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Studio tour at Synergy Audio Productions

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Studio tour: Synergy Audio Productions,Gurugram The full video of the interview is below. But before that, a few paragraphs to set the context. His 2023 album Stung Out To Dry was a beauty, getting a five-star rating in this blog. A former member of the Delhi rock band Cyanide, singer-songwriter Rohan Solomon is equally passionate about music recording and production. He thus started his state-of-the-art facility Synergy Audio Productions in Gurugram. This blogger visited the place on a cold winter day, and was greeted by warmth everywhere - in the lounge room temperature, the Chinese lunch and the regular coffee, besides the reception by him and his team. With a pool table greeting you and smaller room specially made for leisure and gaming, it looked like a very informal set-up. Yet, as one went on a quick tour to the main recording rooms, one gathered a lot of thought, dedication and hard work have gone into setting up and maintaining this space. Yet, like in...
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Dream Theater/ Parasomnia

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Dream Theater/ Parasomnia  Genre : Progressive metal Label : Inside Out Music Rating : **** If one can have dreams, one can also have nightmares. The world of sleep is like a theater, filled with various emotions and disruptions.  Welcome to American progressive metal band Dream Theater's new album Parasomnia , which as the title suggests, is themed around sleep disorders. For the Dream Theater fan, the album is significant as it marks the return of drummer Mark Portnoy after 16 years, since he last appeared on Black Clouds & Silver Linings . Though the interim replacement Mike Mangini was solid in his own way, Portnoy's comeback is a revival of the classic line-up of him, vocalist James McBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and bassist John Myung. In the band's trademark manner, Parasomnia shuffles between songs of various lengths, from the one-and-a-half minute filler 'Are We Dreaming?' to the nearly-20-minute epic nam...
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Naren's indie round-up/ Feb 2025, Ep.2

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Rahul U/ Paisa Kamao Label: Self-released  Rating: **** Here's a hip-hop number with a sense of humour, and a super-cool video to match. On 'Paisa Kamao', Rahul U. sings about the obsession of many people - to make money. The video, conceptualised by Devang Nagarkar, has a large team of actors. It's a fun film with fast-changing frames and a range of facial expressions. The words are on target, as Rahul writes, "Maut toh aani hai, sab kuch le jaani hai, kya kya bachaayega paisa ya khaal" and "Bina rokde ka hota nahin kuch yahaan sab bole aas paas paise kamao". Sung in a rap style, they create an impact. Sarthak Bhardwaj/ Preet Label: Self-released  Rating: ***  Known for the songs 'Mehar' and 'Jaane Na De', 22-year-old Dehradun singer Sarthak Bhardwaj is now out with his new single 'Preet'. Produced by TrapGuru, it's a song about a man's yearning for love. Lyricist Ayushi Vaswani comes up with lines...
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Naren's indie round-up/ Feb 2025, Ep 1

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Harini Rao & Saikat Basu/ Ae Ri Sakhi Label: The Songsmiths Rating: **** There have been various renditions of Amir Khusro's 'Ae Ri Sakhi', including ones by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Shujaat Khan. What differentiates this one by Harini Rao and Saikat Basu is the addition of English lyrics, sung by the latter. The version begins with a section from Khusro's 'Sakal Ban Phool Rahi Sarson' after which Harini sings "Ae ri sakhi morey piya ghar aaye, bhaag lage is aangan ko". Saikat's English lines go, "They say there lies no fear, and tears got no place, they say there lies no ugly truth to face", with the song then getting back to Khusro's lines. Joy Solomon's piano and Shreyas Iyengar's saxophone go well with the blend. Sateesh Saladi's video captures the musicians in different performance shots. Hailing from Hyderabad, Harini has strong command over the nuances. Kaushiki Chakraborty & Shweta Mohan...
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Gig reviews/ Marma and Indiva

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Marma/ Chandana Bala Kalyan  Genre : Devotional Details : NGMA auditorium, January 24 Rating : **** Merlyn DeSouza, Vivienne Pocha, Chandana Bala Kalyan & Shruti Bhave/ Indiva  Genre : Multi region folk-fusion Details : NMACC Studio, January 25 Rating : **** Two shows in Mumbai last week provided a good variety of music from different parts of India. On January 24, singer Chandana Bala Kalyan showcased songs from her album Marma: Myriad Hues Of Devotion  at the National Gallery Of Modern Art (NGMA) auditorium in Fort. The following day, she was back on stage at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Studio as part of the eclectic group Indiva, led by pianist-keyboardist Merlyn DeSouza, and also featuring vocalist Vivienne Pocha and violinist Shruti Bhave. The Marma concert focused on devotional music, moving from a Carnatic composition and Kannada bhajans to Marathi abhang and qawwali. The set was a mix of songs from the album and pieces sh...
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Coldplay reviewed by a coach potato

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Like an obedient teenager, I did what he said. He asked me to clap, and I clapped. He told me to wave at a stranger in another corner, and I did that. The problem arose when he said, "Phones in the pocket, hands in the sky". I mean, how on earth could I watch the Coldplay live telecast with my phone in my pocket? I was sitting in a bus, travelling from Mumbai to Hubballi when the band's frontman Chris Martin was giving all these orders in distant Ahmedabad on January 26. He had 134,000 people for company at the final gig of his India tour. I had only 14 fellow travellers who were least bothered about why I was suddenly jumping up, screaming 'oh-oh-oh' and flashing my watch imagining it was a razzle-dazzle 'star-in-the-sky' wristband. I was in total Chris Martin mood, saying a British-flavoured 'dhanyavaad' to anyone in sight, and changing my tee twice in the journey. Even my bus was painted 'yellow' and the low AC temper...
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Naren's indie round-up/ Jan 2025, Ep.2

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Kavita Seth/ Maine Muddat Se Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Though singer Kavita Seth is generally known for the hit 'Iktara' and the film version of the traditional 'Rang Saari', her repertoire is much wider. Here she comes out with the stunning nazm 'Maine Muddat Se', based on a poem by Waseem Barelvi. The song has been produced by Kavita's son Kanishk Seth, and a highlight is the way ID Rao's clarinet and flute, Zion Matthew's piano and Bhushan Chitnis's guitar have been used in the backdrop. The video, directed by Pankhuri Ranjan, shows the singer expressing different moods. Of course, it's the words that stand out, as Kavita sings, "Maine muddat se koi khwab nahin dekha hai". Roses, dew, the sun, moon, distant villages and streams are used as metaphors before she ends, "Haath rakh de meri aankhon pe ke neend aa jaaye". Brilliant. Jonita Gandhi/ Channa Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Can...
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