingly heavy riffs with interludes of fluid acoustic melodies. The spontaneous onstage lighting blended perfectly with the mood and the tempo of the songs, leaving not a single dull moment for the entire set. In Nikhil’s words, “seeing people head-banging to our songs in the biggest friggin’ heavy metal festival on earth gave us all the confidence we needed. We were on stage to have a good time and we had a blast.”

Unfortunately, their performance was not enough to take them to the top 3 but the general consensus of the crowds was that Eccentric Pendulum was most certainly among best acts there. Their presence certainly did not go unnoticed as many of the judges could recall them with ease and was very impressed with the band. If this show is any indication, Eccentric Pendulum have firmly put themselves on the map and big things are in store for this five-piece band.

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The Fish Eyed Poet About patterns and power struggles Quit engineering college?

Learnt how to record at home?

Have a bunch of brilliantly written songs?

Go the Fish Eyed Poet way!

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TARA THOMAS

Much has been said about the Kishore Krishna over the past two years, but few do justice to the raw talent and lyrical genius that this 23-year old personifies.

B

red on a diet of heavy Internet exposure and the National Geographic Channel, Kishore is a walking, talking, encyclopedia of everything under the sun. He is tall, unassuming and witty beyond belief. The Chennai resident influences include “wordy songwriters” such as Elvis Costello, Springsteen, Dylan, Patti Smith to post punk acts like The Smiths with a foundation built upon the blues and the Motown sound.

He has released two independent albums over the past two years under the name Adam and the Fish Eyed Poets. A venture that produces music solely out of his bedroom, with all instruments (barring guitars on select tracks from the first album Snakeism), vocals, mixing and mastering by Kishore.

Imagination Vs The Universe?

Kishore did not have childhood heroes. Infact, he says, “I really don’t remember much from my childhood, but I remember it took a long time to convince myself that my imagination didn’t control the universe. I didn’t really pay much attention to real world personalities.”

Realizing he was not in control of the universe was a small road block, Kishore took to singing with support from his parents. “They taught me never to write anything off until I’ve invested a significant amount of time trying to understand it.”

StereoHunt After experimenting with various genres and band line ups, Kishore has finally found his sound in Adam and the Fish Eyed Poets and the now dormant project, No Safe Word. While AATFEP explores genres that tear into the recesses of human life and emotion, the music of NSW radiates a raw, violent, crude and psychotic aura. Speaking about his sound, Kishore says “AATFEP was an instinctive move to divert attention away from the artist and redirect it toward the music. There are a lot of bands today like Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter, etc that are making incredibly detailed, intelligent and sophisticated music. However, most of these bands don’t have anything groundbreaking to say lyrically. I feel its necessary to restore consonance between lyrics and the music.”

Snakeism to Dead Loops To a listener, the difference between the two albums is clear. According to Kishore, Snakeism was more about characters lashing out, pulling off daring escapes and running away. Dead loops is about coming to terms with the circumstances you have been dealt, loops, comfort zones and the struggles of transit. For e.g. “Purgatory City” and “Suicide Girl” seem to bring up painfully stark subjects like jaded urban beings and sexual abuse.

Target Audience?

Kishore is unabashed about mentioning his preferred target audience. “Ideally? Ridiculously attractive women with massive sexual appetites. Realistically, I think its the introverted, literate but socially awkward types that can appreciate art. I’m not making music for your average Alterbridge or Akon fan. I figure when they grow up they’ll come around.” But wait!

What is Fish Eyed Poetry all about? “I try to find really great stories with interesting yet accessible characters in emotionally complex situations, and I try to have music colour in and reiterate what the songs are trying to say. All while genuinely trying to entertain, or at least stir. So basically, insight and sharing it. Lets see where it takes me.”

The Dead-loops

‘Boxed’

Social Responsibility Through Music?

I’m just a story teller. I create characters based on what I’ve witnessed or experienced. I learned a very long time ago that I have no place or say in conventional society.

Average Listener’s Comprehension Of Your Music Average listeners can listen to average music. I work quite to remove any personal motivations so that the songs exist independently.

Anyone with a little depth can understand what I’m trying to do.

The 30 Minute Album I feel that attention spans are shrinking. Internet or natural evolution of the species. Either way, I think if you can get your point across in one and a half minutes, anything longer seems redundant.

Hence, I’ve tried to tightly pack as much content as I could within that limited time frame.

Golden Rule If you are someone that lets trivial things like religion, race, or sexuality define your identity, chances are you’re a shallow little muppet with little insight hence not worth acknowledging. But then again, conflicted/confused characters tend to make bad decisions. And bad decisions make for great stories. (Laughs)

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Mridula Arjun

e l b u o D e k a T

a

h t i n u S d n a l with Rahu

Rahul Gopal, Award-winning Chennai based drummer, recently tied the knot to accomplished playback singer, Sunitha Sarathy. Their musical tastes are different and the clichés don’t end there! Quirky, funny, yet serious about each other, this made-in-heaven couple had a lot of interesting answers.

What do you find most attractive about each other?

S: I like that he’s cranky. I find it funny. He can be annoying and I have a way of getting around that.

R: She’s a really nice person. People think she’s short-tempered and unapproachable but she’s actually not.

Which is better? Marriage or dating?

S: Marriage is fun. I’m not a live-in relationship kind of person. We learn and evolve with each other.

It’s the growth.

R: People keep asking us how it is to be married, but we don’t feel married at all. And the relationship has to culminate into something, right?

What do you guys quarrel about?

S: He’s not dirty at all. But I have OCD. I find it annoying so I yell. But nothing major.

R: We fight about all the small things. Nothing big. We actually don’t fight too much.

As a couple, your ardent wish to accomplish something…

S: We haven’t thought about it yet! But basically do music together. Like his Drummerboy project, we’d like to probably come out with a CD.

R: Wow. Well, we met at gigs. So do more, bigger gigs and make music together.

Both of us love music, so it will be something to do with that.

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Photography: Madhana Gopal

“

Initially, When we were seeing each other, people used to say that Rahul was the male version of me.

- Sunitha The

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Rhia Bhattacharya

When it comes to music, Natasha Pinto has no limits. She toured 22,000 miles across the globe with a Gospel choir when she was just 18. Lyricist, composer and a pianist since the age of 3, she has performed with bands like Off The Record and Molotov Cocktail. She has even shared the stage with the incredible Anu and Viji Cheyyur. Originally an Arts student from Mount Carmel, Bangalore, Natasha Pinto dropped everything to pursue what she loves best – Music. “The amazing thing about music is that it has a color for every mood. It is very emotion-based.” Her secret for being a good performer? “It requires skill and practice. But personally, I think it is about how it sounds and what strings in your heart are being pulled.”

#61, Usman Road, T.Nagar, Chennai 600 017

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PHONE: 044-24342744 http://www.srikumaranstores.in

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November 2011

Photography: Jvack Toto Stylist: Rashmi Watwani Wardrobe: Sri Kumaran Stores Hair & Makeup: Page 3

a rtiste of the month

Natasha Pinto

Plot #190, Villupuram Main ROAD, JAWAHAR NAGAR, PUDUCHERRY - 605005

PHONE: 0413 - 2201616, 2202626 The

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SHIRIN ALBERT

Top Picks from Zero.0 «««« ► Worth the Wait - The best Pop track in the album. Very radiofriendly.

► Oo wee - Popalicious and a good dance track with just the right beat. Previously used for The Victoria’s Secret catwalk too!

► All is Fair Remix - Desai wanted a dubstep feel. A good effort

with no compromise on the melody. Crank up the volume for its fullest effect.

“I’ll come running back to you” and Adele cover “Someone like you” are a must listen to for Anoop’s fluid, impressive and effortless voice control. No auto tune required here thank you!

The album on the whole is well constructed and features a lot of impressive tracks in terms of range, style and sometimes, even simplicity. It is strictly in the Pop genre with subtle hints of R'n'B.

ANOOP IN A SCOOP Indian heritage I have been to India. My last trip was ten years ago. My family is in Gujarat, so I love hanging out and relaxing with them there.

Degree He had graduated with Honors from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a double degree in American Studies and Political Science but feels grateful that he could pursue his music full time.

Clef Hangers Anoop’s was a lead vocalist in his college acapella band, the UNC Clef Hangers (Clefs), which is the oldest acappella group at the University of North Carolina. Search for “Kiss Kiss” and “Buy U a Drank” on Youtube.

These guys are quite cool! “It was a formative experience for me socially and musically. I wouldn’t say acappella is my thing, though.”

On the popular assumption that American Idol voting system is rigged/biased All I’ll say is that you get exactly what you want to get out of that experience. People knock AI sometimes because they either didn’t have the courage to audition, didn’t make it, or wish they had a platform like that. When you’re actually a contestant, it’s just as important to remember that you asked for it. It’s not like you didn’t know what you were getting into.

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He is not your Indie conventional artist. From American Idol 2008 to releasing a series of albums with Atlanta-based DJs in 2011, all while sporting a brand new preppy avatar. A candid discussion on...

The Art of Perfection with Anoop Desai

A

noop Desai. I’m pretty sure the name rings a bell for most people who have been religiously following American Idol the past decade. For those of you who need some recalling, he was in the Top 7 in 2008 on AI before being voted off. Anoop was the second and the last Indian to participate in AI. Me being an erstwhile fan myself, was genuinely surprised to learn that he is now a full-time musician! According to Anoop, it was his mum who taught him to appreciate good music be it bhajans or popular tracks on the radio. It was in college that he decided to take part in AI. “I had graduated and thought the time was right. I didn’t want to look back with regrets about not auditioning.”

Being an Indie Artist During our conversation, Anoop made it clear that though he is grateful for the experience of AI and for it rousing him to take up music full-time, that avatar in ‘08 was no longer a part of his identity. “I’ve changed a lot since then both musically and personally. I hope people notice that evolution.” With a new makeover that includes snazzy and colourful corduroy suits, preppy outfits, bow ties and thick rimmed glasses, the artist exudes sophisticated cool. Like most Indie artists, Anoop addresses one thing that slows the process. “Money is the biggest hurdle. You need a lot of it to launch your project.

Fortunately, I’ve surrounded myself with talented people who are really committed to the project and the vision.”

The Power of Zero After his first album All is Fair, he came up with the idea of releasing three EPs simultaneously a project he termed Zero: The Mixtapes. The first installment, Zero.0 was released and created in collaboration with Atlanta-based musicians and DJs. Anoop explained how he found it the most opportune time to shift base to Atlanta and work with the local talent. “I think it’s important to involve my musical community in supporting the project. It’s a lot easier to work with someone who’s down the street than across the country.” With the general consensus that remixes are overrated, Anoop suggests that people should treat it as a separate entity. “The remix is more about the producer than the artist. It definitely takes some getting used to!” Most of the songs are written by him as well. “Music should be evocative, plain and simple. I want to take people on a journey that I’ve experienced or witnessed.” Anoop’s next release, Zero.1, will probably come out this fall is taking his time to perfect it.

“I’m so excited. It’s going to be on another level.”

Breaking the Mould Many a time it happens. AI stars win and either fade into oblivion or do really well before they hit a dry streak. Real talent like Daughtry and Hudson, rarely get the top one rank. They take a leap of faith and by sheer luck and hardwork, find a label to help them create their music fearlessly. When it comes to Desai, here are my two reasons to support him. Firstly, his detailed and committed attention to his work which is a rarity these days and secondly, his naturally smooth, soulful and accomplished voice which deserves the recognition. On a parting note, Anoop would like to thank all his fans for their support, wherever they are across the globe and hopes to tour soon.

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The one thing you are very particular about

ONE UNIQUE THING ABOUT YOU Unique? Hmm... I don’t know how to answer that! There are so many things!

Getting things done MY way. But I’m working on being more flexible!

(Smiles)

WHY SULK STATION

Pet Preference?

Rahul used to call me that because I sulk a lot.

So when we had to pick a name, that seemed to fit.

One of those tiny, fluffy dogs that don’t need to be walked everyday. (Wouldn’t we all want that now!)

If you weren't singing, you'd be...

I love learning, so I’d probably still be studying something.

An Over-Rated Film The Lord of the Rings series. (Gasp!)

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Photography: Sudhanva Atri

Moment of Insanity (Laughs) Probably deciding to pursue music after having studied for CAT. I didn’t even write the exam. And I chopped off all my hair last year on a whim.

Rhia Bhattacharya

What You Really, Really Wish You Had The ability to sing ghazals!

What Money Can't Buy (from Tanvi) An item number?

Or killing a puppy.

An avid reader of Haruki Murakami, lead singer of an Electronic/Pop band Sulk Station, a student of Media and Psychology. DEFINITELY quirky...

And also ubercool! Tanvi Rao never fails to bemuse and bewilder us.

&

Quirks Queries with Tanvi Rao Holiday Hot Spot Any beach-y place. Love the sea and humid weather.

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QUALITY GUITAR CRAFTED BY HARMONY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (Madras) PVT.LTD. VISIT

CORPORATION SHOPPING COMPLEX, NO. 77, C.P.RAMASWAMY ROAD, ALWARPET, CHENNAI - 600 018 +91 2499 7320 / +91 99400 90961 hmim@vsnl.net

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Photography: Yuvaraj Vivek

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The Origins Avial is Kerala's prime folk rock band, blending old Malayalam folk songs with alternative rock music.

True to their name, every song that they have written is eclectically different. They broke out of Kerala, like prickly heat during the summer in 2003, with their single “Nada Nada.”

The Mouthwatering Reviews In 2008 at the Jack Daniels Rock Awards, Avial walked away the winner of six awards– Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Band of the Year (and possibly, food of the year). They owned the Footprint Award at Symbiosis Pune and won the Emerging Artists of the Year at IRAA.

The Ingredients Back in 2003, when the band broke into the world of Indian indie music, it consisted of Tony John (turntable), Rex Vijayan (guitar), Mithun Puthanveetil (percussion), Anand Raj Benjamin Paul (vocals) and Naresh Kamath (bass). But in 2005, Naresh left and soon after the recording of the first album, so did Anand. When asked about how they feel when purists argue that the original line-up is and will always will be the true Avial, Tony said, “They (Anand and Naresh) left the band for personal reasons, but me and Rex had worked too hard to throw it all away and so had to move on and continue doing what we love.” Benjamin Isaac replaced Naresh and Tony took over the vocals.

Avial in Movies An Avial song was featured in a Malyalam movie called Salt n Pepper. They landed this when a friend of theirs, Asheeq Abu, who just happened to be the music director for the movie heard Anna Kallan and wanted this song to be a part of it.

Plating-UP! We asked them the most clichéd of all questions- Where do they get their inspiration from? After some liberal head-scratching, they replied that most of their songs are about political and social issues. The songs are generally about oppression as the folk songs that they generally mix with their music were written by the farmers who were hard up and sang their rebellion against "The Man". The lyrics of their songs are not only just in Malayalam, but also in a dialect spoken from a very long time ago.

Avial is one of India's most satisfying bands with a potpourri of rock and folk flavors intermingling to make a sublime concoction.

Much like the food itself.

The Instruments While talking about the different sounds in some of their songs such as "AaduPaambe" the band explained that none of them play any traditional instruments from Kerala and most of the sounds are played by Rex on his Gibson and his VG88 pedal.

When asked about the secret behind their success (as overused as that question is), they said that the reason they became successful is because they played to their strengths. There is no other mainstream band playing Malayalam Rock and it is because of the longevity of their desire and the strong relationship between the members of the band. Tony adds, “If you really want to make it, then you can. It’s a commitment.”

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Interview: Anant Kurup Photography: Yuvaraj Vivek

NILANKUR DUTTA

AVIAL,

GOT SOME BRO?

“

Fans, thank you for all your love and support. if not for you, we would not be doing what we do.

- Avial

Being a mallu rock band The rock lifestyle, according to the band, is not all the glitz and glamour that they portray. Atleast, in India, it isn’t. The band prefers Trivandrum for its chilled out atmosphere without all the hubbub of Mumbai or Delhi. The band has a certain humour about themselves which can be seen by the way Tony is dressed in the video for “Anna Kallan” - a lungi and a T-shirt with Malayalam scribbling on it. But in his defense, Tony says he is generally always dressed in a “mundu,” which, for all my non-Mallu friends, is a formal lungi.

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Reign of the Remix Raja F

inding a music producer (among other things) in the industry of Bollywood who isn’t in it for the greens is like finding hay in a needle stack. Ouch!

Mr. Vaghani, as you may have realized is the man who wants to change pretty much everything about the industry and is infiltrating its core as we speak.

Entering the scene with some of the spunkiest ad-jingles of ‘00s, Abhijit debuted into the ever-so-cumbersome industry of Bollywood by composing Background Music for several Blockbuster hits such as Zinda, Goal and Jab We Met. The eccentricity of his approach and production won him a notorious reputation among the industry’s top guns which led to some of the best BGM work in the critically acclaimed feature film Wednesday and the more recent Ra.One. Sounds like the average music producer right? Not!

Abhijit’s alter-ego is even more of a musical Frankenstein when it came to his remixes. Yes, the R-word could result in spasms and seizures especially if you have listened to those raucously rehashed songs by what seemed like a bunch of eleven-year old “Deejays” of the ‘90s. Vaghani’s remixes in the last three years caught them completely off guard with influences ranging from progressive House to some of the most avant-garde Electronic music. What has really been making news is his latest (wait for it) DUBSTEP track in Bbuddah..hoga tera baap with the “Baap of Bollywood” himself, Amitabh Bacchan on vocals! I am guessing you are thinking the same thing I am - Dubstep in Bollywood? What! But, from what I have seen, this dude managed to change a Rock orchestra, originally thought of for the movie by Vishal-Shekar, into a new wave “Desi-Dubstep” number that will have you busting moves all over the floor.

THOSE THREE THINGS Can’t do without ► Honda Civic ► Musical Instruments ► Girlfriend Can do without ► Traffic ► Music Industry ► His current Lifestyle

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Siddharth Raghunandan

The rise of Bollywood underground music has just begun! Spearheaded by the dark knight of “Desi Dubstep”, the one, the only... Abhijit Vaghani

Of course, that being said, the man expresses heavy concern over the Bollywood industry. With deadlines ranging from just a couple of days to even three hours, artists do not really get to choose or express their creativity the way they like it. The never-ending rip-offs of Hollywood is something that irks him the most as the Indian Film Industry makes about a thousand films a year and have a well-defined platform for originality. Having done his Sound Engineering in London, literally the mecca of EDM experimentation, it almost seems like an intergalactic shift to him, the way music directors here love to play it safe and cliché.

His latest score in Ra.One, a Sci-Fi film released this October, is said to have some of the most experimental sounds ever fathomed in Indian Films and will be a breakthrough for the industry in terms of BGM. A direct result of a lot of time and room for experimentation

by Vishal-Shekar, you will be hearing some influences ranging from The Prodigy to Armin Van Buuren. (Spoiler Alert: The sound of Ra.One is actually his Honda Civic vrooming). The dude is currently writing a solo album for an International audience and is “pretty sure” he will keep the clubs up overtime for the next five years.

To change the face of Bollywood music forever is his mission and we are totally with him on that. Though being heckled by one too many over the years, this man is the poster-child for anyone who looks to a different future in the scene.

Non-Musical Influences: Nature inspires him the most. (So we sent him a tree) The people around him with conventional 9-5 jobs.

The Loo (Where he writes most of his melodies!)

His Girlfriend( Aw!)

The iPod Playlist: Teen Patti Armin Van Buuren BT (These Hopeful Machines) Imogen Heap Anything Salim-Sulaiman!

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Tales of the

big Apple

SHIRIN ALBERT

New York - the city that never sleeps! A potpourri of music, art, culture, pink, blue, red hair, leopard prints and sirens. It is not everyday you get to visit one of the most thrilling cities in the world! And the music was everywhere! Be it subways, street corners, cafés, basements and alleys. Here is my account of all the four musical aspects of the city as I was lucky to meet the artists who make it happen everyday.

Mostly Mozart Festival - 23.8.2011 Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Centre

Standing on those steps leading to the hall that night was a surreal experience for me. The pieces performed were Haydn’s Symphony No.22, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.12 in A major and Symphony No.29 in A major. Pianist Bertrand Chamayou’s, virtuosity left me spellbound. He told me his biggest challenge was capturing the lightness and exact intonation on a modern pianoforte. “Freedom of personal interpretation is extremely important. It has been in vogue for the past 20 years in Europa unlike the States.” Conductor Jérémie Rhorer who gave a formidable performance that night was relieved at the outcome considering they had only a day to rehearse. “I’m also happy that I finally got to play with Bertrand. We have been close friends for the past ten years and this is our debut performance in NYC for the both of us.” With a stellar performance like the one I witnessed, I am sure these two gentlemen are going to be etched in the annals of music history.

BB King and Gregg Allman - 3.9.2011 Bangor Waterfront Park, Maine

An amazing night with the Grand Daddy of the Blues. The setting was informal and the fact that there was no heavy security allowed us to go up to the stage to say a quick “Hello!” He performed his hits “Thrill is Gone”, “Rock me Baby”, “Guess who” and dedicated his last song “You are my sunshine” to all the ladies, requesting them to kiss somebody on the cheek everytime we sang the chorus. The King was definitely in a good mood! The band was as authentic as they come the brass, the horns, the on-the-spot improvisation, the humour! It was a real treat seeing Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts perform together too. Their technical precision and tight act was a treat for the ears. By the end of the night, sticking it out in the chilly weather was no longer an issue. I was just lucky to see some of the greatest musicians of our time perform. What else could I ask for!

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Bertrand Photographs: richard dumas / naïve

New York, New York, a wonderful town / The Bronx is up and the Battery down / The people ride in a hole in the ground / New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!

On the Town, 1949 (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Jules Munshin)

WarHorse - 7.9.2011 Vivian Beaumont Theatre

This 5-time Tony Award winning play will change the way you perceive storytelling through theatre forever. Can you imagine huge horses being controlled by three people at a time? Everything from the flick of a ear to the breathing? And the music was hauntingly beautiful. Kate Pfaffl, Songwoman in the play, explained, "A bulk of the music was already fixed. We were given a lot of freedom to come up with arrangements for some songs.” She added, “An excellent dialect coach trained us in the Devon, French and German regional dialects used in the show. We struggled initially but now it’s second nature to us.” Kate is also an Indie artist and has released 5 albums so far. "I've had my share of ups and downs within the industry. It has collapsed in the past few years but I have incredible support through my fans." All in all, this play should have come with a caution sign - “Warning! Will leave you dizzy in awe for days.”

The Lion King Musical - 8.9.2011 Minskoff Theatre

I was blown away when I heard the opening line of “Circle of Life” by the fiery, native voice of Rafiki and saw dancers morph into beautiful animals with the colorful paints, head gear, costumes and contraptions. Zazu’s, Timmon’s and Pumba’s puppets were equal to having two bodies simultaneously! These guys really knew how to bring a cartoon to life! Tshidi who has been playing the role of Rafiki for the past ten years, was part of the original soundtrack too! “The real show,” she says, “is what happens backstage.

We have a managing team of almost 20 to help us but we still forget entrances and swap costumes. It’s hilarous!” Eight of the cast members including Tshidi are from South Africa."The creators wanted authenticity; people who knew the dancing, clicking and chanting.”

She continues, “But most importantly, keeping the audience happy is what motivates us everyday.” She tells me that Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Demi Moore are just a few of the many actors the cast meet after their shows. Jealous much?

Tshidi Manye Photographs: Lelund Durond/YellaFella Fotography

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NUDE 101

Fearless Generation

► Favorite gig venue: Mexico.

Their sound in the new album is characterized by “Heavy driving synths fused with epic orchestral elements and an addictive proto-organic rhythm section.” The music is driving, electronic and dramatic, making visualization a part and parcel of the whole listening experience. With a dark, eerie and larger-than-life vibe to it, the album certainly impresses. All the songs could well be used as soundtracks of hyper-epic fantasy movies… Which brings us to something very interesting. Their song “Down to Die” from their album was written after Twilight (the book) came out. It’s not confirmed yet, but the track just might be featured on the new Twilight film, Breaking Dawn, that’s due in November.

“They have great management there.”

► They absolutely hated the way their songs sounded

after Capitol Records mastered them. That is when they decided to do it on their own.

► They play with their clothes on. Bet you were

thinking about that huh?

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After our gig, a fan walked up to us and asked us, ‘How the hell do you get that huge sound? There’s just the three of you!’

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Looking Ahead

Nude: The Bare Essentials

The band hopes to land a deal with a credible record label for their promotion and advertising. They will still handle production, mixing, mastering, album art AND packaging on their own thus not interfering with their tried-and-tested production formula.

Tony Karlsson (guitars, vocals) hails from Sweden and he brings the Euro element to the band’s music. He is ably supported by Bobby Amaro on the drums and Dave Mattera on bass. Their fourth and trusted band member is their MacBook Pro where they have pre-programmed all their samples, effects and other magic!

Interestingly enough, they mentioned how a change in environment gave them a whole new perspective on their goals as a band. Their previous trip to Sweden helped them escape the distractions of L.A. and got them to write differently and gain some great local music exposure. And of course the biggest payoff is appreciation and acceptance of their music. Being recognized in India was totally unexpected. But then, here they are!

Inspiration struck them when they met at the Musician’s Institute (MI) in Hollywood sometime 2002-2003 as students.

Within six months, Nude was born. They began jamming, making music and started recording their first album.

They first thought “Nude” as a band name was sexy, but then realized that the music they made was simple, honest, straightforward and “stripped down,” in fact totally justifying the name!

While their first album had a very mainstream pop sound to it, they have matured along the way, and their third album Fearless Generation stands testament to that. “We know our new music is different and original, but it’s not something that we try very hard for. It comes almost naturally to us,” says Bobby.

Vikram vivekanand

This trio from Orange County, L.A watch superhero-action-fantasy movies on mute, jam according to the feel of the visuals and compose their lyrics and music for their albums! Quite different from the run-ofthe-mill process of jamming a few riffs and coming up with lyrics!

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BREAKING DOWN THE GAGA-NTUAN PHENOMENON What makes Lady Gaga the biggest pop phenomenon in nearly a decade? It’s naïve to think it’s just the music. Try rebellion, exhibitionism and maybe even mind control.

GA GA 38

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was Born This way

Or So She Claims

SANDHYA RAMACHANDRAN There are few that take on stardom and celebrity as their birthright. Many artistes eventually step down from the top be it a divorce, some addiction or just family feuds. Not disputing the fact that their musical journeys probably start out way more passionate, these chart toppers do their bit for music and lay off. And then you have a few who celebrate being a spectacle, milking every moment in the spotlight to do something bombastic and transcend us to frenzies.

t

The persona of Lady Gaga projects an enigma. There is quite a bit of commendable effort at devising this package of freak that is chic - a visually complex, mammoth of a pop star that 2011 just cannot get enough of. There is a lot that Gaga has done meticulously that gives her goddess appeal yet allows fans to connect with her human-to-human.

I for one can-NOT imagine Lady Gaga doing something as routine as wearing flip- flops and buying groceries. But in the few minutes that she is off stage, the video logs and interviews actually have me convinced that her fan love is genuine. Not many are spiteful about her rise to the top. Many grudgingly admire the madness. I mean hey, at least she takes the effort to shock. Try making a meat dress and wearing one! And she wants her chunk of fame exclusively; be it the addressal of her fans as “Little Monsters” or the sparse collaborations on her CDs. She would rather build a whole world around herself and be at the centre of this vortex.

Numerous clones have appeared concurrently – Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Jessie J, a now androgynous Rihanna – coincidentally all branding their own label of bizarre. So, is bold and daring really just a natural genesis of this age? If you look into the not-so-distant past, there were brilliant performers and good music but expressionism in music was so dormant.

Infact, almost dead with the exception of Madonna and probably Cher of course. With Gaga, music has been taken to colossal proportions with her outrageous outfits, theatrical performances and concept-based (albeit baffling) videos.

I was recently linked to a very interesting read on Lady Gaga’s very apparent Illuminati symbolism in her videos. She has smartly retained herself in the minds of the 21st century public for nearly three years without waning loyalties. She understands the market really well, maybe a little too well, making sure there is something for everyone. For instance, the “Born This Way” video was an attempt, if anything, to appeal to gay pride, necrophilia, Kubrick fans, power dancers and who knows what else.

The all-seeing eye, the Baphomet and other such homages to occultism have not gone unnoticed by stalwarts. But what really caught my eye was the theory that Gaga is a reference to a trauma victim. “Gaga” is a word that denotes a state of confusion and imbalance, which leads to robotic stances, monotonic verse and general strangeness.

Rah rah rings a be-he-ll?

Whatever be the case, earthling, if a ninth planet Gaga emerges with Gaga-oyles that worship the Mother Monster, you should not be surprised. It is already happening. Born This Way, the follow up to The Fame Monster, hints at the birth of this new, unstoppable, breed. So you can run, you can hide but you can’t escape Gaga. Viva la Vida, Little Monsters!

Viva la Vida,

Little Monsters!

Born This Way is no Fame Monster.

Here’s a break down of the whys and hows Peels away, unlike an onion A lot of the tracks start with potential and then get so heavily layered that you just fast-forward to a catchy part. That sometimes never comes.

Stupid Remixes It adds nothing amazing to the original tracks, so what really is the point?

What the christ was that?

Even for her, this is a little too openly controversial for the sake of controversial – Judas, Bloody Mary, Electric Chapel and Black Jesus? Metaphorical by coincidence?

Oh PUHLEEZ.

Dissolves into mediocrity Top three tracks would include “Judas” for just singing the verse in that infectious way, “Hair” for the transition from old school pop to hardcore dance and “Government Hooker” just because it is oddly catchy.

STANDOUT TRACKS Judas ««««« Brownie points just for singing a verse like that!

Hair ««««« Throwback to carefree old school girly pop (hello again, saxophone) AND then out of nowhere moves in and out of hardcore dance territory.

Government Hooker ««««« Definitely cannot be found with musicians, says she. Has acoustic potential and is one of the most dynamic tracks on the album.

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MIHIR SINHA

FRANKS

GOT THE FUNK LAUNCHES!

The new kids on the block; they rock out and identify themselves with a chain-smoking skull.

Presenting to you, Frank’s Got The Funk and their commercial debut.

Frank’s Got The Funk, and seems to like it.

A few rough edges apart, their first album, The Next Level, serves up music you cannot really dislike. It is not all funk, if that is what you guessed with the name and irreverent album sleeve artwork. It is more of an amalgam; inspirations that seem to have come from far and wide and mix in to become something of their own.

“Dynamite,” the album opener, soothes your nerves, in a country-folk way. You might not have expected it, but with the wonderfully named frontman, Bjorn Surrao, sending his voice into outer space, it is an acquired taste. And it is a good appetizer too, for “Cop Chase” up next, that makes a mockery of adulthood, because you are reminded bit by bit, how much cooler being a kid was.

There are selective let downs; “Fast Song,” for one. “Old Man” too, but mostly because of its uncomfortable likeness to Wolfmother’s music. Fast Song seems to have failed somewhere at the production stage, and it sounds like something inspired by The King of Leons, which is not a worthy ambition for any musician, young or old.

Rajan Chelliah can definitely solo, but he can not save this one.

The final, eponymously titled track lives up to the billing, verifying the beauty of an open jam, and giving us a souvenir to play on a loop. It sums up all the music sampled on this album while giving mere hedonists like us a good reason to go music shopping, wherever it is you procure these independent releases from.

Photography: Shahina Ahmed

Toby’s Take; Toby Joseph was the production brains behind the album, playing a pivotal role in knocking it into shape at his home studio, called Tobe’s Garage. The man is cool, and sounds it when pitched for a comment on the album. “You’ve got to appreciate how young these guys are, but how mature they sound.” The three month recording schedule was hardly smooth, explains Toby. “It started in May, but then these guys had exams. So, most of the work happened in August.” He even gives us a little scoop revealing how FGTF have a couple of new songs ready. His favourite from The Next Level? Toby dithers before sticking his neck out. “Dynamite,” he reveals, “cause you can’t not like that intro.”

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Harish Narayanan

SCORE REVIEW ««««« The sounds of the Pacific Northwest from an Indie Seattle band make for one of the Best Albums this Year

t

here is no such thing as a perfect album. That is to say, there is no such thing as an album that is so good that everyone you know will love it as much as you do. You may like to believe that The Beatles’ Rubber Soul does not have a single bad track or that Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is a transcendental experience capable of delivering the musical equivalent of world peace.

But they are not. They are amazing albums no doubt, and they may have made your lives better. But they are not perfect; not for everyone.

Take the recent indie-folk-rock self-titled debut release by a small band who call themselves The Head and The Heart. The band itself remains relatively unknown outside their home base of Seattle, Washington, but with a few major world tours currently planned – most notably as the opening act for Death Cab For Cutie – that is bound to change in a matter of months.

The band typifies, without really revolutionizing, the current Pacific Northwest music scene. Bands like the Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, Blitzen Trapper and even Death Cab have been churning out similar mellow Rock for several years now.

But what THATH lack in uniqueness, they make up for with irresistibly addictive songs.

From the (incredibly charming) opener “Cats and Dogs,” right down to the ending notes of the pick-you-up-whenyou-are-down-pep-talk-song “Heaven Go Easy On Me”, the album is filled with song after song of the best harmonies and foot thumps this side of Simon & Garfunkel. All of this comes together to make what is, at the very least, an extremely

fun album to listen to. Acoustic guitars, simple catchy beats and did I mention harmonies are the order of the day in this record? After a few tracks to warm you up, you are immediately thrust into the magic of “Ghosts”. What starts out as an apparently dark bluesy piano song soon settles into an up-tempo swing and you will be hard pressed to not clap along with the chorus.

Unlike many records which save their best for the first few tracks, this album is strongest in its middle section. “Down in the Valley” is a beautifully nostalgic love letter to a simpler past while “Rivers and Roads” feels like a soulful hymn reaching out to friends and families who live so far away from us.

“Honey Come Home” further echoes similar sentiments of longing delivered in a nice little percussive package. “Lost in My Mind” is possibly the highlight of the album and perfectly captures what the band is all about. If you need one track to decide whether or not to invest in this album, this is it. Fans of acoustic will find much to enjoy in this one. Although the concluding tracks are slightly mellower, they are no less engaging and make for a satisfying experience.

Lyrically, the album does not break new ground. However, each song layers beautifully over the other making for a cohesive listening experience. This is one consistently strong album with nary a dud in the mix.

Highly Recommended.

SEATTLE's

Best New Band

They make most of their sales by word of mouth.

Charity once said she was sleepless and penniless, but inspired nonetheless.

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Music for the mind

VIKRAM VIVEKANAND

This album is like this large, phenomenal jam session, focusing on higher forms of beautiful musical expression. bstract Logix’s latest offering, The New Universe Music Festival live 2 CD album, is a recording of the two day festival that took place in North Carolina in November 2010, featuring rock and jazz fusion stalwarts such as Jimmy Herring, John McLaughlin, Alex Machacek, Wayne Krantz, Ranjit Barot and Ustad Zakir Hussain to name a few.

The album was released on the 19th of July, 2011.

A

When it concerns artists like the ones I mentioned above, it is easy to assume that the music on this album is not exactly easy listening. Most of you would be correct if you were to assume that. That said, if you are willing to let the music ensnare your senses, you are in for a real treat. And what makes it so

exciting is the fact that it is a live album!

This entire festival was about all these virtuosic musicians coming together and performing, jamming, improvising and generally having a ball of a time with their music.

Be it rock, pop, metal, jazz or everything in between, music is a means of expression and communication. It does not matter how you do it, as long as you are expressing what you are feeling at that point of time and space. I listened to the entire album and I must tell you that I am glad that they recorded a live performance, which means that there were no re-takes, no overdubs and no boundaries. The music in this album is a fine example of pure, unhinged musical expression. I will also mention that a musician may be able to truly enjoy

MUST LISTEN

and appreciate the music in this album, simply because it is in a musician to want to listen and try and figure out what is going on. If he is able to find his way around the music, it gives him a great sense of self satisfaction. One of my favorite tracks in this album is “Rainbow” written by Jeff Sipe, with Jimmy Herring on guitar. After listening to that song, I have really begun to dig Jimmy Herring’s music and guitar styles. If you are not a musician, worry not, because you will still be able to feel the music even if you are not really trying to figure out scales and time signatures. I only ask you to keep your heart, mind, and ears open, because this music is quite heady and intense. Buy the album and listen to it, preferably when you are not driving.

SCORE REVIEW «««««

1. Ustad Zakir Hussain and John Mclaughlin - Mother Tongues - Really cool improvisational piece where McLaughlin revisits a tune from his previous album Floating Point.

2. Alex Machacek Trio - Strafe- I really dig the intensity. Having watched them live before, I get the same experience after listening to them. A really cool groove.

3. Lenny White ( feat. Jimmy Herring on guitar)- Door No 3- Watch out for Jimmy Herring’s fluid guitar playing, Lenny White’s pure grooves and the solo trade-offs between The Score Magazine November 2011 each of them A really cool groove.

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MIHIR SINHA

LET’S GET

!

Forget the physics and chemistry of the real world; Here’s some Heavy Metal that melts down to become something even heavier

ALTERNATIVE METAL

DREAM THEATer

A Dramatic turn of events

SCORE REVIEW With veteran drummer Mike Potnoy gone, even the most diehard Dream Theater devotees might have forgiven them a false start this time. But their 11th studio album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events, sounds like Dream Theater in their elements. There are no reservations here, as bits of industrial, metal and even jazz influences slink together in songs, now shorn of lengthy solo-ing so prominent before. Guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess let their virtuosities hang back in the shadows, to allow the orchestral song structures dictate terms and emotions. James LaBrie makes it count with vocals that are earnest and forceful. What you end up with, after listening to this masterpiece, is an earful of white light white heat.

«««««

BUILD ME UP, BREAK ME DOWN Everything comes together. This is what industrial music would sound like, in a perfect world.

BREAKING AN ILLUSION Hardcore goes soft? Hear the chorister in James LaBrie take charge

LOST NOT FORGOTTEN This might be about Petrucci’s propensity to solo, which shows up in this magnum opus.

MACHINE HEAD

HEAVY METAL

unto the locusts

SCORE REVIEW The first single from this album “Locusts” has been trawling the web since its release on June 14th, and if that did not make your heart thump, you are probably dead. Machine Head are absolutely unforgiving on their newest album, Unto the Locusts, but beneath the mega-ton explosion of their music, they seem to be mindful of all they want to convey with their pseudo-theological brand of heavy metal. The rhythm section is stunningly tight, causing an even sharper meshing of words and thoughts, as Rob Flynn can’t seem to tire of nay saying. And neither will you, right from the boom of “I am Hell” up first, to the acoustic relapse of “Darkness Within” at the end.

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«««««

LOCUSTS An absolute metal classic. Period.

I AM HELL Heavy Metal gone Gregorian is a spooky trip. Don’t let it stop.

DARKNESS WITHIN (ACOUSTIC) The passion doesn’t drain away, even when Flynn drops down an octave or two.

HEAVY METAL

OPETH

HERITAGE

SCORE REVIEW Compared to their previous album, Watershed, Opeth seem more self-actualized on Heritage, their much awaited follow-up.

Rumours of their progressive tendencies are understandable, but so is the naiveté of those propagating them. Mikael Akerfeldt does not need to be screaming his lungs out to emphasize the gloom and portents he sings about; they are implicit in the slow, throbbing melodies. However, it is easy to lose your way when the first song is a two minute piano solo, or when flute solos show up in songs that never forewarned of Jethro Tull influences, but that is just Opeth being eclectic like only they can be. This is metal gone avant garde.

«««««

The Devil’s Orchard The quintessence of this album. Opeth reveal a lot about themselves in seven minutes.

Heritage The opening track that is a two minute piano solo. Now you don’t want to miss that!

I Feel The Dark And that’s the third of the first three songs. Does not mean the rest of the album is poor. Just, less remarkable.

COMING SOON EXPERIMENTAL ROCK

Battles Gloss drop

They released one song from this album way back in 2010 and have recently offered another track for free download on their website.

Grapevine has it that this album will be out this year but nobody knows when. We are still waiting in anxious anticipation because this is BATTLES. The band that gave us epic songs like “Atlas” and an EP that contained only instrumentals and tracks with beatboxing involved.

In an age where everyone is creating similar sounding music, Battles is creating their own math rock.

ALTERNATIVE ROCK

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS Join us

An underrated band that has not enjoyed the popularity it deserves, TMBG has promised us another album - due for release this year in June. They have also done a lot of tracks for TV Shows and that is in fact what augmented their fame.

People are attached to this band for more than one reason because of this. I expect this to be one of the best releases in the coming times.

INDIE ROCK

ARCTIC MONKEYS Suck it and see

The band have said that this is going to be a more pop-oriented album and well, I am looking forward to it because it cannot be half as bad as the materialistic poppycock that is floated around the market with the “Pop” label applied to it. I’m hoping that this future David Bowie inspired album will rock my Monkeymania again. Guess I am just going to have to Suck it and see (pardon the idiom).

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MRIDULA ARJUN

LET’S GET

Jazz and blues

Hugh Laurie

Let them TALK

Hugh Laurie is in the house, baby! Well, what is it that this desirable man cannot do!

It so happens that the Blues poise him. His love for the piano and the guitar is evident and boy, he can play! This debut album is a collection of some famous Jazz and Blues numbers like “Tipitina” and “John Henry” featuring Irma Thomas. Some songs made me tap my feet, some humoured me and the rest I loved just because it was Hugh Laurie.

To sum things up, a light-hearted album with interesting vocals and well-picked songs.

SCORE REVIEW

«««««

Buddy Bolden’s Blues

Saint James Infirmary

Guess i’m a fool

“I thought I heard, Buddy Bolden say, 'Stinky butt funky butt, take it away...'” Infectious with a fun mood and a beaming, boisterous, b(j)azzy beat!

A great pick for a first track. The song has a heart wrenching first half with the piano alone and the music slowly builds with the vocals chiming in halfway; a new twist to an 18th century folksong about an infirmary and the death of one’s love.

The song has some great guitaring apart from the gripping vocals and the groovy beat.

Guess I am a fool, fallen in love with you!

Sigh!

POP

Demi Lovato

UNBROKEN

Demi Lovato has joined the dark-lipped, brat pack with this third album. Songs are pretty similar to other Teen Pop discoveries. The album has nothing new to offer apart from her avatar. That said, it isn’t completely frivolous. The collaborations with Missy Elliot, Timbaland and Dev pay off in adding some kind of minor wow factor. But personally, I’d vouch for her Disney songs anyday. Just saying.

SCORE REVIEW

«««««

FIX A HEART

SKY SCRAPER

ALL NIGHT LONG

This will have you sit up and notice Levato’s pipes. Bubble gum pop like this can definitely be tolerated.

This is the first track which was released from the album and was done viz Twitter, receiving a lot of appreciation from artists like Kelly Clarkson, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Ashley Tisdale and Jordin Sparks.

This track features Missy Elliot and Timbaland. Looking for a new song to dance to in a club? Well, you can stop searching.

This is it!

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Indie Rock, Classic pop

The Kooks

Junk of the heart

SCORE REVIEW It is clear that this band is greatly influenced by The Beatles. I think I heard a bit of “Twist and Shout” somewhere too. Their coming-together of their third album has seen a slew of single releases, including the title track, “Junk Of My Heart”. By the time you are done with it, you will find yourself feeling all peppy and fuzzy. The Kooks have matured and out done themselves with this upbeat, yet folky and fanciful blend of some classic genres. I would definitely recommend this album for all The Kooks rookies out there.

«««««

F**k the World off Rebirth of The Beatles. With that soothing music in the background and the wonderful guitar, this short song is charming and catchy.

Time above the earth Songs like this orchestral beauty explain why going indie is arguably the most liberating thing for a musician. Musically so not 2011, yet nothing short of surreal.

Eskimo kiss A little retro, with a fun-filled chorus! It is a musical delight! The lyrics made me dream and the beats had me jiggying! Overall, it’s my favorite track from the album!

COMING SOON Hip Hop, R&B, Pop

DRAKE Take care

This second album scheduled to release on this rapper’s 25th birthday, that is, the 24th of October. After the huge success of his first album, this album is most awaited for. With five tracks already released, fans of hip hop and rap have something to definitely look forward to. Give the track “Dreams money can buy” a listen.

Pop rock, pop

KELLY CLARKSON Stronger

After winning the title of the first American Idol in 2002, this pop artist went on to sell over 23 million copies of her albums and 36 million copies of her singles. And now, she is all set to release her new album. “Mr. Know it all” is the first single from the album. The video has a slim and noticeably older Kelly warning us in great tune.

Indie Pop

Florence And The Machine

Ceremonials

The dynamism that makes Florence linger in the mind in the first place is thankfully not lost on the follow up to her debut, Ceremonials. Going by the pre-release tracks "What The Water Gave Me" and "Shake It Out", the larger than life sound is still very much in place and the vocals much tighter. Album to be released by the end of October.

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Mayhem! Limp Bizkit and RATM Tribute

e Machine and A Rage Against Th r te show had neve Limp Bizkit tribu ed em se ea id e th so been done before, ed , The Sellouts turn enticing. Besides e ut ec ex to nd ba ct out to be the perfe audience jumping it as they kept the h the show. and going throug

and tour Way before their international journeys nai a Chen give to ged mana we s, announcement to say taste of Blind Image’s raw power. Needless e made Hors n Troja s omer the crowd loved it. Newc well. as show the to ing open ct perfe for a

.

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With a group of pretty incredibly talented lar musicians performing a medley of popu songs from the movies, Staccato staged an ber awesome show for a full house. The num Well, of requests being yelled-out was insane.

AR what else can you expect when you play nai?

Chen in dies melo raja Ilaya and an Rahm

Blind Image and Trojan Horse

Staccato

Metal Mayhem with Wolf’s Lair

Wolf’s Lair had their own reputation and hordes of fans ready, so it was not a surprise when we had the venue filled to the brim for this gig. Belting out a set-list, drawn from their repertoire and upcoming album, the band put up a stellar show. TWKC, the opening act, did a great job setting the mood as well.

AVIAL Score and The ‘Masta of Rasta’ was someone we at Score wanted to pay tribute to for a long time. The opportunity finally presented itself when Groove No 3 and Bass-in-Bridge stepped in with much enthusiasm. And voila! They were “Jammin” the night away.

Derby’s July Month of Rock Finale

TRIBUTE

Carlos Santana and The Doors The Tribute for the month of July was to Latin Rock Guitar God, Carlos Santana and Rock n Roll legends, The Doors. The city’s best musician’s got together and played two hours of incredible music by these legends. Complete with Latin percussion for Santana and raw guitar tones for The Doors, the show was phenomenal.

The

Photography: Bhagath Kumar, Makka Studios, Navneeth Balachanderan, Madhana Gopal Writer: Satish Narayanan

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“Shruthi Musicals was established in the year 1985 by M. Manohar Lal who was already aware of the industry and its requirements and wanted to reach out to musicians and their needs.”

Excerpt from an exclusive interview with Shailendra Sha, Managing Director, at Shruthi Musicals, Chennai.

I am sure you started with specific plans and set goals in mind. Have things gone the way the company imagined?

too huge! We were extremely happy to introduce the First

Our goal was always to provide quality product at a reasonable price and give quality service to our customers. Initially, there wasn’t much of a choice in quality and variety as far as instruments were concerned.

We always strive to get the best quality instruments in the market and introduced a lot of new brands, raising the bar so to speak. People who know us will definitely agree on that. The Shruthi family, which is mainly our customers, are the primary reason for our growth. We started as retail stores and branched out to exporters and importers of musical instruments and accessories and now we have entered into distribution too!

Shruthi has always tried to raise the bar musically. We

Could you give us an idea about the range of instruments you provide. Also, which is more heavily supported - Western or Indian, popular or classical?

We don’t have favourites. The Indian instruments include flutes, sitars, vennai to mridangam and western instruments include leading brands like Fender, Godin, Schecter, Dean , c.f Martin, Taylor, PRS ESP, etc. The list is

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Roland Planet X in Chennai. It’s like a show room inside a show room exclusively for all Roland and Boss Products. were on of the first people to bring in boutique brands like Carl Martin Pedals, Mark Bass amps, Huge and Ketnner Amps and you can be assured of the best collection of of guitars, amps and pedals in town. With time, we have also transformed our stores and the gear we sell now are all international brands. So nobody can complain that he/she does not have reach to these brands. We are also trying to compete internationally on price but huge import duties and local taxes of 14.5% is the main hurdle.

Do newer products curb a customer’s decision when buying an instrument?

Not really. Most of our customers especially in guitar, keyboard and drum segment know what they want or have seen their friend’s or teacher’s gear and want the same thing and we try to educate them of newer brands, better products. Those who are open to it take our advice.

SHIRIN ALBERT

Shruthi Musicals celebrate 30 years The Music Shop with Something for Everyone

How has the music scene changed over the past thirty years and what has the store done to cater to it?

In the past three decades, we have seen a huge change! As a booming economy it has done a great deal of good to the music industry. Back then, a child wanting to learn an instrument was looked down, academics were the main focus. In the last 5 to 8 years, there has been a shift in attitude. Parents are more encouraging. The way we see it, every one should give it a shot atleast once in their life and music must be made mandatory in all schools till the fifth grade. There should even be courses available on music as an elective in colleges and schools.

How have your relations been with artists and musicians in Chennai? You have been credited by the younger age groups as “reliable and affordable”.

We have introduced a jam room for bands to practise, where we provide all amps drumkits, etc. Everything that need. All they have to do is bring their guitars and start jamming. We have always tried to give maximum benfit to our customers and a lot to the student community.

In the past, Shruthi has conducted events and workshops. We recently held a guitar workshop with one of Chennai’s most prominent guitarists, Bruce lee and are planning on a few more. We also had the privilege of bringing down world-renowned British guitarist, Guthrie Govan to Chennai last year. That was one of our best guitar workshops and we intend to bring him again very soon .

Do you have plans of opening another store soon?

Maybe even going National?

We have some goals to reach out to more people but it is too early to say. We have a tie-up with Onstage India and are taking care of their business in Tamil Nadu .

“

Anyone interested in learning music, having the urge to learn any instrument is our ideal customer.

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