Naren's indie round-up/ Oct 2025, Ep 3

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Louiz Banks/ Morning Mist

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *****

One has heard jazz maestro Louiz Banks' composition 'Morning Mist' live in concert a few times. Each time one is impressed by the melody and musicianship.

Now, the tune has been recorded live at the Island City Studios in Khar, Mumbai. The video shows bassist Sheldon D'Silva beginning with the outline, after which there are elaborate portions by guitarist Rhythm Shaw and Louiz on piano. Drummer Gino Banks provides perfect accompaniment.

The track runs into seven minutes, but flows smoothly. It has a wonderful hook and some well-rendered improvisation, and lends an air of serenity that goes with morning mist. Incidentally, Louiz and his group have also released videos of 'Mercy Me', 'Stargazer' and 'Love Eyes' as part of the In The Studio series. Worth checking out.

Swapnil Garg feat. Soubhagya Mohapatra/ Tu Udle

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

The video takes you on a tour of Paris, Pisa and even parts of Mumbai. 'Tu Udle' is a fun song composed and produced by Swapnil Garg, who sings it with Soubhagya Mohapatra.

With a tight groove, funk vibe and some crisp guitars, the song is upbeat. Utkarsh Garg's lyrics begin, "Ud ud udu masti mein, khile khile mere pankh hain; ghoslon se baahar nikal, hauslon mein phir sambhal, ud loon aasmaan mein, choo loon aasman mein".

It's one of those songs where the video look fits the song's mood. Leaves you on a high.

Niki Choudhury/ With You

Label: Self-released 

Rating; ***

The title may make one feel it's an English song but 'With You' is in Hindi. It's a simple love song, which Niki Choudhury has composed, written and sung herself.

Born in Silchar, Assam, Niki is based in Delhi, and has been very prolific over the past two years. Her releases this year include 'Maahi', 'Mulaqatein' and 'Sajan Mora'.

On 'With You', Niki sings, "Tere bin raahein sooni lagti, chup si har ghadi lagti hai". The song is about longing. While Shan Paul does a good job on production, the tune is routine. Yet, its words can cater to the younger lot.

Diljit Dosanjh/ Charmer

Label: Self-released 

Rating: *** 1/2

Diljit Dosanjh is back with another Punjabi banger called 'Charmer'. What's interesting is that it features actress Sanya Malhotra of Dangal and Mrs movie fame.

Sanya goes in for a modern, trendy look, and shows her dancing skills smoothly. The video, directed by Sharic Sequeira, has been brilliantly choreographed by Yashh Kadamm, even though Diljit isn't the best dancer on the scene. The song has a catchy melody though, with lyricist Raj Ranjodh bringing out the romance.

Nayan Ghosh & Ishaan Ghosh/ Raag Deepawali 

Label: Self-released 

Rating: ****

To mark the festive occasion, sitar exponent Nayan Ghosh put out a recording of raag Deepawali, composed by his legendary uncle, flautist Pannalal Ghosh. Tabla accompaniment is provided by his son Ishaan Ghosh.

The raag is a blend of the evening raag Yaman and the morning melody Lalit. Shot in a festive setting by Ocean Motion Pictutes, the piece is just under five minutes long, building up after a short alaap. The recording works well with YouTube watchers, and one looks forward to hearing a more elaborate presentation in a concert.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gig review/ Guns N' Roses

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Guns N Roses/ Live In Mumbai Genre : Rock Details : Mahalaxmi Race Course grounds, May 17 Presenters : Brought to India by Book My Show Live, globally produced by Live Nation Rating : *** Let's face it. Axl Rose's vocals have lost their zing. At 63, the man with one of the most powerful voices in rock history now seems a pale shadow of the past. He athletically soldiered on for two hours and 40 minutes at the Mahalaxmi Race Course last night, determined to play all the favourites. One should give him a nod for perseverance, but one could notice the strain. Of course, the Guns N' Roses show was more about nostalgia. It was more about hearing those classics performed by a group that has been part of a generation's upbringing. It was about wearing those black GNR tees to see two idols - Axl and guitarist Slash - together on stage, though both have performed in Mumbai separately. To everyone's delight, Slash was in his element. Those fingers, shown c...
Read more

Naren's indie round-up/ June 2024, Ep 4

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR The Anirudh Varma Collective feat. Divyam Sodhi & Kavya Singh/ Mausam Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Delhi-based The Anirudh Varma Collective has been doing some exceptional work, blending classical melodies with contemporary sounds in a rather subtle manner. The new song 'Mausam', from their forthcoming album, is another such gem. It's a song about longing, sung fabulously by Divyam Sodhi and Kavya Singh, who also complement each other very well. The lyrics by Likhari uses lines like, "Mausam badalta jaaye, balma na aaye". A highlight is Anirudh's arrangement, which makes good use of sarod, guitar and ghatam. All musicians get their space and the fusion is seamless. Captured live in the studio in Saubhagya Saxena's video, with a guest appearance by model Vrinda Chadha.  Utsavi Jha/ Kaise Kaise Label: first.wav Rating: *** 1/2 Singer Utsavi Jha has been releasing songs for the past four years. After 'Piya' in April, she ...
Read more

Naren's indie round-up/ Jan 2023, Ep 4

Image
BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Kamakshi Khanna/ Breathe Label: Self-released  Rating: ***** Everything seems just right about Delhi-bred Kamakshi Khanna's new single 'Breathe'. She sings from the heart, vents out, expresses anxiety and self-doubt, creates an impact. Kamakshi has written the lyrics herself, using lines like, "Every day's a fight, but now I search for the light that was there inside". The main line goes, "I just have to breathe", and there's beauty in the way she sings 'breathe' each time. Add to that a crisp production, with gentle ukulele, subtle rhythms and Ajay Jayanthi's angst-filled strings. Anjali Kamat's illustrated video adds to the vibe. The best thing is that it's a song many will emotionally relate to in the quest for peace. Shehzad Ali & Siddharth Kasyap/ Ishqbaazi Label: SK Music Works Rating: **** Composer Siddharth Kasyap has maintained a good balance between fusion projects and pop tunes. His new song ...
Read more