For years now, English has been the language most preferred by Indian bands and audiences alike. Times though are changing now and the success of Hindi and other regional languages in the Indian indie music scene is testament to this fact. Vignesh Iyer speaks to the people behind this change.

I say we're growing every day, Getting stronger in every way I'll take you to a place, Where we shall find our, Roots bloody roots – SEPULTURA

It’s a powerful song that one, by the Brazilian thrash metal band Sepultura; and the sentiment expressed by the lyrics is being echoed in India, as evidenced by the rise of bands who are now singing not just in Hindi but, Kannada and Malayalam too. Playing covers is now passé, original music is hardly a novelty anymore and the breakneck pace at which this quiet revolution has been taking place has opened new doors and given way to a newer sound while also exploring a possibility which may perhaps have been ignored earlier. Roots.

A large majority of independent musicians in India find it difficult to sustain themselves purely through their music. One of the primary factors is due to the commercial nature of the movie industry existing all over the country. To their credit though, masses continue to adore the music being churned out, while the purists point out to a lack of awareness amongst the people. However, despite this conflict, there exists a strange connection between the bands who do regional rock music and industries like Bollywood/Sandalwood (Haan, that’s the name!).

Gaurav Vaz (Bassist, Raghu Dixit Project) says, “Any band which, for example, sings Hindi contemporary music shares an audience with Bollywood. Our challenge is to get these audiences to watch us play live.” The idea of their songs being perceived as similar to the typical movie number doesn’t go down well with any of these bands. “It’s not that we sing songs like Main teri deewani, we’re not playing the everyday stuff that has been on for years now” clarifies Abhishek Mathur, guitarist of psychedelic fusion band, Advaita. These bands in fact have gone down the traditional way, have more of a classical folksy touch to their sound while also combining it with western instruments. The only similarity shared would perhaps be the language.

Incidentally, Raghu Dixit after a few unsuccessful attempts at launching his debut album was spotted by Bollywood music duo Vishal – Shekhar while performing at Zenzi in Mumbai. Impressed by his style of music and freshness, they decided to launch him via their new independent record label – Vishal & Shekhar music. “Thanks to Vishal’s background in Indie music, he understands the sound well and their connections in Bollywood meant that the album was given a marketing push” says Gaurav. From that point on however, the music had to carry itself and it surely did. The Raghu Dixit Project has now enthralled audiences all over the world including places like UK, Korea, Japan, Russia and Hong Kong.

Another shot in the arm came in the form of legendary producer John Leckie when he came down to the country as part of the Soundpad project, in order to release a compilation album in UK and India. Having auditioned close to 40 bands all around the country, the final four bands were chosen with Advaita and Namma Bengaluru band Swarathma among them. If ever one needed proof of their undoubted quality, this is it, for they convinced a man who has worked with the likes of Pink Floyd, George Harrison, Radiohead, etc.

Their collaboration with the project also led them to UK where they toured seven cities. “We traveled around in a huge tour bus complete with a lounge, Plasma TV, etc. We didn’t quite expect this when they said everything will be taken care of!” confesses Pavan Kumar KJ, percussionist for Swarathma. Ironically for Advaita, being selected by John Leckie and then the UK tour, helped gain more acceptance within the Indian music scene. “The perception certainly changed after all of it. While our fans have always been extremely loyal, certain people were hesitant to accept our music, some were even cold to an extent but its different now” feels Abhishek as he points to an underlying hindrance that sometimes works against regional rock bands in comparison to their English speaking counterparts – yet again, the language is their biggest boon and bane – there prevails a feeling that some doors remain closed for a regional rock group.

Hindi Rock Bands - 6

“Competitions? We sort of stopped believing in them” informs Abhishek as he reminisces back to the time when Advaita were rejected in competitions like Channel V’s Launchpad and Great Indian Rock (GIR). “With Launchpad, it’s perhaps because we didn’t fit into a certain image and with GIR I felt they wanted a heavier sound. Either way, musically we have always been good, we also sent them some of our strongest songs, so yeah, go figure” he concludes. It is a notion that is shared by Mumbai based Hindi rock band Shor Bazaar’s Bassist, Krishna Kumar V – “Places like Not just Jazz by the Bay, Firangi Paani and Hard Rock Café hardly ever have Hindi bands, its unfortunate but I definitely feel that there is this discrimination.”

The sentiment finds another voice, albeit, with a different take on the issue, “I suppose it is a problem. However, we can’t keep complaining about it. Its fair enough in my opinion, if a guy coming to a place like Hard Rock Café doesn’t want to listen to regional bands perform.” says Suyash Mohan, one of the founding members of an organization called ‘Hindi Rock Circuit’, which helps manage and promote Hindi rock bands. “I think it is up to us to find out where the crowds are” he suggests. The Hindi Rock Circuit is in talks with pubs and other such venues that might allow them to showcase a few of their bands.

The matter is best left open for debate rather than jumping to conclusions, as Gaurav Vaz provides us with a reasonable explanation to sum it up, “I used to play for a progressive rock band and I tend to think in English. Even if I can speak Hindi or Kannada, it’s difficult for me to express myself as well as I can with English. So for people with a similar mindset, it becomes an effort to accept initially.”

The success achieved purely on the basis of their musical strengths, shows that these challenges are merely viewed as occupational hazards by the bands. They have managed to hold on together while dealing with not just external hassles but also internal problems of their own. Kerala based band Avial, who sing in Malayalam, today happen to be one of the best bands in the country, Swarathma’s performance at Hard Rock Café during the Jack Daniel’s Rock Awards symbolized a change in set trends, while Raghu Dixit’s performances abroad signify the birth of a whole new dimension to the Indian independent music scene. Regional rock music is something which has always existed in the form of bands like the evergreen Indian Ocean, who have been in fine form for 20 years now and influenced many an Indian rock band. However, never before has it managed to stand out as prominently as it does today.

Article by Vignesh Iyer

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Midival Punditz

Midival Punditz Karsh Kale

Back in 1997 Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj were bored and tired of the Bollywood- Remix type music which was dominating the scene in India. As a reaction to this feeling they began producing original electronic music and sending out demo tracks to labels and other producers.

Simultaneously, their monthly parties ‘Cyber Mehfil’ began growing in popularity and quickly reached a cult status. Artists and producers from the UK and US began noticing them, word began to spread and they came to be known as ‘The new sound of 21^st century India. It was only in 2000 that Six Degrees Records, home label of producer friend Karsh Kale expressed interest in signing them on. Since then they have produced extensively with Six Degrees records. In addition to three studio albums, a remix album and a compilation, they have been featured on over 50 compilations across the globe.

Midival Punditz

To really appreciate Midival Punditz and understand the magic at work, you need to hear them live. By picking up experiences from all over the world, they have mastered a unique art that is electronic but still has room for jamming, innovating and remixing. The end result: no two live performances of the Punditz are ever the same. The live performances are also featured with a video background which is synchronized with the music and also captures real-time images and clips of the band performing on stage. This unique live setup has been pioneered by the Punditz making their performances unlike any other electronic act in the country.

Karsh Kale

Being a predominantly self-taught musician, Kale was able to break rules at an early age as he began experimenting with different instruments and styles. His own ingenuity and experimental nature helped Kale in developing his ‘Electric Tabla’. As he grew he found himself working with musicians like Mocean worker, Robert Moog, DJ Spooky, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Amel Larouix, Bill Laswell. His studio savvy and original style kept him in demand to this day and he has recently done sessions for artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Yoko Ono as well as his longtime collaborators, the Midival Punditz.  Kale has, as of date, recorded on over 50 releases worldwide as a session musician.

As the 20^th century came to a close, Kale found himself inspired and began creating his own solo work and created his first self produced E.P called ‘Classical Science Fiction from India’. A nationwide tour with electronica legend DJ Spooky allowed Kale to spread his sound and also allowed his music to fall into the hands of the then upstart record label Six Degrees Records. After the label took notice, curiosity brought them to NY to witness more of Kale’s work.  Karsh Kale was immediately signed to a multi-album record deal, making him the very first Indo-American to attain a solo record contract in the states. Kale released ‘Realize’, his first solo international release in 2001 and it featured collaborations from Ustad Sultan Khan, Gigi and some of NYC’s finest musicians

Karsh Kale

In 2005 Kale began work on Broken English, which for Kale was a new direction in sound and musical approach. But it was time for him to flex his songwriting skills. Broken English, which is Kale’s first album predominantly set to English lyrics, boasts collaborations with vocalists like Trixie Reiss (Crystal Method), Sol Seppy, Dierdra Dubois (Ekova) and MC Napolean.  Kale also worked with artists such as sitar genius Niladri Kumar and the Mumbai Cinematik strings.

Around the time of the release of Broken English, Kale began collaborating with sitar visionary Anoushka Shankar. Their collaboration eventually turned into the 2-year project, which became ‘Breathing Under Water’ released in 2007.  For both Kale and Shankar, the collaboration proved to be their most ambitious musical venture to date.  Kale not only played many of the instruments but acted as composer and co-songwriter which allowed him to pen songs for the likes of Sting and Norah Jones. The album also boasts collaborations with Pt Ravi Shankar, Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan and was co-produced by Gaurav Raina (Midival Punditz) and Salim Merchant.

As a film composer Kale has created music for crossover films such as ‘Chutney Popcorn’, ‘Ocean Of Pearls’ and ‘Indian Cowboy’. His music has also appeared in Bollywood hit films like ‘Fashion’ and recently ‘Luck’ and ‘Kambakht Ishq’. Kale’s music has also been featured on TV such as the HBO series ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ and ‘True Blood’. Karsh continues to share his musical vision with an ever-growing legion of listeners who continue to hold his music as paramount within the global music scene.

MPKK

India’s electronica pioneers, Midival Punditz (Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj) have teamed up once again with visionary composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist Karsh Kale to form their new film music production team Midival Punditz – Karsh Kale (MPKK). The trio will made their debut into the world of Indian cinema with their score of Farhan Akthar’s new romantic thriller Karthik Calling Karthik that released on February 26^th, 2010.

MPKK

Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale have worked together for nearly ten years now, producing each other’s music, performing together on albums and even touring the world together extensively. Recognizing their strength as a team, they have now formed their new production unit Midival Punditz – Karsh Kale (MPKK) to create music for film projects.

Their first foray into the world of film together began with them creating an entirely new background score to the 1973 Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon, which they have toured the world with. They recently completed the background score for Ajay Naidu’s independent crossover film, Ashes, which will make its debut in 2010. The trio’s filmography includes appearances on film soundtracks such as Monsoon Wedding, Closer, Chutney Popcorn, Kambakht Ishq, Fashion, Don and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants II.

Karthik Calling Karthik, the much-anticipated thriller marks the first time MPKK have scored a major Bollywood film. Written and directed by Vijay Lalwani, the film stars Farhan Akthar and Deepika Padukone. Working as music directors has allowed Midival Punditz – Karsh Kale to explore the range and depth of their music influences; it allows them to step out of the realm of pure electronica and embrace a much larger soundscape. With this film, they have run a gamut of genres from a full orchestral set-up to rock and jazz to edgy electronica. Midival Punditz – Karsh Kale, as music directors combine a modern sound with a very classical approach; the Punditz bring a modern feel to the music utilizing electronic composition and modern soundscapes while Karsh Kale brings a more classical approach as an orchestral composer, pianist, guitar player and songwriter. The combination gives them great perspective as composers.

Karsh Kale and Midival Punditz continue to break new ground as artists and performers and tour the world with their genre-bending sounds. MPKK are poised to make 2010 the year that they are able to forge new avenues for their music within the world of film.

MPKK Performing

DID YOU KNOW
Midival Punditz

• Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj of Midival Punditz are childhood friends
• MP was the first electronic music act from India to sign an international album deal
• They’ve given music for video games like ‘Project Gotham Racing 3′ and ‘Need for Speed Carbon’
• They’ve also given music TV shows like ‘6 Feet Under’ and ‘Prison Break’

Karsh Kale

• In his childhood he was inclined towards the drums and not the tabla.
• His father, a fan of the sound himself introduced him to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones
• He began his career in music while a student at NYU (New York University) where he studied music production and performance
• Kale collaborated with Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell on a track called Milan (named after his daughter) which has now become one of Kale’s most requested works
• Two of the songs from ‘Realize’, ‘Distance’ and ‘One Step beyond’ are now included in the Microsoft Vista Operating System

MPKK

The trio is able to perform the entire score of the soundtracks they compose live; something they plan on doing with all their releases

MPKK - Live

The duo of Delhi boys Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, better known to the world as Midival Punditz were till this moment regarded as India’s most acclaimed electronic act. After being featured on multiple international compilations and being the first electronic act to sign an international deal, the band rightly dubbed as ‘The New Sound of 21st Century India’ has added another feather to their cap, this time being the first Indian band to compose the entire background score for a Bollywood movie – in this case the Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone starrer ‘Karthik Calling Karthik’. This break into mainstream came with the assistance of likeminded producer and composer Karsh Kale, who is featured along with the twosome on a few tracks of the soundtrack album, mainly the remix version of the movie theme plus a hard rocking version entitled Kartik 2.0.

Karthik Calling Karthik

The trio stopped by Blue Frog in Mumbai on the day of the movie’s release, February 26^th, to give the eager audience a taste of what to expect. Cementing their reputation as one of the best live acts around, the MP duo stepped on stage to spectacular atmospherics, lights and images on screens flashing in tandem with the crowd’s excitement. Taking their place at pre defined consoles; they were accompanied by Karsh Kale on Drums and Tablas. The scene was set perfectly to display MPKK’s unique blend of Indian classical and techno.

Playing songs predominately off of their 2009 release ‘Hello Hello’, the MP pair along with their KK counter part had the crowd in their grasp from the get go. Starting off with a remixed version of the ever popular ‘Tonic’, the south Indian folk rhythms of ‘Raanjhan’ soon translated into the smooth club vibe of ‘Kesariya’.

Songs that followed were stand out tracks like the up tempo ‘Electric Universe’ and 80’s dance rock ‘Atomizer’ complete with an electronic vocal track and a gratifying crescendo.  Their versatility of sound with songs ranging from instrumental to electronic rock to orchestral soundscapes pioneered the sonic approach to music providing those in attendance a night to remember.

Article by Divya Srinivasan & Shikher Chaudhary
Images Courtesy: Shiv Ahuja, Rafique Syed, Gaurav Vaz

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The Magicians

A few phone calls, a delayed flight and after searching around the D.Y.Patil college grounds in Nerul, I finally spotted Amit Kilam (Drums) on stage. The Band had just arrived from Delhi for the performance, the sound check had been delayed, the scene was typical of any college fest – organized chaos. Looking slightly knackered and a bit bored after the long Delhi – Mumbai flight and a further hour or more by road, he walks over and says ‘Hello..’ seemingly quite relieved at my arrival. Rahul Ram (Bass guitar) and Susmit (Guitar) are nowhere in sight, when asked he says “Oh it would be difficult for all three of us to do an interview together during a show, sorry.” Apologies accepted.

Indian Ocean just finished their seventh tour of the US, spread over 45 days and 11 venues including the Jesuit High in New Orleans, a stage where Elvis Presley and Pink Floyd have performed! “Ours was the first show on that stage after hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, it was submerged under water but thankfully they managed to restore it back to how it used to be” he tells me. They also played at the famous Ashkenaz, a world and folk music venue in Berkeley, California.

Having often visited the US over the years, they have plenty of friends there who helped them organize shows and make merry off stage! “It’s almost like our second home, Rahul has studied there for three years, me and Susmit have got a few friends too, so now we have two bases – New Delhi and New York!” Amit quips coolly. The tour was a success, something they must probably be used to by now, seventh tour of the US, remember? Although, Amit feels this one was the best “Because in terms of performances I thought we were better than on previous occasions, the venues were good and the tour on the whole was a breeze!”

Asheem Chakravarty: Percussions & Vocals

However, the breeze turned into a dark storm for the men from Delhi and all their loyalists around the world. Band Percussionist, the man whose sonorous voice sounded like it emanated from the center of planet earth and darling of Indian Ocean, Asheem Chakravarty suffered a heart attack in Doha while the band were on their way back from the tour. He was hospitalized in a comatose state. The prayers, wherever they came from surely were heard when he managed to come out of coma, but, the joy was short lived. Nearly two months after the attack, it was Black Friday indeed. On the 25^th of December 2009, Asheem Chakravarty passed away. Christmas will never be the same again for the band and its legion of fans.

Amit Kilam: Drums

Asheem was multitalented in every sense of the word, so much so that the band may ultimately need two members to fill in for him. His ability to play the Tabla and sing along made him one of a kind, which makes it tougher for them to find a like for like replacement. “We are now officially on the lookout for a new member or maybe two” Amit informs. It looks like the band wants to focus on its future now; perhaps Asheem may have wanted that too. After all, it was him and Susmit Sen who founded Indian Ocean and ensured they stuck around until they hit upon the right line up, which upto the 25^th of December 2009 was – Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram, Susmit Sen and Asheem Chakravarty. It shall remain that way for generations to come, their work together has been immortalized by the numerous songs they’ve composed and the cornucopia of emotions they managed to evoke throughout the journey. Rest in peace, Asheem da. You will be missed.

“Everything happens for a reason, probably something else might evolve out of this disaster” Amit adds optimistically. They now have percussionist Gyan Singh filling in on the Tabla and singer Sudhir on vocals. This arrangement however is likely to be temporary, Indian Ocean hope to find a permanent member. They are prepared to wait for the right person to come along though. “If we find a suitable replacement now, its obviously good, otherwise probably in the next six months” he says.

Rahul Ram: Bass Guitar

Songs for their long awaited album have been ready for a while and they hope to release the album by March 2010. “What will be appearing on the album are songs that we have been playing over the last couple of years or so, a few of the songs had been leased out to films but we retain their rights.” Indian Ocean songs have been part of many a film that haven’t managed to see the light of the day “That’s the way it works in Bollywood I guess, Aaj hain toh kal nahin hain” says Amit. Not that he’s rueful about it “Its lucky in a way, this means they are first heard on our album rather than in a movie and also thanks to these movies, a lot of work has happened in the last two or three years”. As we discuss about the album, he reminds me of another important fact “Asheem is very much a part of it! Most of his work in the recent past might feature on this album.”

Numbers will make a difference for Indian Ocean, they hope to generate more hits on their website through active marketing and of course by using their live shows as a platform to attract a sponsor who can fund the production cost of this album. “It won’t matter too much if we don’t manage that, we’ll still release the album anyway. However, it helps when we get support from the fans, media, etc. and perhaps it might interest someone.” Each month, one song from the upcoming album will be made available for free download through their website, a truly unique marketing strategy designed to suit their needs. “Seven months, seven songs by the end of which we’ll release a special CD with a few extra songs or maybe different versions and videos too.” says Amit. They will only be making 10,000 copies of this premium CD which will also be signed by the band members. That number is miniscule when you consider the 5 lakh copies their previous album Kandisa sold. “Ultimately most of the people will hear these songs for free which for us is not a problem at all, whomever wants to buy the albums and support us can do that too!” he adds.

Susmit Sen: Guitar

Indian Ocean has also provided music for an Aamir Khan produced movie called ‘Peepli Live’ and no, this movie won’t be shelved. It is ready and is a satirical take on rural life in India. “The song ‘Darte ho’ from this movie was the final song recorded by the original line up” says Amit, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. They were one of the first bands to be approached by Bollywood way back in 2003 when Anurag Kashyap wanted songs for his movie Black Friday and now Amit feels that Bollywood is certainly more receptive to new music “There is no monopoly now, new composers have come in and more bands are doing music too! All of which means there certainly is a change.” So maybe a KJO movie in future then? “Why not?! We’re open to anything too!”

They plan to tour the US twice next year. “In the US we will be playing at the world famous Carnegie Hall this time, so fingers crossed. We’re hoping for a good tour!” There have been a few complaints from their Indian fan base though, as people feel Indian Ocean play more abroad than in India. That accusation is brushed off “It might seem that way but we do play a lot more in India, in fact we plan to do a tour within India after the album is launched. We’ll probably play in 8 to 10 cities around the country.”

The band and Amit have simultaneously managed to finish the sound check during the course of our conversation. They’re a jolly bunch back stage, interacting enthusiastically with a few old friends, while also clicking pictures and signing autographs with their fans. As the sun sets, lights go on, the crowd

I got Lucky. I caught them LIVE !

On the 20^th of January, DY Patil College Nerul played host to renowned fusion band Indian Ocean who in prime form headlined the final day of the three day annual fest, playing to a relatively large crowd, their fourth time around at this prestigious university. Heavily publicized, this was also notably the first show since the passing of percussionist, vocalist and all around remarkable performer, the beloved Asheem Chakravarty. Nonetheless after the demise of the iconic singer, questions were visibly raised whether the band would be able to continue. All these questions were undoubtedly laid to rest as soon as the band stepped on stage to the deafening applause of students and fans that had waited eagerly for hours to witness this prolific band at work.

Indian Ocean - live in action

Clearly an emotional performance for the band, the crowd reveled in their poignancy as they dealt with the grief with what they do best, performing a string of songs which may be safely described as classics. The mood was however anything but somber as the band decided to forgo the clichéd mourning instead celebrating the life of its founding member, playing one exemplary song after another.

“They managed to move the audience in completely different ways, some to their feet; while others more affectingly to tears.”

Those lucky to be in attendance were able to witness first hand two unreleased songs ‘Baundhu’ dedicated to Asheem Da and ‘Zindagi se darte ho’ soon to be featured in an Aamir Khan production. By the time ‘Bandeh’ came up, even the most cynical of observers were swept up by the natural charisma of the group.

The original three members appeared in great form filled with passion and fervor playing Ma Rewa, Jhini, Hille Re giving the attitude of a jam session, the band feeding of each other’s energy, demonstrating the technical prowess they have come to be known for. Jugalbandi saw the utilization of eclectic instrumentation especially in the form of a ‘gabgubi’ by drummer Amit Kilam.

Ending the show on a high note with the ever popular ‘Kandisa’, the band although restricted to a short span of time, managed to move the audience in completely different ways, some to their feet while others more affectingly to tears.

• Shaleen Sharma on drums and Indrajit Dutta & Anirban Roy on bass, were a part of Indian Ocean before the band arrived at its final line up
• Kandisa, released in March 2000, went on to acquire cult status, becoming one of the most important, best-loved albums of contemporary Indian music
• Jhini, won the AVMax Award for the best produced album of 2003
• Desert Rain was a landmark album for its time and today, almost a decade later, still continues to sell. In 2006, it was no. 2 on the iTunes UK world music charts.
• Jaideep Varma of Cartwheel Features has directed a movie called ‘Leaving Home’ which is based on the life and music of Indian Ocean. The film is expected to be released in mid 2010

Article by Vignesh Iyer & Shikher Chaudhary
Images Courtesy: Indian Ocean

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Something Relevant's first album "Feels Good To Be Live" has been released.

Their first album ‘Feels good to be live’ has been released. In the run up to their upcoming tour around India, we reminisce about how ‘Something Relevant’ (STR) got together, their journey, the effort that went into putting out the album and the future..

Lets us rewind back to Rang Bhavan, Independence rock. Winds of change were blowing upon the Indian rock scene in form of ‘Zero’, currently one of the best Indian bands who were on stage doing an ‘all original’ set getting booed by the crowd that wanted them to play covers. Not all of the crowd was in protest though, we know for sure that two guys from within the crowd actually liked it – Aazin (Vocals, STR) and Tanmay (Guitars, STR). “Aazin and I were in the crowd, we really thought it was good and they sounded much better than those bands doing Metallica covers, why on earth were people throwing bottles at them?!” asks Tanmay, expressing surprise and laughing at how far things have come since then. This incident infact was one of the many moments that helped in shaping up Something Relevant, but it may perhaps have been the most important considering that it triggered a certain philosophy – Original music was the way to go!

The performer was always there in the gene. As kids, Tanmay and band percussionist Aalok, who are cousins, used to organize family shows by combining on the Guitar and Tabla. “We used to do random shit! It was terrible and we even forced our family members to pay 20 bucks and watch our show!” These shows also had a stall and balcony system apparently. “A talk show, the Jay Leno kind was one of the many ideas, err but that’s another story altogether!” exclaims Aalok. The guys knew each other for a long time. All of them were College mates at St.Xaviers and were inclined towards music. It had to happen. “Individually we were not great musicians or anything, only Luis (Piano, STR) and Ryan (Saxophones, STR) are actually properly trained in music. The rest of us just wanted to play music!” says Tanmay.

Original music was the ultimate objective but they had to start off somewhere, so they did start covering bands like The Beatles, Dave Matthews Band, Grateful Dead, Phish, etc. “We used to play bands which people could enjoy more, it was all very chilled out and more on the softer side” says Aalok while also pointing out that the band was never afraid to try out different things. “We sucked then but our friends and others who got to know about us still wanted to see us perform because we were different!” declares Tanmay indicating as to how even the covers made them stand apart in a crowd that comprised of various bands playing Floyd, AC DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden et al.

In 2006, Something Relevant performed for the first time ever at an auditorium. The venue was the 765 seater Y.B.Chavan auditorium situated in Mumbai. In order to make it a success, the members had to do what they call ‘Political campaigning’ but boy did they pull it off or what!  “We ourselves organized it with this company called ‘Grateful life’, it was a self promoted show and we managed to sell out tickets in 4 days, all by word of mouth!” says Aalok. The response spurred them on to take up a bigger challenge in 2007. In a similarly organized show, but at a much larger auditorium, this time the 1300 seater Ravindra Natya Mandir, the band climbed another step. “We did it again! The tickets got sold out in 4 to 5 days this time too, and the best part was there were a lot more unknown faces in the crowd. That’s probably when we knew we were going somewhere with all of this and for the first time, we played our original songs.”

Something Relevant Logo

Naturally, the liberal minded approach also transmitted into their original compositions. Practicing and being part of the band had helped them all progress individually as musicians. Intended or not we don’t know, but it is difficult to categorize their songs under one genre. Their songs are an amalgamation of Blues, Swing, Jazz, Rock and everything in between. On stage – the confidence, energy, showmanship and telepathic communication amongst the members led to extended jam sessions more often than not and voila! India’s first ‘Jam band’ had arrived.

STR now wanted their music to be heard and the performances to be witnessed. The new sound, their unpredictability and onstage theatrics were well liked by many. For more than a year and a half the band became a constant in the live scene of Mumbai by performing at night clubs and pubs. They also performed for social causes like the revival of The Bandstand culture in Mumbai. “We did a lot of free shows then, if there was an opportunity to play we’d go out there and perform” says Tanmay. The band apart from the set seven members was always open to guest musicians performing on stage with them. “A Hindustani singer, two Keyboard players, a Tabla player, a Conga player, Trombones and also, we’ve played with a bagpipe player!” says Tanmay. Despite the impressive repertoire, they still wish to play with a trumpet player. So what’s the smallest stage they have played on then? “Aaah, that was at Jazz ( Not just jazz by the bay, Mumbai). We had 13 people on stage! Considering it’s a small stage there, we were severely restricted. Not an advisable thing to do at all!”

Year 2009 started on a positive note for Something Relevant. They were invited by the ICCR ( Indian council for cultural relations) to play at the Java Jazz festival held in Indonesia. This was another one of those major turning points for the band, so much so that they almost seem to look at themselves as ‘pre and post Java Jazz’. “It made us realize that music could never be geographically segregated, it was never going to be good or bad just for India or as per Indian standards. The internet age means there’s a world stage for everything now. So it is either good or bad” says Tanmay. The response to their music abroad surprised them, but it was pleasant alright. “It was really good! It proved that language was not a barrier when it came to music; it also gave us a lot of confidence and self belief. The best part about it was that nobody asked for an ‘Indian Element’ in the band. The music mattered the most and that made us happy” says Aalok stressing on the fundamental difference in approach and support towards upcoming bands. “Youngsters there are given a lot of encouragement, music education is provided in schools. There were five main amphitheaters and about fifteen to twenty stages reserved only for young bands coming out of Indonesia. We saw this all girl band doing Police covers where a 14 year old girl was playing double bass and singing like Sting!” The experience helped them gain a better perspective about their own music, six years since its formation and Something Relevant was ready (or so they thought!) for what was going to be their toughest challenge yet. The album.

Feels Good To Be Live

Feels Good to be Live. That’s the name of Something Relevant’s first album since the band formation in 2003 and that is exactly what they portrayed at the album launch at Not just Jazz by the Bay, Churchgate on 19^th December 2009.

The suave and swanky restobar was swarming with dedicated fans of the Mumbai based jam band. There was no place to move around and everywhere you could hear the fans singing along their popular numbers like Horn Ok please, Harry Mole and others. Midway into their performance Stuart decided to very informally launch the album by inviting Imran Khan of Jaane tu…fame and the multi grand slam winner Leander Paes on stage to do the honors. After the crowd had cheered in the album (for the fans had waited a long time for this) they got back to their performance like nothing much really transpired just two minutes back on the stage. This nonchalance is what seems to have become their trademark style.

They performed most of the songs on the album and also a few new innovations. One particular song that stood out was the one on Mosquitoes sung by Stuart while Armeet was supporting him by beat boxing.

The album was available at the venue for sale and is also available in various stores all across India. It is now also available on Amazon. They even had various band merchandise available at the venue which will also be available during their subsequent shows. Don’t wait anymore and get yourself a copy because if the launch event is anything to go by, then you surely do not want to miss this album.

Something Relevant - The Band

Aazin – Studied film making in Whistling Woods International Film institute for a couple of years. Interested in and working as a director/cinematographer.

Stuart – Marketing and Artist Manager at the Blue Frog. Graduate from St. Xaviers College Mumbai.

Tanmay – Studied BSC Maths from St. Xaviers College Mumbai and then Sound Engineering from SAE.

Ryan – Graduate from St. Xaviers College Mumbai. Worked at Total Sports Asia and Left Field International.

Luis – Information Technology Engineer. Also a qualified piano teacher from Trinity College of Music.

Jehangir Jehangir – Graduate from St. Xaviers College Mumbai. Teaches Speech and Drama.

Aalok – Computer Engineer. Working as a Software Engineer at Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Article by Vignesh Iyer and Nikunj Bhaiya

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