From left to right - Prasanth Sumanth (Drums/vocals), Vinod Easwaran (Vocals), Soumyajit Ray Chaudhary (Guitars), Mohit James (Bass), Ashley Murray (Drums) and Sandeep Mittal (Guitars/Vocals)

Why would a music magazine write about a bunch of corporate honchos? We got paid to do it man! Jokes apart, The Second Shift is a band made up of 6 guys (2 bankers and 2 HR guys in the band!) who feel it is necessary to have a creative outlet after a long day/week/month at the office. While the name might implement that it’s just another hobby, for the members of this band, the music represents an alternative way of looking at life.

Gigpad.com founder and guitarist of the band, Sandeep ‘Sandy’ Mittal tells us, “We work fulltime, its difficult to get any time off at all but what started off with a few random jam sessions about a year back, later progressed into regular weekend jams and suddenly we had a good thing going.” Not willing to let his guitar strings rust away, he had been writing and composing songs himself before the others came along. “A lot of the material was already written, which is probably why it happened a bit sooner for us, it was much easier to record and put out a demo CD out there.”

The Second Shift is still finding its feet in the live scene, having just finished their second gig at Not Just Jazz by the Bay, they feel that recording is probably easier! “With the amount of time we get, its difficult to practice, but we forced ourselves into it and this was actually the first time in our lives that we played on stage!” says Sandeep excitedly. However, for these guys their demo album which contains ‘grown up love stories’ in the form of songs, gives the greatest sense of satisfaction. “It is almost an achievement after just a year together, sort of suggests that all our jam sessions has lead to something productive. Like, a full stop you know? Which is good.”

Doing What They Do Best - Performing at Not Just Jazz by the Bay

The album could possibly signify the end of a very small chapter in the bands history as they plan to do more gigs in the near future. “The first gig at Café Goa was fantastic, we’ll probably have this honeymoon period with friends and family coming to a lot of the gigs early on but we’re not in a hurry to get anywhere, we’ll take the next 10 to 15 gigs as a learning experience!” he states enthusiastically. Their song ‘July People’ has already managed to generate quite a buzz, they also play covers of U2, Radiohead, John Mayall, etc. and other songs from their album! “Covers is something we have to do now, considering we can’t play for 3 hours with just 10 original songs off our album. However, we’re not anti covers”, declares Sandeep, “as long as we’re progressing in a direction which would enable us to play an all original set, we’re cool!’

First Step Taken - The cover of their recently released CD album, 'The Second Shift'

The art work on their album CD has a bright yellow background with a circus joker peeking in from behind the curtains tentatively. Upon opening the case, the band’s mindset is conveyed quite brilliantly – that first step onto the stage shown within the case has been taken! “At the simplest level, its bright and eye catching with some good songs inside, people like it!” says Sandeep.

You can mail the band for a copy of the free CD on thesecondshiftband@gmail.com OR listen to their songs at www.reverbnation.com/thesecondshift and also join their Facebook page! Like they state, ‘We’re about the things you do between waking and sleeping that hold you together’. Well, we have our eyes on you !

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

Aamir Khan is not the only one who went home grinning after 3 Idiots. With all that Boman Irani bashing, finally, our parents have decided to support us in whatever WE choose as our field of endeavor. The Big M knows that you want to cash on that before they change their minds.

So, we decided to present a ‘hatke’ field as OUR CAREER OF THIS MONTH – Sound Engineering. To give you an accurate account, we decided to jam the studios. Ravi Pratap, a lecturer at SAE Technology College and an assistant sound engineer in Spectral Harmony Studios; along with Prithvindra Paul, a freelance in the field of audio post production, were our mentors.

Who is a Sound Engineer?

The sound engineer plays a major role in the music industry. The main job of the sound engineer is to shape the sounds and tweak them accordingly so that they sound nice, polished and enhanced. For example, if you want to brighten up the vocals or create space between the instruments you know exactly who to look out for. Sound Engineers come in many guises and none of these are mutually exclusive, a good sound engineer will have a balance of most of these skills.

A Midas X18 - The mixing board allows the sound engineer to mix the various sounds - guitar, bass, drums, vocals - so that they are in balance

A Sound Engineer is not a DJ or Music Composer

Our mentors couldn’t have emphasized more that people have a misconception that by becoming a sound engineer they can be music composer. A sound engineer deals with the technical aspects of the sound. Paul adds, ‘when we say technical, people think of DJ. A DJ mixes compiled music, whereas, a sound engineer makes music out of raw sound.’ Wow! That sounds creative. In geeky terms, a studio is the lab and a sound engineer is the scientist who experiments with various sounds to enhance the creativity of a composition.

Can I be a sound engineer?

If you have an ear for different types of sounds and fair idea of how they react with each other, plus an appetite for the nitty-gritty of music, then, according to our mentors, you can be. “Youngsters aspiring to make a career out of this field should have an ear for different genres of music. As they say, the more the better. Moreover it is not only important just to listen to music but also hear between the lines to understand the intensity …for example, the timbre of a certain instrument and how it is tweaked according to the nature of the song”, illustrates Pratap. Apart from having a sensitive ear, a sound engineer should be able to nurture interpersonal relationships and should be socially active. In the words of Paul, “if you want to be in the industry, you have to be the industry.”  A good engineer will be able to mix a variety of different styles well. A good sense of pitch, timing and rhythm as well as a knowledge of electronics and acoustics works in your favour.

So I have the talent, but how to go about it?

Live sound engineers make sure that the instruments and vocals at concerts blend together

Pratap suggests that it is always better to have a personal home setup which requires a good configuration PC, a pair of good speakers, a decent entry level sound card and a pair of speakers or headphones. If you have enrolled for a course in a particular institute they provide special placement assistance to the candidates. If you have not done a course you can directly approach the studios to start off. Many institutes have sprung up in recent years which provide specialized courses in this field, SAE being one of the leading institutes.

Show me the money

Paul informs that with a plethora of channels and broadcasting stations coming up in the industry, there is a huge potential and demand for such a job. Salary ranges from 15000-70000 according to the level of skill and the quality of work and experience.

Article by Kirti Tarang

Sufi

Bollywood composers are churning out chartbusters by weaving sufi’s melodious flavour into their songs, but what makes it so heart stirring over other genres? Kirti Tarang finds out..

Last year many songs trekked into our I-pods, in the hopes of winning our hearts. Some won; and then, they lost their throne to the new arrivals. But ‘Iktara’ from ‘Wake up Sid’ stayed. I wonder why? It’s not chic like Katy Perry’s I kissed a girl nor is it groovy like Black Eyes Peas’ ‘Boom-Boom Paw’. Yet, I loved it. So did the guy upstairs, who hitherto always gave me a headache with his loud psychedelic music. The question is how can one song appeal to people of such diverse tastes?

“The song has an honest appeal. Amitji (Amit Trivedi) and Javed Sahab created an intoxication typical to the genre of Sufi ghazal,” explains Kavita Seth, the mystic voice of Iktara. Oh yes! Sufi. It is the unique flavor of this genre which lingers in Seth’s voice and doesn’t leave us alone. This is not the first time; every time a song of this genre appears in mainstream Indian music scenario, we just get hooked by it and can’t stop humming it. Whether it’s Kailash Kher’s “Allah ke Bande” or Rabbi’s “Bullah ki jana main kaun”, Sufism always has a mesmerizing impact on us.

Kavita Seth delivered an unforgettable rendition of the heart warming sufi number, "Iktara" in the 2009 Bollywood hit "Wake Up Sid".

Guess what? We are not the only one, the Iktara enchantress went through the same phase too. “Growing up in Bareilly, gave me a chance to visit dargaahs. The qawalis sung there penetrated my soul and remained as a part of me,” she elucidates.

Indeed! The Sufism is penetrating. Today, Sufism has penetrated into the cultures of various regions like Turkey, Indonesia, Arab, Africa, Bosnia and even Britain to give us the New Age Sufi Music. Composers like A.R. Rahman, Pritam Chakraborty, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Vishal Bhardwaj and Salim-Sulaiman have themselves not been able to resist its mystical hymns and have often weaved in Sufi tunes in Hindi movies.

The Indian Scene

Mestro of Sufi - The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Tabla-guru and Sufi singer Salim Allahwale informs that dargahs were the origin point of Sufi music in India. He refers to the text of kasas-ul-ambia (stories of ambias) and continues, “Ancient India was a land of magic and mystique. Although at that time Islam didn’t have high regards for music, Sufism became a spiritual branch of the religion. It became a path leading to euphoric unison of the seeker and God or dhikr (also transliterated as zhikr) through poetry and music.”

Mixed-up? So was I. Thus, Allahwale simplified. “Ever seen a village girl balancing five pots of water on her head, fodder for barn in one hand, a stick in another, walking through cobbled streets, chatting animatedly with her friends? No matter how engrossed she is in the gossip, the pots are well balanced. This is the essence of Sufi music. Embracing the world and balancing the connection with God.” Perhaps, this is the reason why everyone is able to relate to this music and it has won hearts across the borders.

This explains the reference to a superior power in every Sufi composition. “Qalam” Allahwale corrects me, “not composition.”

In fact, like we first have drinks, then snacks, followed by soup leading to main course and finally dessert; similarly, in traditional Sufi first Qol or qawali is sung, then hamd, followed by naad sharif leading to man qabat and finally ruhani ghazal. However, ruhani ghazals, qawalis and fusion are popular form of Sufi music these days.

Rahat Ali Khan has created some unforgettable sufistic verses

“This adaptability helps youngsters to relate with it”, quips Anuradha Singh, a Sufi-Kathak dancer of international repute, “and that’s why, Sufism is never old, its always hip.” Kavita Seth recalls on same lines, “When last year I performed at Mood Indigo, IIT-Powai, I was approached by the students exclaiming that the show should have been titled as ‘Rock night’ instead of ‘Classic night’.”

What lies ahead?

These days we find even college rock-bands trying their luck in experimenting with this genre. The question is: Does it work? “Yup!” informs Anshu Awasthi, a student. “Here (in Delhi) we have a rock band, Advaita, its lead singer often sings Sufi numbers too (and) it takes the concert to another level. Sufi rocks!”

Article by Kirti Tarang