Naren's indie round-up/ Aug 2023, Ep 1

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Parikrama/ Translucent Night

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *****

Veteran rock band Parikrama aims to spread awareness about organ donation through its new track 'Transclucent Night'. The video was released on August 3, India Organ Donation Day, and the audio will be out on August 13, World Organ Donation Day.

Musically, this is a power ballad which begins with Subir Malik's Hammond B3 organ and has a brilliant guitar solo by the young Abhishek Mittal, who stepped in after the death of Sonam Sherpa. Vocalist Nitin Malik is in prime form as he sings, "I feel it in my bones the songs of dawn, whispers in my being the darkness had gone". Guitarist Saurabh Chaudhry, bassist Gaurav Balani and drummer Srijan Mahajan complete the line-up.

The video, directed by Bhanu Wadhavan and Prem Singh Gambhir, uses live band shots with images of donors and recipients. To support the cause, each of the six band members has pledged his body organs. The sheer beauty of the song adds to the purpose.

Aditi Iyer/ Never Met You

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

At 18, singer-songwriter Aditi Iyer has produced a few good songs, including 'Deleted Your Number' and '18 With You'. Her songs deal with teenage emotions and are relatable to peers.

Aditi's latest single 'Never Met You' talks about a failed relationship as the words move from "Was a normal girl who lived her normal life" to "I wish I never, never met you" to "I want to confess you're the cause of my stress". 

The song has an electro-pop vibe and it's interesting how Aditi gets straight into the words without an instrumental intro. It's a honest song, and that's welcome.

Dhruv Viswanath/ Gimme Love

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

After releasing the albums Orion, The Lost Cause and The Book Of I, Delhi singer-songwriter Dhruv Viswanath comes out with the single 'Gimme Love', collaborating with Matty Benbrook for songwriting. 

The highlight is the video directed by Tanvi Gandhi and starring Rayomand Noble. It goes beautifully with the song that talks of fighting one's inner demons and finding the good things within oneself.

The words, "Don't give in to hurting, you're all I have to be, rest your eyes and focus, tomorrow waits for me" sums up the song's message. Dhruv's pleasant vocal texture gives it the right expression.

House Of Tuneman/ Bombay Bustle

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ***

Delhi-based DJ Karan Dhingra, who goes by the name of House Of Tuneman, chooses the chaotic life of Mumbai as the theme for his track 'Bombay Bustle'.

The genre is primarily tech house, though he uses layers of folk sounds and Carnatic rhythmic syllables (konnakol) through the piece. Thus it could be slotted as electro-fusion.

The tune is ideal for club play and though it gets repetitive at times, the energy is infectious. The visuals make allusions to local trains, lavani dances, Bollywood and known Mumbai landmarks. Maybe it should have been half a minute shorter than its 4:40 length.

Kalyani Nair & Indian Choral Ensemble/ Nam Tham (Tamil)

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

One hasn't seen too much music involving large choral ensembles in the recorded indie space, and this is where we welcome Chennai singer-composer Kalyani Nair's Indian Choral Ensemble, formed along with Karthik Manickavasakam.

The ensemble is due to release its four-song EP Ula, which had tracks in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi. The first single 'Nam Tham' has been released in Tamil. Accompanied by a video directed by Neeraj M Silva, it features a tight composition and dance sequence.

The main lines, sung by Kalyani herself and written by Pradeep Kumar, talk of Mother Nature asking a budding flower to open up and witness the world around her. The coordination and harmonies between the sopranos, mezzo sopranos, altos, tenors and basses, backed by Rithu Vysakh's strings, is excellent. The Hindi version is also part of the EP.