The Score Magazine February 2015

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 08 Issue 2 - February 2015

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India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE 50 `

Star of The Month

Nupur Pant talks about entering the music industry and what her pet peeves and quirks are.

Casio Powers

Keyboardist of The Month

Vivin Kuruvilla opens up about his artistic inspiration & the hardships of making it in the scene.

Yamaha Powers BAND OF THE MONTH

Roop And Sonali Rathod

celebrate their music and love

Mohit Chauhan Cover Story

talks about his music, career and so much more

Also Inside : Valentine's Day Gifts your musician gf/bf will LOVE.

MUSEE

MUSEE

the edit PAD Its officially the age of censorship. From being unable to use "Bombay" in songs, apparently an age old inane censorship practice, to being able to roast someone in peace without "having hurt anyones sentiments", we truly live in the best of times.

i nside

Charlie Hebdo has made us all more sensitive to how much we really want censorship to go and has emboldened all of us to take a stance when confronted with violent and deadly forces that seek to strangle our creative freedom.

We are many years away from absolute freedom of speech, a certification board as opposed to a censor board, full disclosure on political leanings for journalists and legitimate corporate lobbying. I hope in anticipation that we get there.

After all, the freedom to call yourself a spade and other spades a spade is a right worth waiting for.

Band of the Month

22 POWERED BY YAMAHA They're a duo in every sense of the word. Read their story and thoughts about music, love, and life.

Ajay Prabhakar Director - Strategy and Planning

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

10 Mohit Chauhan Talks about all aspects of music for this month's cover story.

28 Star Of the Month Nupur Pant spills all here in this exclusive interview.

32 Fashion Segment Valentine's Day Gift Ideas that will have your Musician date swooning.

36 Special Feature

brand partners

Faysal Qureshi, the famous Pakistani actor on coming onto soundlcloud and taking advantage of Social Media.

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

38 Cupid's Song A look into the world of Padams and Javalis (Love songs) of Carnatic Music.

Mohit Chauhan He is most noted as a Playback singer in Bollywood and he is a former frontman of Indipop group, Silk Route. A two-time repient of Best Male Playback Singer, Mohit Chauhan is a man who has worked incredibly hard to be where he is.

Score talks to him about his humble beginnings, his upcoming works, and what it takes to be in an Industry like his.

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When did your interest in playback singing begin?

Who were some of the music directors that you were inspired by initially as a youngster?

Difficult to say when exactly I may have gotten interested in music. From all the tales that I have been told about years of growing up in the mountain state of Himachal, where my parents lived, I was always singing. From age 3, maybe even younger, my parents remember they would always find me singing and always see me walking around with a stick. I can’t explain the stick now but I surely can explain the singing from back then.

Beyond that, I would believe, music was an interest right from childhood because of my grandfather, Rana Krishna Singh, who was an acclaimed thumri singer of his times. In fact, his singing was legendary and people in my native place, Nahan (Himachal Pradesh) still remember his robust gayaki. As a child I would hear him sing at mehfils at home meant strictly-for-like-mindedfriends. My grandfather was a proud Rajput zamindar and would not have any outsider hear him sing ever. It was too much for his Rajputi pride to bear, considering those were the days when singing wasn’t exactly considered the right thing to do. Singing was confined to people who did it for a living. And macho Rajput men from the hilly region weren’t supposed to do it. These private sessions of my grandfather were what I as a child of the family was privy to. Perhaps that sub-consciously left a mark on me. It imprinted my soul and mind in manner that I was possessed for life. I couldn’t resist music no matter where I went. I would find myself especially attracted to folk musicians I would encounter on my travels through Himachal with my parents. My father was employed with the government and would be posted in remote corners of the state. That gave me an opportunity to travel throughout Himachal Pradesh and catch nuances of Himachali folk music. As a child, these glorious sounds caught and gripped my imagination. The crispy folk notes of the upper Himachal region is hard to forget. They have stayed with me for life. And I believe that’s where my interest in music began.

On a later stage, the same interest was honed by the spool tapes that my Uncle, who worked as a Pilot with Air India in the early 70s, brought home from the world over. As a school going boy, spool tapes of Beatles, Simon Garfunkel, J J Cale, Frank Sinatara and others fired my imagination.

I’ve had huge musical influences in terms of composers but if we are strictly talking about Indian film composers then, S D Burman, R D Burman, Shankar Jaikishen, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Salil Chaudhary, Naushad saheb have been terrific.

What's the story behind Silk Route?

Story behind Silk Route is simply put a chance meeting of travellers who loved music, discovered they were like-minded, met up for impromptu jam sessions and then stuck around together to make music that each one of us loved individually and collectively.

A little after I finished college, an MSc in Geology from Dharamshala, I set out with my guitar to travel all over the mountain state. On a night stop in Mandi, someone told me that a guy in town called Atul Mittal played the guitar and could be found at a petrol station run by his family in the town. So, for the heck of Story behind Silk Route is it, one morning I went to the petrol pump to meet simply put a chance meeting Atul who said he’d be able of travellers who loved music, to see me in the evening discovered they were likefor a jam sessions after minded, met up for impromptu the station shut. We met that evening, jammed and jam sessions and then stuck loved it and did not stop around together. playing together for as long as the band existed.

It helped that both Atul and I were from Himachal and that gave us enough reasons to travel to distant places in the state and stay there for days, just jamming. A whole lot of music happened on those travels.

In mid 90s when I came down to Delhi and started work on some advertising, jingle assignments, someone introduced me to Kem Trivedi, another brilliant musician who had trained himself in London. Kem’s sense of music was crazy and though very different from Atul and my music, it melted and mingled into ours, making it a sound that had never been heard before in the Indian music scene. So Kem hopped on and we formed Silk Route. It was name suggested by the wife of our first manager, Paramjit Singh, inspired from some reading she was doing while we were debating about what the band should be named.

Kenny Puri, our drummer with Silk Route was the last one to join. The group stayed that way for a long long time before as thinking individuals, everyone thought of going there separate ways.

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What was your first major break in Playback singing and how did the opportunity come about?

How shall we put it? Major break would possibly be a song that hit the charts and stayed on top for a long long time. That would perhaps be Tum Se Hi from Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met that Pritam composed. But I would think if one doesn’t break at all, no big breaks can happen at all. Simply because there will never be any chance to arrive at the bigger stuff. In that sense, my first song, Pehli Nazar from Ram Gopal Verma’s film Road. The song was filmed on Manoj Bajpayee. Just the other day, I was speaking to someone about it and he said, can you imagine, you are known for romantic songs, and the first ever song you did playback for, was on Manoj Bajpayee! That’s such an unusual debut for a romantic songs singer!

As for Tum Se Hi, Pritam actually launched a man hunt for me when he wanted me to record this song. The story goes that around the time when Pritam was recording for Imtiaz’s film he thought he wanted me to do Tum Se Hi. I love to trek in the mountains and disappear every now and then for my small rejuvenating, meditative treks. That particular time I was on one such journey with no information on where I was with any of my friends in Mumbai. I was in a distant place high up in the mountains and my phone was unreachable. Pritam, my dear friend, waited for a month and more to establish contact with me and get me to record that song. The rest as they say is history. Pritam and I have done a huge number of songs since and share an amazing bond.

You've been a part of some great projects such as 'Rang De Basanti' and 'Jab We Met'. What would you say is the most memorable project till date for you and why?

You’re telling me to name my favourite finger and that’s an impossible job to do! But if you were to push me, then I guess the most memorable will have to be Rockstar for the sheer range that the album covered and I was singing all the songs in that album.

The Rockstar album was terrific at many levels. For one, it was an album composed by A R Rahman saheb and even though I was getting to work with him for a third time, the first being Khoon Chala in Rang De Basanti and then Masakali in Delhi 6, Rockstar was the first time when I was getting to sing all the songs in the film. In that sense, Rockstar was phenomenal. For years together the trend of one singer singing all the songs in a film had been done away. In 2011 when Rockstar happened, the industry had plunged deep into the new trend of the hero singing songs in various singers’ voice. With Rockstar, that changed. Ranbir Kapoor was going to sing all the songs in one voice and that voice was mine. It was fantastic! I was fortunate that I got to be Ranbir’s voice in that film. It was amazing for what it brought to the fore.

What’s more, the film had Rahman saheb as the composer. And who can better him?! I couldn’t have asked for more. Look at the Rockstar album, what a range Rahman saheb had spread for the audience. If there was a sufi number like Kun Faya Kun there, then there was also a rock number like Sadda Haq with Orianthi doing the guitar pieces in it. What more could a singer ask for?

Rahman saheb had pushed the envelope and broken new horizons for me. He had pushed me to sing numbers that I wasn’t singing as a playback singer till then. He made me discover nooks and corners in my singing that had never been touched until then.

Rockstar was indeed phenomenal. No wonder for Rockstar, I got all the awards that year for the best playback singer. Rockstar also cemented my special friendship with Imtiaz and Irshad. Imtiaz is a long lost brother I have reunited with in this life!

Who are some of your favorite people to work with in the field today?

Now that’s tricky. Very often, I answer this question with a few

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He (AR Rahman) had pushed me to sing numbers that I wasn’t singing as a playback singer till then. He made me discover nooks and corners in my singing that had never been touched until then. names and then remember others I certainly wanted to include in retrospect. My wife finds this forgetfulness a tad annoying. But, to answer you, let’s say, my favourites in the filed today would be Rahman saheb, Imtiaz, Irshad, my brother Prasoon Joshi, Pritam, Gulzar saheb, Anu Malik who loves me so much, Shantanu Moitra, Shankar Ehsan Loy, Sajid Wajid bhai and Vishal Shekhar. I am sure I am forgetting some other names again.

It is said that you never had any formal training in music and yet you sing, play guitar, harmonica, and flute! How did you teach yourself music and then develop your art over the years?

Yes I was never trained in music formally. Except that I trained myself by playing with friends, learning from them and then filling my hours in solititude just playing the instruments I knew and singing. When I was in Himachal still going to college, I would spend hours on the banks of the river Beas, singing to myself and playing the guitar. I was teaching myself and perhaps letting nature play the guide. When you are by yourself amidst virgin nature, a little note gone wrong stands out like an eyesore. Now when I look back, I think that’s what was happening with me. I’d sing, play with only nature as my audience and that quiet audience helped me sing in gay abandon, turning my passion into a skill.

Technique wise, there were friends and seniors from college and getting to listen to a lot of great musicians on records that helped me learn things. I’d listen to how J J Cale plucked his guitar and then try playing it on my own. I’d do the same with singing and all of that shows in my rendition and compositions. There’d be a lot of Ghulam Ali saheb and Mehdi Hasan saheb that I would listen to and practice. A lot of Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi.

There’s a bit I have gathered from each of these masters. And if you call it art today, well then, that’s where it came from.

You've sung Bengali songs and even sung for the tamil film, '3'. Did you face any challenges when singing in these languages? If so what were they?

If not, what are some tips you can offer to singers to better adapt to singing in different languages?

Singing in a language which is not your first language is always a challenge. Not because of the pronunciation and the nuances only but also because even if you ask someone to translate the song, it is difficult to remember the meaning of every word while recording.

The challenge then is to get the emotion right. For that matter, I would say, if you get to record in a language not your own, just sing from the heart! Let your heart sing and all the rest will follow.

That’s what I do when I have to sing a song in a language outside of my comfort zone. Of course, one must work hard to learn the pronunciation and the nuances of that language and ask someone knowledgable to translate the words so that one understands the meaning of the song. But to get the emotion right, let your heart

do the singing. And perhaps that works. How else can I explain winning the best playback singer award for Po Nee Po? And incidentally that made me the first North Indian to get that award.

You've sung for Jingles as well. Tell us a bit about how you got into that and what that experience is like in comparison to playback singing for films?

I actually stepped out of Himachal to come to Delhi to work in the field of advertising and chanced upon jingles. I also spent some time in Delhi making jingles. Even now, in between, when time permits, I do jingles for various products. Though music makes the basis of both, doing jingles is a lot different from doing songs. For one, jingles are shorter. Not specific on emotions and don’t have a hero singing them. The tunes are also simpler because the purpose of the tunes is to sell a product and not necessarily an emotion which in terms of film songs could be love, patriotism or playfulness or even anger. Jingles are simpler stuff in that sense and get done sooner.

It is a trend in todays media centric world to have prominent musicians on Reality Shows. You've been part of quite a few of them yourself. What has been your experience in this realm and what do you look for when deciding on what Reality Production to be a part of?

Yes I have been part of a few shows and must say it’s interesting to do those. The only criteria for choosing a show is that it must be interesting stuff with interesting people. Mostly you know if you want to do a show or not if the concept interests you. That’s how I decided on my shows.

Shows take longer to shoot and of course what one sees on TV is a finished product, hard to imagine when one is shooting it. But shows are fun and have done well with the Indian audience.

What are some of your upcoming projects right now?

Upcoming projects include film songs, my own private album, some exciting collaborations with world musicians and a few professional surprises that should be unveiled when their time comes1

What is the one quality you feel is essential for success in this field?

You must have your heart in the right place and keep the faith.

Of course, everyone would suggest, you can’t do much without luck on your side considering there is so much talent all around us and only few manage to get recognised. Having said that, persistence helps. Go on doing what you’re doing with full faith in the powers above and things shall fall in place for you.

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The process of arranging and composing pieces can be quite long and must be done thoughtfully.... the process is quite intense and long but our love for music pushes us forward!

Madras String Quartet Breaking Musical Boundaries

V S Narasimhan and his Madras String Quartet have successfully combined two grand music systems that have been around for thousands of years.

Mr. Narasimhan is here to give some background on the quartet and how they were able to accomplish this innovative feat.

Can you tell us a little about MSQ and how this unique group came together? Do you perform regularly?

Sure, it would be my pleasure. The Madras String Quartet was formed back in 1993.

We recently had some changes in the group with Mohan Rao and Bhaskar joining our group. Its members are V R Sekar (cellist), Bhaskar (viola), R Mohan (2nd violin) and myself (VS Narasimhan – Founder and First Violinist). We are excited to have them on board and are excited for the future of our group.

We are all professional musicians and we began our careers playing in the Indian film music industry.

Back in the early 1960s, I had the opportunity to play chamber music (Western) with my colleagues. We would meet on Sundays to practice and eventually the group was christened Madras Chamber Orchestra and I was the leader of the group. We performed with many visiting artistes from the UK, Germany and the USA. We also took advantage of chances to participate in their master classes to build up our skills. After many years, there was what one could term a crisis in the film-industry, and this led to the unfortunate disbanding of the group.

Sekar and I had become close friends and due to our passion for chamber music, we fought hard to establish a new group. We were able to add a violinist and one of our founding members Chandran switched from violin to the viola – and suddenly The Madras String Quartet was born!

We have been fortunate to have great success and are humbled by the exposure we have received as a group. We have performed across India, in Europe, and in the USA as well. To date, we have four albums featuring our blend of carnatic music in our string quartet format.

Who thought of the idea of playing traditional Carnatic compositions against a background of Western harmonies?

I began playing as a violinist in films so I naturally became interested in the theory of Western Music. When I bought my Yamaha QY20 sequencer, I started working on various versions of Raravenu Gopala and they sounded good to me! That’s when a light went off inside my head and I got this idea of playing traditional Carnatic music compositions against a background of Western harmonies in a quartet format.

Who composes the Western score for the pieces MSQ plays? How long does it take you to record an album?

I had a natural curiosity in Western music since I was young. I then delved into studying elements of Western music such as harmony – so as I gained familiarity and a comfort level with such musical elements, I began arranging the Western score for the pieces that we would play and also composing my own pieces.

It typically takes at least a year or more to come up with the music material to record an album. The process of arranging and composing pieces can be quite long and must be done thoughtfully.

Then there is usually a 3-4 month period of practicing the album material by the quartet before final recordings. So the process is quite intense and long but our love for music pushes us forward!

You have achieved critical acclaim for your work as a violinist from famous music directors in the past including Ilaiyaraja and AR Rahman. Were you inspired by any of the albums or music that you were a part of during that time?

I played the solo violin parts in his albums How to Name it and Nothing But Wind and while I was certainly inspired by those previous projects, I saw a great potential for the works for The Madras String Quartet to be even more revolutionary in a sense because of the cross cultural dualistic sound that we are creating through very structured, disciplined efforts through our String Quartet format. We keep the music true to its Carnatic roots – we follow all the Indian music principles as they ought to be followed—however, we introduce a new world by bringing in Western harmonies thereby adding greater depths and new facets to Carnatic music. Its quite beautiful to hear two violins playing Carnatic passages in harmony not to mention the rare magnificence of hearing gamakas played on the Cello by Sekar. Our goal is to break musical boundaries but still remaining respectful and cognizant of what is distinctly a feature of each music system.

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Legendary Drummer Dave Weckl relies on QSC for perfect on-stage audio reinforcement!

Dave Weckl isn’t just a name in the world of drums and percussion – the man is a legend! For more than 25 years, Weckl has developed and maintained a reputation among fans, peers, and the international music community as one of the great living drummers, with numerous accolades and honours including Modern Drummer inducting him into their Hall of Fame and naming him "one of the 25 best drummers of all time." And for a man of such legendary status, it’s quite obvious that he guy takes his gear very seriously. So it comes as no surprise that the ace drummer relies on QSC Audio products to sort his on-stage sound reinforcement needs – after all, legendary artists only choose those products that do justice to their performance and reputation.

It’s great that an emerging group of acoustic drummers have taken the step to purchase their own microphones, mixer, and build their own sub-mix of their drum-kit – a technique that proves very useful for those in smaller venues where the inhouse P.A. or house engineer are untested, or there is simply no P.A. system at all – creating their own drum “mix” on stage.

But the thing is, most of them end up overlooking the need for accurate stage amplification that would allow them to hear every minor adjustment or tweak they make to the mix. The ideal acoustic drum amplification system should therefore accurately reproduce the drum kit’s full-range sound just like a great pair of studio monitors does (Unfortunately studio monitors make poor stage amplifiers!).

Here’s where Dave stands out and sets the standards really high when it comes to his on-stage audio reinforcement gear, with QSC’s House of K comprising his personal on-stage monitoring system. Says Dave “The toughest thing in sound reinforcement for drummers is being able to find a system that has the power and that can handle the sound pressure of the kit and the low ends, while ensuring the fidelity remains true. I found all of that in QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers.”

QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers offer studio-quality reinforcement for acoustic drums, and with 1000 watts of pure Class D power, they are able to play at volumes that can drive the rhythm and support all the other musicians on stage. Dave recalls his first encounter with QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers as he shares “When I first heard the QSC KW152’s

at the company’s HQ in Costa Mesa, I remember thinking to myself ‘Wow, these sound amazingly fresh and real – these are really cool’. And the really cool part thing that amazed me was that the quality of sound reproduction was almost identical in the KW122’s.”

In addition to pristine audio reproduction and high quality performance, other benefits of the K Family loudspeakers include; Full-range, accurate reproduction at performance volume.

Flatter off-axis response is achieved using DMT Technologythis results in more intelligible sound for the other players on the stage, and wider stereo imaging when using a stereo pair.

Floor wedge or pole-mount options on the 10” & 12” models.

Dual 12” and single 18” subwoofer models available for extra LF in large or loud room settings.

Two channel mixer onboard (including a Mic Input) allows for instrument amp and stage monitor use simultaneously.

Through-connections and a mixed output are provided for easy connection to mixing console inputs. Control the volume of your stage “mix” using an Expression Foot Pedal.

Talking about his prized QSC system and how it’s never failed to impress him, Dave Weckl, the master himself, shares “The KW122’s fit my needs perfectly, in terms of portability and performance – the system is tight, punchy, sonically pleasing, and compliments my acoustic drums phenomenally. And the beauty about the system I use is that there’s not a lot of manipulation that you’d need to do on the mixing end for it to reproduce perfectly where you’re at. I am running the 12's in parallel and the sub on a separate output. This allows complete flexibility depending on the music and how much punch I need vs bottom.

Out of any rig I've ever used, I found I had to EQ the system very minimally here... the speakers just sound great.”

The entire range of the K Family of loudspeakers are readily available within the Indian market through Pro Visual Audio Pvt. Ltd (the official distribution partners of QSC Audio products in India) and its various channels across the country, backed by superlative prompt after-sales service and support.

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mike Alonge Musicians are repetitive. Instrumentalists, vocalists, producers and songwriters alike have tendencies and patterns that are often observable by oneself and by the audience. Even the most respected musicians have repetitive characteristics (albeit much fewer than the average musician).

A good musician knows their tendencies, and often strives for deviation in their original works, drawing inspiration from peers who fundamentally approach music in a unique way. However, it’s this inspiration and collaboration that is often missing in pop music, creating a bottleneck of musical diversity. Much of pop music often sounds the same because it largely is the same.

It is the same because the same people create it. Perhaps there is no better place to observe this than in the modern genre I like to call “pop hop”, encompassing the current mix of pop and hip-hop, as performed by artists such as Iggy Azalea, Drake, Nicki Minaj etc.

Iggy Azalea’s recent smash hit “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX has become wildly popular, providing a promising start with her newly formed relationship with Def Jam Recordings. More recently, her single “Beg For It” featuring MO was released, and if you had a slight suspicion that the two choruses sounded similar, you were on to something.

In fact the two choruses share roughly the same vocal riff in two different keys. While “Fancy” is written in Cm and “Beg For It” is in Ebm, the first bar of each chorus shares a highly similar riff.

Both riffs are comprised of the 7th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd positions of the key in that order, in almost identical rhythm. In other words, play “Fancy” three keys higher and you have roughly the same first bar of the chorus. The relationship with the position in the key and the lyrics is outlined below.

“Fancy” 7

5 4

3

I’m so fan-cy “Beg For It” 7

5

4

3

I know you like the The very first time I heard “Beg For It”, I couldn’t help but feel cheated. Iggy Azalea had repackaged a chorus, much in the same way that commercials do to emulate famous songs without having to pay for the license, or like how a movie will sing the “Happy Birthday Song” in an ever so slightly different way to avoid paying royalties. But Iggy Azalea is not avoiding any royalties.

These choruses sound the same simply because they are written by the same person, Charli XCX. And after all, while Charli XCX is a successful songwriter, she is not a classically trained one, and mimicked her previous work in a haste to provide the eager Iggy Azalea audience with another song to buy. Of course, this could have been an intentional mimicking, attempting to trigger an unconscious association with the popular predecessor “Fancy”.

But Charli XCX isn’t the only redundant songwriter in pop hop.

While the previous example illustrates the reuse of a catchy hook, artists have also relied on the recycling production tools in their songs. In pop, some aspects of production have done particularly well in accentuating certain portions of the song, and thus have become heavily reused within the genre. The best modern example of this is the “hey, hey, hey...” chants found in may pop hop songs today. If you are having a hard time picturing these chants, below is a list of current songs and when these chants first begin within each song.

“Fancy” by Iggy Azalea - 0:30 “I Don’t F#@! With You” by Big Sean - 1:00

“Who Do You Love” by YG - 0:40 “Rack City” by Tyga - 0:41 “I’m Different” by 2 Chainz - 0:43 “L.A.LOVE” by Fergie featuring YG - 0:38 “Na Na” by Trey Songs - 0:30 “2 On” by Tinashe - 0:43 “Don’t Tell Em” by Jerimih - 0:30 “You and Your Friends” by Wiz Khalifa - 0:09 To be clear, the background chants depicted in these songs are 100% identical, as if the track has literally been copied and pasted into each song. Not only this, but these tracks all begin at very similar points, entering the song at 36 seconds on average, and only deviating from that average about 13 seconds in either direction.

In other words, these tracks are the same chants and are used in roughly the same way in tens of songs! In hindsight, it stands to reason that yet again, there is one culprit behind all of these songs, and his name is D.J. Mustard. Dijon McFarlane, AKA D.J. Mustard is a partial writer of each and every one of these songs except Iggy Azalea’ Fancy. Furthermore, he is affiliated with Def Jam, the label to which all the listed artists belong. Here again reflects a situation where one individual is projecting onedimensional songwriting either due to a lack of creativity, or an effort to squeeze every last penny out of one original idea.

This begs the question, why does this bother me? And why does it bother many of us consumers who cynically proclaim, “All pop sounds the same”? It’s because music is an art, not a commodity. We want our airplanes to be designed well, and sold for decades, but we want every song, every album, and every performance to be original. But the truth is that pop music is a commodity in many ways, and punctuated nuances are destined to become trends and re-treads, and in part for good reason. I personally quite enjoy some of the songs I pointed out earlier as being unoriginal, and even paid for them. I just don't find them musically inspiring.

Accordingly, I can leave you with some information that you already certainly knew as a musician. If you are looking to be a student of music, or to reach a higher level of adulation and gratification for truly artistic music, don’t listen to pop. If on the other hand, you’re just looking for some catchy music to put on in the car while you zone out, or a fun beat to dance to, turn the dial to the local pop station and enjoy. Just be prepared to have that familiar thought, “Have I heard this before”?

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Master of Strings

Manoj George He has shared stages with Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Trilok Gurtu, Lucky Ali & Shivamani. He has played with Dr. L Subramaniam at the ‘Miss World’ in 2001 and opened for Byan Adams with the band “Antaragni”. He has been invited to perform as an Indian representative at the “World Military Games". Now, he has joined the elite ranks as a Roland endorsee; to be specific, the only Indian violinist to be endorsing the Roland GR 55. But amidst all the awards and applause, he still remains a man with the indefatigable desire to make good music.

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Everyone has their own reason for choosing an instrument. What is yours?

Well. During my childhood days I always used to get fascinated by a melodious sound coming out from the church choir. Later I found out that the beautiful sound was coming from the violin and my eagerness towards that sound made me always sit next to the church choir and watch the violinist play. The mesmerising sound started haunting me all the time and that got developed into a wish that I should somehow learn that instrument.

As a child I used to sing quite well and participate in the school and church music competitions. My father, George Chittilappilly who was a well known song writer saw my interest in music and asked me whether I wanted to learn any music instrument. I immediately said ‘yes violin’ and he took me to the violin classes. He also took my elder brothers for Guitar and Drums classes. They are still playing as a passion, but I ended up taking it up as my profession.

Why do you endorse the Roland GR 55?

As a violinist I have always struggled to get a good sound from violin whenever I have performed with a band. Performing in a band is very difficult unless you have a good gear to back you. Keeping microphones for acoustic violin on stage has never worked for me. I have tried almost all the violin pickups of different makes for acoustic violin and never got satisfied with the tone. The next option was an electric violin. But buying an electric violin was very expensive and that was out of my reach at that time. I didn’t have the money to buy and also it was not easily available that time in India. Finally I got it custom made by ‘Tulasi Musicals’ in Chennai. During that time I was playing in a band called “Antaragni” later turned out be ‘Raghu Dixit Project’ and I still remember Raghu Dixit and I went to Chennai to order that violin. Life was bit easier after that and I enjoyed trying out my new blue coloured electric violin with different guitar processors.

Recently when I went to U.S I found out that there is a violin called ‘Cantini’ an Italian make which is specially made compatible with Roland GR 55 and I bought that violin. The sounds you can play around with this combination are so beautiful and amazing! Now I am also an endorsee for ‘Cantini Electric violins’ Italy.

Could you tell us about how you became a Roland endorsee?

It was during a band practice session I met Christopher Powell, former Euphoria drummer, who is also a Roland Endorsee saw me performing violin with a Roland Guitar processor VG88. He found that quite interesting and introduced me Roland India Team and now here I am !!!

Tell us something about your musical journey – Your initial days as a new violinist in the music circuit.

I started learning violin from my Guru Sri. Lesly Peter in Kalasadan Thrissur, Kerala. After few years my guru himself asked me whether I wanted to play for concerts. I was waiting for this opportunity and happily agreed. I had just finished my 10th std. During that time Thrissur Kalasadan was a very popular music group in Kerala, even now! I joined as the youngest member in that group also continued my academic studies. It was during this time that I had the opportunity to perform with legendary singers like Dr.K J Jesudas, Chitra, P.Jayachandran etc. I was also a part of my college band and also enjoyed playing for studio recording sessions, movies, albums etc.

After my graduation I had the tough time in deciding whether should I continue my academic studies or take up music as my profession.

Deciding to choose music over studies was a very rare and unusual decision during those days. I met Fr. Thomas Chakkalamattath who took me to Pondicherry for further studies in western classical music. I studied there for 3 years till I completed LTCL (Licentiate of Trinity College London) under the guidance of Sr. Mary Judith.

At the same time I also used to make several trips to Bangalore, Bombay and Chennai for master classes from different teachers like Philomina Thamboochetty, Arvind Santwan and Galeina Heifitz. Sr. Judith introduced me to Mrs. Sunderlal, Director of Bangalore School of Music, who gave me an offer to teach there. I took it up and also started performing at the chamber orchestra there.

I also had a trio called “The BowStrum Trio” which used to perform at the Oberoi and Windsor Manor Sheraton Hotels which gave me a big support to meet my expenses.

Who would you consider your musical mentors?

Starting from my father there are quite a few. My dad and my family have always been supportive in my life. My Guru Sri. Lesly Peter and Sri. Jacob Chengalai of Kalasadan have always encouraged me to go ahead in music. Later Fr. Thomas Chakkalamattath who saw a musician in me, has supported me in a big way and even made me strong in my difficult situations. We are still in contact with each other. Of course Sr. Judith and Mrs. Aruna Sunderlal (Bangalore School of Music) who are still encouraging and supporting me whichever way they can.

How do you feel about the state of classical music education in India right now?

Definitely on the rise..! Trend is changing. Lot of people are coming and taking up music as their career without any hesitation. These days most of the parents are also keen to take their kids for music classes.

Even most of the schools have music, dance, arts, and sports education as a part of their curriculum. I think there should be at least one person learning either a music instrument or singing in each house.

You can find music schools in each and every corner of your city which offer different kinds of classical music such as Carnatic, Hindustani or western classical. There are online classes too..! Apart from that you get cds, videos of classes or performances. I think music is in its richest ever and we are fortunate to be living in this era of music.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am working on different projects now. One is an album of my own.

But the problem is when it comes to your own project it normally takes time. You are never satisfied. You record and re-record the same track again and again. But if you are working for others you give the priority to them. You try to finish that first and your project takes a backseat.

Anyway I am sure that my album will be out this year. Another project is a stage production which blends music and dance with my band.

To what extent do you incorporate experimentation into your work? Would you say you are the kind to take creative risks?

Of course. I believe that you don’t enjoy your life if you don’t take risks.

The first challenge itself was taking up music as my career. After that it has been always taking up risks and experiments in terms of music.

When it comes to composing music for movies or albums or live shows you should be open to different ideas. I never restrict myself when it comes to creativity. Now the world is wide open and it’s in your reach and you can see, listen and learn any kind of music at any time. Thanks to the technology and music softwares that help us to create music whichever way you want..!

Tell us about your work with Raghu Dixit.

Well it happened long back. We started as a duo and performed all over the country for college fests, corporate gigs and public shows.

That time the band was known as ‘Antaragni’. Later that developed into a 5 piece line up which created waves across the country. The joy and energy we got whenever we were together on stage was immense.

That was one of the best bands in the country. I still miss the band ‘Antaragni’. Though we don’t play together on stage we are still in touch with each other. Post that project we have also worked together for ads, films, albums etc.

What kind of new material can fans expect?

I am working on two different kinds of albums and hopefully which should be out this year. I am also working on a Music- Dance production for live acts.

Do you have a message for the readers of Score?

‘Score’ more by listening to whenever possible and get influenced and inspired by the sound you like and let that represent you whenever you perform or compose...!!!

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Band of the Month

Roopkumar & Sunali Rathod

&

Sunali

After a five-year hiatus, the dynamic duo Roop Kumar and Sunali Rathod are back with a brand new album ‘Zikr Tera’.

The release of this album also marks the 25th year of their togetherness as a couple. Score got a chance to sit down with them and talk about music, love, and more!

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S: I have been learning Indian Classical Music since the age of 12 under Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar but I never intended to make Ghazal as my sole genre of singing. For any kind of genre you intend to sing, you need to know the nuances of Indian Classical Music. But at one point, in 1985, during the golden era of Ghazals, I was offered to do a concert in Gujarat. I had learnt Urdu as a language when I was young, so was well versed with Ghazal singing. The concert was much appreciated and I was offered to do a solo Ghazal album by the music company Music India (Polydor). In those times, as students of music, we never planned our careers. I released my first ever Ghazal album Aagash in 1986 and after that there was no looking back. The company promoted the album very well and I started performing and that’s how my Ghazal journey began.

R: I fell in love with Ghazals in 1979 when I was 19 years old. When I heard Mehdi Khan Sahab’s cassette, I wondered what kind of music it was. Before that we had heard only two types of music – Classical Music, which does not emphasize much on poetry and second was film music. From 1970 to 80, action films were getting made and disco songs ruled the charts. I wasn’t interested in that music. It was in 1979-80, when some cassettes from Pakistan arrived that I heard Hussain Bakshi, Ghulam Ali, Mehdi Hassan and was awestruck. In 1985, my first double album Parvaaz as a Ghazal singer was released on Music India (Polydor). I played tabla and sang Ghazals on that album.

"

Roopkumar

Where did your love for Ghazal singing begin?

Zikr Tera marks the completion of our 25 years of marriage, our journey together as artists. And to say that Zikr Tera is the new beginning of our Ghazal journey would not be wrong.

Ananya ashok You both subsequently went into playback singing.

How was the transition like? Were there any challenges in maintaining a Ghazal Music career and playback singing?

R: Unfortunately, in India we don’t consider Ghazal singer a playback singer. When I started my career as a Ghazal singer in 1986-87, filmmaker Shashilal Nair asked me to go and meet the composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal as he was doing a film with them. Laxmikant ji’s first reaction on seeing me was that you are a Ghazal singer! I quite didn’t understand what he meant but later understood that playback singing and Ghazal are different genres. Ghazal is very personal while playback is singing for the masses. Because I have grown in the industry with my brother Shravan Rathod (part of Nadeem-Shravan duo) and seen so many recordings, it was not difficult to adapt.

But it is certainly difficult for a playback singer to sing Ghazals as you have to sit with baaja (harmonium), have to understand the nuances of sheers and shayaris and most importantly, the delivery of Ghazals.

When I sang the first song with Laxmikant ji, he said, “Pandit ji ismee gulguliya kum!” (don’t improvise too much). It wasn’t difficult and he liked the throw in my voice. And then I went on to sing many songs post that.

Tell us a bit about Zikr Tera?

What can fans expect from the latest album of the duo?

S: Zikr Tera is two people coming together in a conversation that doesn’t compete but compliments each other in a true collaboration. Zikr Tera echoes the sentiments of many of our young fans. It is a special milestone in our musical careers as we pay tribute to the Ghazal maestros Jagjit and Chitra Singh whose contribution to this genre is unparalleled till today. Also, it marks the completion of our 25 years of marriage, our journey together as artists. And to say that Zikr Tera is the new beginning of our Ghazal journey would not be wrong.

We wish to take this journey forward and hope to have a long inning.

R: Zikr Tera, I feel will be loved by a 16 year old lad to a 60 year old man. They will see their life reflected in it as there is no aspect of life that we haven’t touched in this album. We have carefully chosen ghazals over the past 15 years and put them together.

Jagjit ji was known for simple music and relatable lyrics – the reason why his Ghazals became popular among the masses. We have taken the same approach in Zikr Tera.

Tell us a bit about your thoughts and feelings about the late Jagjit Singh sir and what he meant to the both of you?

R: Jagjit ji ’s role in the promotion of Ghazals in unmatchable and he is one of the few artists who became popular doing nonfilm music, primarily. Imagine his conviction and determination that he didn’t want to do playback singing for film. He only sang in the Ghazal form in films too. It is a great thing to have confidence in your work and that is a thing young singers can learn. They

Ghazal is a difficult genre and established singers are the only ones taking it forward.

Not many people have the courage to pursue Ghazals and make a name for themselves. want instant fame but Jagjit ji’s career spanned over 50 years.

Although he was a classical trained singer, he devoted his career to Ghazals. The soul that his ghazal songs had cannot be seen in anybody’s works. The simplicity of music was his specialty. I had the privilege to sing for his 70th birthday.

S: I met Jagjit ji for the first time when I was 12 years old. I was performing as a child artist with Hridaynath Mangeshkar and Jagjit Singh had also performed in that show. After he heard me, he blessed and since then we have always been in touch. He always asked me to come home to learn finer nuances of Ghazal singing. I have always been an admirer of his compositions.

I remember he had performed twice at my house, the mehfil went on till the wee hours of the morning. In those times, people had time and appreciation for music. I have special regards for him not only as a great composer and singer but as a fine human being. He used to crack jokes all the time and I used to enjoy his company. One moment to cherish was recording for his last album Hasratein which had four singers including Jagjit ji, Hariharan, Roop and me.

There are not many prominent and active Ghazal singers in today's scene. Why do you feel that is and what can be done(in your opinion) to change that?

S: Today’s youth are not familiar with Hindi itself, leave alone Urdu.

Ghazal as a genre is typically written in Urdu language but today we see lot of Hindi language used to simplify ghazals. Ghazal is not something that you learn and gain popularity overnight as it is not a mass genre. Today every young singer wants to be a playback singer, so Ghazals have taken a backstage. Till Indian music is alive, Ghazal genre will not vanish.

R: As Sunali said Ghazal is a difficult genre and established singers are the only ones taking it forward. Among the newer generation, we can hardly count few names as not many people have the courage to pursue Ghazals and make a name for themselves.

Ghazals are about life experience and how that translates into your music. What matters is your capacity to hold the audience and convey your thoughts through. In today’s time, no new singer has the patience to take that risk and so Ghazals aren’t very popular with the younger generation.

You are both in the same field and married to each other. The release of this album marks 25 years of togetherness. How are you able to find a balance in both your professional and personal lives? What is the secret to happiness in a scenario like yours?

S: In my mind, when two people are together it can be any profession that they are in – music, law but the main thing is that you give space to each other and both of you are appreciating each other’s work and trying to improve your partner’s work.

You advice them critically whenever need. Most importantly, you need to be friends first.

R: Love is all about giving not taking. If only humans understood this, there would be no war. I sometimes think that if Sunali’s work is more popular than mine then I will be happiest husband.

If I feel jealous, then there is no love. In these past 25 years, I have achieved everything only because of her support. If there was no love between each other, we wouldn’t have managed to stay together!

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powered by

Vivin Kuruvilla Vivin Kuruvilla has been amidst the few keyboardists in the Indian music scene who have carved out a visible niche for himself, a niche that keeps getting bigger. While his most popular work remains with the metal bands Blood and Iron and Wolf's Lair, he is certainly looking to experiment with other genres. Professionally trained in music, he brings a rare mix of academic understanding and inherent creative abundance to his repertoire. With Score Magazine, he opens up about his artistic inspiration, the hardships of making it in the scene and his dedication to the craft.

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What are your current projects? What can we expect to hear from you in the near future?

I am currently working as a freelance musician collaborating with some of Chennai’s popular musicians to make some music.

Being a keyboardist, who were your influences growing up? Who do you think played a significant role in making you the artist you are today?

I started off with Western Classical Music for about 10 years. I joined my first band right after school who played Progressive Metal and this was when I was introduced to a band named Dream Theatre. I was greatly inspired by their keyboardist Jordan Rudess and his mastery over the instrument. Learning his techniques contributed to a large part to my growth in music.

Tell us about your transition from Blood and Iron to Wolf’s Lair.

Musically Blood and Iron played more of Power Metal while the transition to Wolf’s Lair was comfortable as we played Symphonic Heavy Metal. This was a genre that I have always wanted to play.

There were a few misunderstandings amongst the band members which led to this transition. However, in the long run music has taught us to forgive, forget and move on.

What is it as a band that gels all of you together?

We share a lot in common when it comes to music which was the glue that stuck us together. As years passed, we became more of a family than a bunch of guys who just got together to play music.

Apart from metal, what are other genres are you most comfortable playing? What other areas would you want to venture into or experiment?

Apart from metal, I have worked on many projects of various genres that includes Pop, Blues and Classic Rock.

I am currently experimenting with EDM as well. I am working with some of the most sought after singers in the city to bring out a few EDM tracks over next few months.

What are your views on studying music as a music discipline? How important do you think it is for a musician?

Studying music is definetly an added advantage in the ever demanding world of music. Music Theory will always help to give you an edge in the industry.

What would be your most favorite composition so far? (Individually and as a band)

As a keyboard player you need to keep improving. There really aren’t any shortcuts here. T he key here is consistency.

Keeping yourself motivated and being consistent is one of the major obstacles most artists face. keyboard at home. I managed to play the rhymes I was taught at school on my own. My parents were very encouraging and got me enrolled in to professional music training which went on for the next 10 years. The training played a vital role in my growth as a musician and the rest is history.

What word of advice would you give budding artists out there who want to make it big?

All I would say is, if you want to make it big then you have to be dedicated in what you do. There are no shortcuts to fame.

Perfecting theory and sincere dedication is of prime importance.

What has been the biggest hurdle or obstacle you’ve had to face as an artist? What inspires you to overcome that?

Fragmented Forever (Wolf’s Lair)

As a keyboard player you need to keep improving. There really aren’t any shortcuts here. The key here is consistency. I juggle two jobs and there is hardly enough time for me to play regularly.

Keeping yourself motivated and being consistent is one of the major obstacles most artists face. Music is what has made me what I am today, my family and my peers have always stood behind me and when you have that sort of encouragement no obstacle or hurdle is too big.

KillZone (Wolf’s Lair)

Tell us about your association with Casio

Both individually and as a band, some of my favorite compositions include, Anarchy (Blood and Iron) Sinners and Saints (Blood and Iron)

Tell us a little about your background and how you stumbled into the world of music

My association with Casio has been more on the lines of product specialist. Like Launching and demoing the newest launches from Casio.

I was all of 5 when I started playing around with a small toy

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Nupur Star of the Month

Pant

Up and coming artist Nupur Pant is from the lovely little town of Nainital. She talks to Score about entering the music industry and what her pet peeves and quirks are. Read on to learn more about this lovely and charismatic singer who’s making her way up the ladder quick and fast!

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Where were you born? How was your childhood?

Where are you based now?

I am from Nainital, a cute little hill station in Uttarakhand and was born and brought up there itself. It was wonderful to grow up in a cozy beautiful town in a family of four. I was easily the naughtier between me and my elder sister; while she was this disciplined, sincere student at school, I was the complete opposite at the same school and showed a clear disinterest in behaving well.

I am now in Mumbai – I came here for my Masters in Music after completing school at Nainital and then college at Lady Shri Ram, Delhi University.

One distinct memory from your childhood.

This is a naughty one – back in school, when I was in 2nd and my elder sister was in 6th, I scribbled some lyrics from the then popular song “Aankh Mare, oh Ladka Aankh Mere” from the movie Tere Mere Sapne onto the last page of her assignment notebook without her knowledge. Once, during a surprise check, her teacher caught it and scolded my sister for indulging in such behaviour despite being a senior. My sister argued that she was unaware of this, and that it was probably her younger sister who did it, upon which I was called by the teacher. That’s when I lied and said I had no knowledge of the entire incident. Ultimately, my sister received a slap from the teacher for “bullying me and lying to her”, which she transferred on to me after returning home.

Yes, I was naughty

How did you get into music? How supportive was your family? What are your aspirations?

My parents are music lovers. My father plays the harmonium and the keyboard as a hobby, and my mother loves listening to music all the time. My parents used to go for these jagrans where everyone used to indulge in overnight bhajan sessions; that’s where we both started singing duets.

What’s on your

playlist? What do you listen to normally?

My aspiration is to be heard everywhere around the globe, and for everyone to love me. I Listen to almost all genres and want to make a name for myself even various languages. These and make my parents and days, I’m hooked on to ‘From people who have supported me time’ – Drake and ‘All of really proud. That’s all I ask this Me’ – John Legend. universe to grant.

How do you like to unwind from music and work?

I love decorating and designing my room, being with my friends and acting childish and stupid or travelling.

I love to take care of my flat and keep it clean and decorated and have friends over and spend time in my cozy place. I talk to my plants, I love pets and feel at peace with them. I had a dog back in Nainital who isn’t with us anymore. I absolutely love going through my pictures again and again, recollecting and reliving them. That’s something I do a lot.

few contacts, since Nainital was a small town to be appreciated in.

I met some really nice people who were genuine and helpful and from whom I got to learn a lot – like composer Saurabh Kalsi with whom I did some tracks for TV soaps. Mr. Iqbal, the talented dhol player with whom I had done a show, was kind to introduce me to Vishal & Shekhar. Shekhar had the kindest words for my voice and even listened to my recorded songs on my phone. For someone of their stature, they were so grounded and made me feel very comfortable. They loved my voice and called me to sing the final version of “Manchala..” from Hansee toh Phasee. I was high from the experience and am extremely grateful to them for the chance to sing with my favourite singer Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan. I say all this because the industry is said to be generally tacky and negative towards new talent from small towns. But it’s all about talent here.

I wish to meet more genuine people like them. I’ve had a really good experience up until now and have been treated beautifully by the industry and hope to stay blessed ahead.

Are you much of a reader? If yes, what do you read?

Any favourite authors?

I just can’t read to save my life! I have only completely read one or two books. It’s too boring for me to sit with one book. I’d rather watch a film on it. In school, I used to read a lot of Mills and Boons series and Enid Blyton, that too because it was given by the library and we were marked on it

If the world was to end, and you could pick up just two things with you to another safe universe, what would those be?

I’d pick my guitar so that I can entertain myself and everyone else on the safe universe. Also, a bag full of junk food, because I love to eat.

And yes, my phone that I have only just realized that I’m addicted to – because of all my music, recordings, games and the huge collection of photos that I simply can’t do without

A quirky trait of you that irritates the hell out of those close to you / your friends.

My habit of constantly cleaning and making my place neat. I just can’t see a crooked lamp or an untidy bed sheet or a lying piece of paper or dust on the floor, things like that. Prior to my every Nainital visit, my parents hold a cleaning session in the home just because they know they’re going to hear from me.

Your take on the rise of the EDM culture? Has the era of rockstars passed? Are we comfortably into DJ consoles and mixing tools and Macbook pros now, to ever think of going back?

I think it’s the age of new sounds, and the music culture has evolved a lot. The youth in India is discovering new and rare sounds everyday and listens to a huge variety of music from Hindustani Classical to folk and hip-hop and EDM. This has Favourite sounds changed the concept of a Rockstar – people are becoming more around you that are not attached to the music than the produced / created in the artist’s persona. Perhaps, there studio is a detachment between rock You’re young and bands and their music. With so The sound of the beautiful and peaceful upcoming. How has the many different genres available mountains. Back in childhood, being industry treated you Packed today, we tend to buy singles a ‘pahadi’, it was a routine to sit on rather than albums, and we the roofs and study in the sun, since up until now? Any stadiums or warm, are not as attached to bands it was so cold inside the house. regrets? Any wishes? cozy bars? as back in the days of Zeppelin.

That sound had the power to I came to Mumbai for I am too greedy and showy that I have personally seen people hypnotize me and make me Masters in Music, way. I love big, showy sets who are crazy over EDM and also dream. hoping to know the with huge infrastructure. people who think EDM shows are all city well and make a I guess I love the ‘grand’ “smoke, mirrors and molly”. feel to everything in life.

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You brush your teeth every morning (I hope). You can train your body in the gym.

You can train yourself to be on time to work. So, the chances are you can train your brain to be as sharp as you always wanted it to be. Why, you ask? Well, it’ll help you avoid embarrassing situations like forgetting someone’s name. You can become a faster learner, which is a valuable trait to survive just about any field. Lastly and most importantly, you will be less likely susceptible to mental illness. Did you know taxi cab drivers are the least likely to develop diseases like Alzheimer’s disease? No surprise there since they constantly work their brain remembering routes and finding shortcuts. Working your brain can provide amazing benefits to your life. Here are some tips to get you and your brain going.

7

ways to train your brain

1 Memory Recall

Twyla Tharp, a New York based renowned choreographer tries to recall the first twelve to fourteen corrections she wants to discuss with her cast without writing them down.

She describes in her book, The Creative Habit as this being a very difficult thing to do, as most people cannot remember more than three.

The practice of both remembering events or things and then discussing them with others has actually been supported by brain fitness studies. Memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation—receiving, remembering and thinking—help to improve the function of the brain.

Now, how does one apply this to music? Very similar to what Thwarp does, next time you attend a performance, make it a point to observe what the performer could have done differently. Better yet, if you perform yourself, make it a point to remember all your mistakes, however big or small they may be and then write them down when you get home. This does two things. It engages in memory activity as well as gives you perspective on where you are progressing and where improvement is needed.

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2 Do something

different repeatedly Going back to the taxi cab driver example, practicing something new over and over again, allows your brain to wire new pathways that help you do this new thing better and faster. In terms of music and practice, say you want to develop speed on your instrument. Take a composition and attempt playing it just a notch faster than you would normally. Or you could try playing small phrases really fast and then building by making the phrases longer as you get better.

3 Learn something new

This seems like a no-brainer, but the more you use your brain, the better it will perform for you.

On days when practice seems like a struggle, learn a song. It doesn’t have to be a big one if your motivation level is low that day. It can be even a small piece, which will still contribute to expanding your repertoire.

ananya ashok

7 Eat right – and

make sure dark chocolate is included Many foods like fish, fruits, and vegetables are good for brain function. Yet, you may be surprised to find that dark chocolate gives your brain a good boost as well.

When you eat chocolate, your brain produces dopamine, which helps you learn faster and remember better.

Not to mention, chocolate contains flavonols and antioxidants, which also improve your brain functions.

So next time you have something difficult to do, make sure you grab a bite or two of dark chocolate! It will actually do you a world of good while putting a smile on your face.

6 Spend time with loved ones

If you want optimal cognitive abilities, it’ll greatly help you to have meaningful relationships in life. Conversing with others and engaging with your loved ones helps you think more clearly, and it can also lift your mood. If you are an extrovert, this holds even more weight for you. Being an extrovert myself, I actually use talking to other people as a way to understand and process my own thoughts.

4 Join a brain

training program Thankfully or not thankfully, we live in a world where we can train our brain just by sitting and staring at a computer.

Although that may not contribute to a healthy physical lifestyle, you could take advantage of websites that are geared to make your mind sharper. Programs like Brain HQ and Lumosity have been making waves in the area of brain training so it may be worth a shot to enroll in one of their programs.

5 Work your body

As I hinted earlier, sitting down does not contribute to our physical well-being. Does that matter? Unfortunately, yes because exercise doesn’t just work your body. It also improves the fitness of your brain. Even as little as 20 minutes facilitates information processing and memory functions. But it’s not just that–exercise actually helps your brain create those new neural connections faster. You will learn faster and your alertness level will increase.

If joining a gym is a task for you, try a workout DVD.

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All for Love & Love for All For those whose loved ones are musicians or just plain music fanatics, it can be a challenge trying to figure out what to get them on Valentine’s Day. Never fear, for Score is here to the rescue!

For this month’s fashion segment we’ll provide you with not only musically pertinent but incredibly fashionable gift ideas for that special someone in your life. You’re welcome!

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Crosley X UO AV Room Portable USB Vinyl Record Player (Rs. 9,636) What better gift than a vintage inspired record player for your music-loving partner! Aside from being portable, the stylish turntable is easy to use and allows for deck and MP3 player integration. It features a belt-drive system so you can play 7" and 12" records at a 33/45/78 rpm. With full-range stereo speakers it offers a superb listener experience. Not to mention, it’s compatible with both MAC + PC operating systems.

Moog Etherwave Theremin (Rs. 25,000) Huh? Theremin? Never heard of it.

Well, it’s a pretty amazing instrument and not to mention, an extremely unique (in a cool way, I promise) gift to give your valentine. It is the only electronic instrument that you play without touching it. It’s in other words the Harry Potter of musical instruments and one you must see to believe. A great and novel idea for the partner who is interested in music experimentation!

HOHNER AirBoard A Tribute To R. D. Burman (Rs. 1,168) Following the Crosley idea, what better record to invest in for a V-Day gift than the hits of the legendary RD Burman.

Having composed for as many as 330 films, Burman’s career spanned from the 60’s to the 90’s. A wealth of Love Music is to be found in this set. You and your lover can dance all night to the melodies of ‘1942 Loves Story’ and so much more. The vinyl version of the album can be purchased at online stores like Flipkart.

(Rs. 4800) This is a kooky keyboard with a little something extra! Contributing to several musical genres such as funk, dubstep, reggae, jazz, pop and folk, the AirBoard instrument is a useful tool for your musical mate. The newly developed BlowFlow mouthpiece gives way for an effortless tune and its funky design adds the perfect touch to any garage band. It is incredibly easy to use and comes with a printed carrying case for easy travels. Play on, baby!

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die By Robert Dimery

AIAIAI TMA-1 DJ Headphones (Rs. 12,045) Got a partner who’s a Pro DJ? Well, these pro level headphones from AIAIAI make a fantastic gift for V-day. Created in collaboration with professional DJ’s The TMA-1 DJ has been tested in studios and on world tours to get the best product for true audiophiles. With high-performance titanium drives, cable lock, interchangeable ear pads, adjustable cup + angled stereo plug, this is pretty much one of the best headphones your lover would have heard yet!

(Rs. 2225) A major guide to all the music you need to hear before you die, this hardcover book starts with Sinatra, ends with the White Stripes and took 90 music critics to compile. Chronological summaries cover every genre, sub-genre, fad, flash-in-the-pan and musical movement, and the excellent index makes searching for stuff a breeze. Complete with hundreds of cover art images, plus original track listings, it is the perfect V-day gift for music fans and trivia maniacs.

Marshall Stanmore Speaker

Radio + Cassette + MP3 Boombox

(Rs 24,000) If you are dating a musician, you should know by now that they’re always on the lookout for a great speaker. This sleek speaker has an insanely stylish, retroinspired design, from the audio experts at Marshall. This particular design boasts Bluetooth, headphone & RCA connectors. It also comes complete with a coiled, double-sided headphone cable. It’s on the pricey side but hey, it’s all in the name of love right?

(Rs. 3600) Given that the 90’s is more or less back and ready to attack (90’s catchphrase FTW), we figured we could throw this throwback Boombox in the list! Fitted with a 4-band radio and an old school cassette player, it can convert your old formats into MP3s. Useful, fashionable, and just plain cool. Your vintage-loving valentine is sure to love this one!

Luv You More Than This Mix Tape Card (Rs. 450) Yup. You read the title right. An authentic mixed tape for the #1 mixer in your life! Each one of these cards features a different cassette tape bearing a special "vintage loves mix" title, which means the one you receive will be totally unique! A very neat idea by Urban Outfitters. The tape is authentic and will indeed work, if you can get your hands on a cassette player (ahem… Boombox above).

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MUSIC/

SUICIDE Coincidence or Correlation?

Suicide. Derived from the old Latin sui meaning of of onself and caedere meaning kill.

According to Google the usage of the word has had a steady rise since the 1800s. And with reports of residents of the tinsel town committing suicide the usage never dipped.

On 3rd January, 2015 ‘The Dirty Strikes’, a post punk rock band from Manipur completed 5 years together. But on 4th January, 2015 tragedy struck and the founding member of the band Bom Leimapokpam, 24 committed suicide. Fresh from performing at the Vans New Wave Asia Music Fest in Goa in November and celebrating his birthday on 15th December, the band was readying themselves for a performance on their home turf of Manipur on 17th January, 2015.

The Tragic death of Bom Leimapokpam has managed to escape media’s attention... probably because he was not as ‘famous’. Like Bom, there are several other musicians whose self-inflicted deaths go unnoticed. Here we try to shed some light on the daily struggles of a musician to stay relevant and the circumstances that lead to that penultimate decision.

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Debraj Choudhury Perhaps the most famous suicide till date is that of Kurt Cobain.

Found in his own home three days later with a shotgun and suicide note. The ‘Teen Spirit’ composer had talked of putting a gun to his head and blowing it off; but that just went unnoticed or perhaps ignored as a badass talk. In his suicide note, Kurt wrote “I'm too much of an erratic, moody baby! I don't have the passion anymore, and so remember, it's better to burn out than to fade away.”

The stress of being in a public life is great. The competition is so much among musicians these days that they always have to constantly up their game to remain on the charts. The chart starts to define their lives and when they have to respond to more humane challenges, the first conflict occurs. Evading the conflicts seem the easy way out and many do take it but then the conflicts just keep piling up, the darkness gets too great to contain.

Trying to analyze why do musicians commit suicide we stumble across a few very disturbing facts Artistic professionals are at a greater risk.

Musicians are actually professionals with high stress jobs where success is fickle.

The musicians experience a lot of unemployment, underemployment, liaising and multi-tasking.

Their PR just always has to be spot on so as to make an impact.

Only these four facts makes it impossible not to treat musicians as simple human beings. And then the basic question arises: why does a person commit suicide?

One thing we can be sure of is that a person doesn’t commit suicide if he is happy. The absence of happiness is what gets to us in the long run. As we get slicker we tend to dismiss the idea of support and start fantasizing about this fantastic concept of a standalone tree that’s been there for ages. But that tree there is an exception and not a rule; the gamut of trees around it that died were rules. Dr. Christine Moutier, Chief Medical Officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says “There’s definitely a known connection between creativity and mental illness. Many artists and people who commit suicide share character traits such as perfectionism.

Common pathways in the brain lead people to both be more creative and experience mood and behavior patterns outside the norm”.

Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)

Lead singer of Nirvana, was found dead at his home, the victim of what was officially ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head

The recent tragic demise of Manipur guitarist sheds some light on the state of affairs at our end in India.

No news whatsoever as to the circumstances that led him to commit suicide

News not to sensationalize but to understand and learn, so as to prevent other such lives which may be lost.

Fact that he was seeking other avenues of employment He was going to sit for an exam to be a Fireman.

The loss that has happened has to be used in a constructive way, a way that respects the recently departed and pave way to save the few souls on the threshold. My father once said to me, “If you put a frog in a boiling pot of water it will jump out but if you put a frog in water and gradually heat, it will get boiled but never jump out”.

The very same applies to the musicians, touring all over India or their respective countries they are on the road more than they are home. Only thing common is the stage where they perform.

That stage remains the same but that’s only for a specific period of time. After that it’s an unknown place, room and bed for the day with the echo of adulation. They don’t even realize when they start seeking that adulation in every sphere of life and taking that downward spiral and living their lives for the stage, where things are predefined and as they should be.

I am not able to nor will I even try to give any solutions towards the prevention of suicide as frankly I believe it completely and entirely depends on

The individuals Individuals need to understand that their lives are precious, whether they are famous or not, everybody touches few more lives besides their own and by taking it away all of a sudden they rob another person of the comfort that they find in the said individual.

Even while practicing music they “share” their creation, art and talent and the same is true with lives, life needs to be shared. It needs to be soaked with happiness.

The people close to the individuals The people close to the individuals are close because they get that particular individual, so by default they have the responsibility to understand them, notice them. Understand that they are in a stressful job or that they are building stress on themselves, belittling themselves and notice whether or not they are going astray or showing inclinations towards the ‘Russian Roulette’.

Donny Edward Hathaway (1945-1979)

Grammy winner, supposedly jumped from his 15th floor room in Essex House hotel.

Elliot Smith

Wendy O Williams (1949-1998)

(1969-2003) Oscar nominated in Best Original Song category, found with two stab wounds in his chest.

Autopsy inconclusive whether self-inflicted.

Grammy nominated for Best Female Rock Vocalist, labelled notorious, died due to self-inflicting a gunshot.

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Faysal

Quraishi If there is one celebrity who knows how to make the maximum use of social media to help bridge the gap between him and his fans, then it has to be actor Faysal Quraishi. The renowned actor has created on all social media pages and has recently joined another popular networking website: SoundCloud. Through SoundCloud, Faysal will be uploading Official Soundtracks [OSTs] of his acclaimed TV shows. Score sat down with Faysal to discuss his career post social media exposure and what probed him to move onto SoundCloud.

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You are a huge actor in Pakistan and you have always had a very big fan base. Would you say that social media has opened doors for you in terms of increasing your fan base? How so?

Thank you so much. Social media is a huge platform and the possibilities of connecting with different people is endless. I love making the most of social media which is why I am currently using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and most recently SoundCloud.

They are all great tools and with the use of smartphones they have allowed us all to be further connected even when on-the-go. I love interacting with my fans from all over the world and social media has made that much easier for me. Ever since my serials have started airing across the border, a lot of fans and media outlets have reached out to me via Facebook/Twitter.

What made you decide to turn to SoundCloud to upload tracks from your acclaimed TV shows?

I have been very lucky that almost all my serials have had brilliant OSTs which have gone on to become huge hits. Unfortunately, unlike movie OSTs you cannot find the OSTs of TV shows in the market. I received a lot of requests from my fans that they want to listen to the serial OSTs. SoundCloud is a great Application which I use all the time so I decided to make an official account on it where my fans can have access to the OSTs very easily.

How has the response been thus far?

The response has been great. I keep receiving requests for new OSTs to be uploaded every day which is a little hard to keep up with as there are too many of them that still have to be uploaded, but it’s fun.

What other audio clips can fans expect to hear on SoundCloud in the future?

As of now, I am just uploading OSTs and haven't thought about anything else I would like to upload. However I may come up with something else I feel the fans would want to hear … let’s see.

What is your personal favorite/most memorable soundtrack till date out of all the TV Shows you have done thus far?

They are all very memorable. Some of my favorites include Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishan by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Naina Tere (Mera Pehla Pyar) by Sheraz Uppal and QB and Main Abdul Qadir Hoon by Ifti.

How do you feel personally connected to these soundtracks that made you think to upload them on SoundCloud?

The soundtracks bring back memories of shooting the plays, the excitement when they went on air, and the relief when the audiences liked the show. I feel very connected to them personally.

How do you feel this will allow your fans to relate to you as an actor better?

I am not sure if they will be able to relate to me as an actor better through this. I just want them to enjoy the OSTs as I personally love them and they are songs that should be heard frequently. Hard work went into producing, singing and writing them. Each OST brings back memories of some great shows that I have done and I hope the fans feel the same.

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Poem of

Cupid

A. Subramaniam

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Photocredit: www.whoa.in

Is there anything really new about “Love” or “Shringara”, known to humans? “Love at first sight” is an often-heard phrase that new lovers always fancy, swear by and the story writers, poets have always glorified, immortalized with their creative genius.

The feeling of love is probably the most expressed “thing”, whatever one may call it – “feeling” or “emotion”, or just a “concept”, in any art form ever since literary expression blossomed in human history.

Everyday, many pairs of eyes meet that someone special and fall in the special bond, attraction called “Love”, feeling close for a reason, or even without a reason! Sometimes not even understanding if it is sheer lust or the pure love. Perhaps, what begins as a casual observation of someone based on how they move with others in social settings, one may feel drawn closer to another; but only moving with that person closely understanding what their true persona can evolve into a sustaining relationship of based on blissful love.

South Indian classical music and dance scene, the center core of which is, devotion to the chosen deity, is full of compositions asking, pleading, demanding, praising and even scolding the deity of choice in the name of some form of love.

The expression of love placing the higher being, the God head, as the Purusha- the Man and all the devotees as female form pining for the sacred union of eternal and earthly souls is termed as Madhura Bhakti.

But what wins the hearts of most people, induces the vivid imaginations, is more direct form of manwoman relationship, expressed in any art form.

The enormous success of film songs in our “?ollywood” productions from the early days stands testimony to that.

When the scholarly portrayal of this divine love was expressed in exquisite musical poetry, it assumed a name “padam”. Some authors point to the late 19th century, as the beginning of another form of compositions, mostly from composers of Telugu origin expressing explicit, graphic and more lewd form love, grouped under the name “Javali”. The pace was rather medium to fast tempo known as “ashwa gathi chandas”.

It is not the intent or within the scope of this article to trace the etymology of the word itself, but to see how valentines’ day has not been just a once a year affair for our poets, but a continuum, a depiction of our way of life.

Dr. Pappu Venugopal Rao, Secretary of the Music Academy, Chennai, in one of his articles says, these compositions have slowly disappeared from concert stages as a lot of them have gone beyond the subtle expressions to openly erotic, sensuous, and even using words that would be crude for singers to sing with straight face on respectable musical gatherings.

Though many would disagree, it is partly true skimming through the words of many of these Javalis. But this is not new to the genre of compositions from the distant past either. Jayadevas Ashtapathis, Andal’s NachiyAr Thirumozhi, Muvva Gopalas (Kshethranja) padams have had explicit expression of male-female physical union, broadly categorized under “Madura bhakthi”. Some people claim it as expression of love in light-hearted manner too!

Leaving aside these contentious issues, looking closely at the lyrical beauty and the musical forms of these musically rich compositions, it is irrefutable that they have a great appeal for literary enthusiasts as well as a lot of discerning musicians still.

Legendry Brinda and Muktha were the last of the legions of the tradition that were acknowledged torchbearers of old school essence of these compositions. Many of the current day musicians have either learned directly from them or they use their recording as their guiding light.

The varied moods, themes of Javalis provide ample scope for visual art form of dance and dancers to show different forms of ‘nayikas’ – Swadhinapathika (greatly satisfied with overall persona of the hero), Vasakasjjika (Waiting for the hero), Virahothkandita (Disgruntled, dismayed that the hero has not come), Vipralabdha (Sad, and almost tempted to break relationship with unfaithful lover), Kandhita (Heroine questioning the Hero about his relationship with the other woman). The general theme is showing diverse moods of the love-struck heroine (nayika).

There are apparently over 1000 javalis that have been composed by different composers from the four regions of South India; but only over less than 100 are known to the fraternity and even less has been sung on concert stages.

Most Javalis have the usual Pallavi, Anu Pallavi followed by two or more Charanams. Like most of the popular music of film lore, Javalis predominantly have employed what are broadly known as Desi ragas (lighter variety) such as Behag, Darbari Kanada, Kamas, HamirKalyaNi, Jenjhutti, Kapi, Paras, Saindavi, Sindhu Bhairavi and YamunA Kalyani, etc., though Thodi, Atana, Natakurinji and Bhairavi are typically used for central piece of the concerts, they have also been used in these compositions.

An interesting thought about how Javalis transmigrated from expressing divine love to earthly love of humans. At the dusk of even small kingdoms, under British Raj, the big landowners or rulers of smaller principalities known as Mirasdars, Zameendars and other men of power and position became the patrons of the arts and artisans to a certain extent. Not being subsidized for their livelihood by any other means, the musician-poets started eulogizing their patrons in some demigod forms and the Devadasis’ that danced to these pieces started indulging in overtly pleasing their masters by dancing to these verses with seductive words of inviting their lords for physical union.

It is impossible to list all of them here, but we can look at the lyrics of one Javali to see the veracity of the claims: The popular Kalyani Javali, “EntaDi kulukE intirO kAntanuki ippuDu” asks addressing the sakhi, her friend and the confidante, “O Lady! How much pride my loved one has now? O! lotus-faced one! He behaves as if there is a score to settle, as I got into a tussle with him.. After playing the game of Manmatha (Cupid) in that unforgettable night, how is that Lord of Dharmapuri refuses to have a conversation with me now?”

There are many well known Tamil javalis such as Aduvum SolluvaL Ini enna pEchu, varaTTum sAmi, thoTTu thoTTu pEsavarAn. Others like Apaduru LOnathinE, KommarO, parullena mATa, sahki prANa, sAramaina, Smara sundarAnguni, vagalADi, still do their rounds on musical and dance concert platforms quite successfully.

While I’ve provided a fair amount of pedantic information about javalis and their nature, there is much to explore in this sub genre of Classical Music. Regardless of the origins, what and how they convey, without that Cupid song, how could continuity of creation itself be guaranteed in the universe. Cupid song is the nature and the DNA of cosmos that the tiniest of atoms to the tireless mankind seeks, finds pleasure in and continues the progenies we see and have.

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Dance Basanti (Ungli) This one is impossible to not groove to, and we anticipate it being on club soundtracks for a long time. Musically and lyrically though, its not much to rave about. A whole lot of autotune and a splash of mindless "let's dance" exertions - you can hear the female vocals attempting a pseudo-J.Lo. Vishal Dadlani's voice is perfection as always, and Anushka Manchanda. joins him admirably ( and minimally)..

Manwa Laage (Happy New Year) Most deservedly, Manwa Laage is still ruling the charts. Two of the best voices in the industry (Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh ) spin a honeyed ballad which carefully balances sentimentaity with a quiet elegance. Certainly something you'd want to pick up if you're trying to serenade a Bollywoodloving beloved.

Pakeezah (Ungli) Gulraj Singh does a brilliant job of turning this track into a sprightly finger-snapping ' happy-day' number that you can skip to while en route to work. The promise of love, as well as the simple fact of having fun while feeling love is gloriously rolled out in the charming lyrics while Singh's music chirps, swivels and loops to complement the everyday joyousness.

Jaise Mera Tu (Happy Ending) The 'Happy' in the film certainly shine through the vocal perambulations of Arijit Singh & Priya Saraiya who make falling in love seem really easy and exquisitely kind to the ear.

Priya's throaty sound is almost ethereal, shimmering and swathing Arijit's vocal stability in a rather picturesque finish.

Tharki Chokoro (PK) Swaroop Khan's voice goes rustic and expansive as Aamir Khan's idiosyncracy in PK is extolled in a charming alternative symmetry. You will want to laugh off and appreciate the unconventional rhythm which matches the unpredictable trajectory of Khan's performance. We'd suggest you put this on replay.

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Shreya Bose

G Phaad Ke (Happy Ending) Sachin-Jigar manage to school listeners in 'upbeat'.

Its not really the best rhythm that's been created this year, but it managed to get Govinda dancing on the big screen again, so you know it gets something right. Imagine that you're unwinding after a long week with a drink at a club - this is probably what you'll be dancing to.

Keeda (Action Jackson) Ajay Devgan dances to Himesh Reshammiya who is not using his signature tonal bend (so that's something new). Otherwise, it seems pretty uninspired. The music is flat and clunky, and the vocals could probably do better if the words were something that you hadn't heard a million times before.

Saanson Ko (Zid) Not a month goes by when Arijit Singh doesn't elevate our souls with something utterly, humanly moving.

The liquid crustal of his vocal chords mingle with the heady composition of Sharib-Toshi to recreate the intensities of passion, perhaps lingering on obsession.

Either way, this is something you can drown yourself into any time you feel the need to connect with the depths of your sentimental spectrum.

Love is a Waste of Time (PK) Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal bring you some of the best music you're going to find this year. This one is an endlessly adorable, romantic but not cloying, cute but not sappy. Its almost like a child's rhyme, awash in a rare innocent thematic leaning. Definitely in line with the film's unusual trajectory.

Tevar (Superman) Plenty of self-glorification on part of the 'Superman' in the song, but it looks like a young Salman Khan is in town in the form of Arun Kapoor. He's all about the stylised asskicking, and this song provides the perfect background score for that. The music is pretty catchy, something you'll want to listen to again because you're probably pumping or fists or doing the 'tapori' moves.

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When Pandas Attacks - Things Pass By What is gorgeous about Ankur Chauhan's solo project is that while it totes itself primarily with elements of electronica, it treads melodic and rhythmic formations that verge on post-rock. A Beginning smooth eases you into the album general ambience, which combined flawless sweeps of sound with impeccably cultured beats balanced on knife-edge-like time signatures. All That Was features amply-processed but authentically retained vocals mashed up in choppy soundloops sprinkled with cluttery static. Abandon Window is a spin on the Jon Hopkins classic which features more layered tones and doesn't really do much to distinguish itself from the original.

Beside Me ( Ft. Little Brontosaurus ) and If Only ( Interlude) employ surreptitious hooks that quickly explode into unforgettably catchy repetitions, with no small thanks to minimal but essential vocals. Good Night to Bite stays true to years of electronica tradition - sample vocals and uncomplicated pump-and-release patterns which serve to keep your nodding amicably. A Bid Farewell deliberated un-synchronises beat and melody, giving you a serene-but-unpredictable aural timeline to catch up to. So.. and Movement lie low and leap high, securing the transition between tempo and intensity with a lack of effort that would put gold medalist figure skaters to shame. For You to Keep combines Chauhan's charm with Ketan Bahirat's ( of Until We Last ) mastery, making it the most distinguishable offering. The pitch stays on the higher end, delivering a rather unsettling addition to an album that otherwise stays to a consistent downtempo baseline. But the point is, it all works. Exquisitely so.

Seamless melodic transitions, unrpedictable modulations of sound that transcends all tested formulae A tad sedentary in some places when the effects of seagull cries and shattering glass smack of having overdone it.

Recommended: A Bid Farewell, If Only ( Interlude)

Skrat – The Queen Skrat's new album is the very epitome of unceasing tempo-laced flips of sounds. Machete starts off with an explosive riff that jumps from one intoxicating lock-and-glitch arrangement to another, without compromising on the unadulterated visions of alt rock. The Queen is an octane fuelled invictus to cosmic haplessness and resulting delusion centering on the abstract 'Queen'. Choke & Broke has a pale-punk glow, harkening back to an easy cynicism and almost comic questioning of human relationships. Love Rider props itself on edgy guitar grooves that rumble with a whisper of heavy bass just lurking underneath. Revolution is stormy and frantic, pummeling the ear with layered guitars and bullet-like precision on drums. Sriram's voice enacts a strange combination of lethargic rage which leaves a good taste in the ear. Favourite Song patters along to a rather deceptively simplistic instrumental geometry which matches the verbal black humour. Full Monty tastes mildly of late day Alice in Chains – swaying guitars, lazy drums that quicken without warning and that early morning scraggly voice. Stomp lives up to its name with an aggressive tonal progression and a gorgeous hook that tastes of good booze and bad decisions. Gun Slinger II could easily serve as background score to a spaghetti western inspired anime (think Afro Samurai) - angry but stylised, vicious but elegant. By the end of the album, there's very little you want to do except hit reply or recommend it to a friend.

Unbelievably catchy riffs, witty, dark lyrics.

Nothing particularly out of the box for the band.

Recommended: Full Monty, Gun Slinger II, The Queen

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Shreya Bose

Superfuzz - Inner City Waster Their first EP is 7 years. That means expectations are sky high and yet, old school rock isn't really guaranteed success anymore, thank to the Bieber and the Minaj. At My Home and What Every Kid Wants are straight up rock - a little AC/DC here, a little touch of Bob Seger somewhere, perhaps? School is all about that dirty guitar lick and a killer solo with fraying edges. Manu Is A Dumbass plays on a standard tonal arrangement, but what really takes the care is the lyrics (We all have the Manu in our lives). Rat in the Dirt is gloriously irreverent and depends on Aditya's ceaselessly adrenaline-wracking drumming. The guitar strings twang in thunderous unison, leading into Bunny Epidemic which may be rock's long-sought answer to absurdist philosophy. Sanchal drops in a little screamo ( don't freak - it fits in ) while what is probably the most addictive of all the hooks in this album acts like a relentless piston on the words. Satan's Very Own is actually a but of a let-down after that - the lyrics are standard antiestablishment and the music doesn't do much to suggest virulent innovation. But its still good rock n' roll, and that hardly ever misses too badly.

Back to the basics of what is the greatest about rock.

Nothing too mindbendingly innovative, which is what you look for in Superfuzz.

Recommended: What Every Kid Wants, Bunny Epidemic

When The Home is Burning Imphal Talkies ( 5 stars ) Words serve inadequately to articulate the sheer mastery of this musical venture. And The Home is Burning is straight-up, in-your-face candid about the varieties of oppression visited upon the 'have nots' coupled with the pretense enacted in the name of compassion and activism.

Napa Thorai Machi lilts like a ship on a forgotten sea – the unfamiliar lyrics folding themselves into an identifiable acoustic scheme. Ode to Loktak sings of empathy and tribute, its words playing in the forefront of a rolling sarangi-like sound. I Wanna Go To Moscow rips apart a pointlessly, policed existence and meditates upon the possibilities of escape. Ei Seeragay sounds like a melodic call , complemented with a beautiful, minimalistic profusion of strings. Radha Leela must be the most interesting rendition of the traditional kirtan that you would come across. The smattering of English words and repeated references to Radh without a mention of Krishna makes it intriguing, despite one's ignorance of the language. India I See Blood In Your Hands is a mellifluous reminder of the civil atrocities that tend to distill themselves into mere newspaper columns and internet forum debates. The language is harsh, angry but restrained and unfazed by any need for political correctness. Sarkargi Thabak is the only song with an electric guitar and discernible drums, catchy and probably bopping along to whatever else is wrong with this world. Mr President Is Coming doesn't do much in terms of music, but again, the words deliver shots of guilt and rage to the conscience. Eise Eini Kaorurey sounds “typically� folk, with a clap-tap-nod sequence that belies the lyrical significance. As it trails off into an end, you either listen again or never listen because this album will affect you with an inherent authenticity that you must either commit to or avoid.

Incredible musical formations, inspiring lyrics.

The language may put off less patient listeners.

Recommended: Napa Thorai Machi, Sarkargi Thabak, Eise Eini Kaorurey

Robot Koch & Curtain Blue - Let Me This one's a bit of a doozy. Robot Koch might be featuring the track on his EP , but not for a moment does he overpower his Indian counterpart Curtain Blue aka Abhishek Bhatia. Their characteristic styles merge wondrously, neither compromising nor dominating. A shaved synth-sound provides background to ghostly vocals and subtly processed beats. A sheath of uncut melody runs throughout, punctuated by emphatic but softened rhythmic changes. Apt for both a heady dance under stars at a music festival or a simple roll-back with a glass of wine, this song is to be grabbed with all possible immediacy.

Immediately catchy and good for a ( metaphorical ) trip.

Predictable.

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Rolling Stones’ Bassist Darryl ‘The Munch’ Jones relies on QSC for Clean, Clear & Powerful Sound Darryl Jones is (and always has been!), without a doubt, one of the coolest cats in the music scene!

Affectionately known as ‘The Munch’ by his peers, Jones is a celebrated musician who has added the punch to so many memorable studio and live sessions through his signature bass lines that are so raw and powerful yet so simple and melodic, having played with acclaimed artists like Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Madonna, and many more. And for the last 19 years or so, he’s been the bassist for iconic rock band The Rolling Stones.

Ask any musician, and they’ll tell you that playing in the studio is one thing – but live is a whole different ball game! And when you play the big leagues like Jones does, live performances come with the expectation of being nothing short of massive! To keep up with such massive expectations, legendary musicians like Jones rely on world class gear – and he’s got the best of the lot on his side, especially with his personal bass rig comprising pro audio gear from global leaders QSC. Darryl Jones is one of the key names in the rapidly expanding list of musicians who have taken to QSC and have become a part of the K for Musicians family. Jones affirms that his bass rig, consisting of a pair of KW122s and a KW181 subwoofer, gives him a clean, powerful sound which is extremely versatile to suit the many different types of music he regularly plays.

“The KW rig I use is quite amazing. Because I am involved in a lot of different kinds of music--rock and roll, electronic jazz, sounds with synth bass, solo projects with effects-- I always try to find the sound that fits the music I am playing. For rock and roll sounds, I use a tube amp sound. I find that I can use the rig for really big sounds like synth bass and bass with lots of effects, sequences that I am playing along with. This works great because the QSC rig is full range. For some of the other things that I am doing, I need a more of a pure, really clean, clear, powerful sound. The KW Series fits in well with all of that, because when I need to play at a high volume level, it’s clean and clear. And when I want to dirty up that sound, I can add the tube amp to do that. So I can cover a lot of ground with

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the QSC rig. That’s one of the things that led me to QSC” explains ‘The Munch’.

Jones says he had his first introduction to the K Series and KW Series while on tour, interestingly, by two drummers – Omar Hakim and Dave Weckl. “Omar Hakim told me he was playing his electronic drumkit through a QSC rig and recommended it to me.

Then I was out on tour with Oz Noy and Dave Weckl, who was using it for his drum monitoring system. When I heard what was he was doing with it, I asked him to hook me up with guys at QSC” says the ace bassist, going on to affirm that he pretty much ‘fell in love’ with the system as soon as he heard himself play on it.

Talking about some of the stuff that fans can expect from him in the near future, Jones mentions he is currently working on a number of projects including ‘Three Brave Souls’ with John Beasley, and a rock trio called The Stone Raiders which according to him is ‘kind of blues forward’ (blues-based music that is more aggressive). And he hints that these projects could soon turn into a live treat for fans, and would give him the opportunity to push his prized personal QSC KW series rig to a whole new level of awesomeness.

The entire range of the K Family of loudspeakers are readily available within the Indian market through Pro Visual Audio Pvt. Ltd (the official distribution partners of QSC Audio products in India) and its various channels across the country, backed by superlative prompt after-sales service and support.