Amogh Symphony Plan Third Album ‘Vectorscan’
Russian composer and producer Andrey Sazonov joins Mumbai guitarist Vishal J Singh and American drummer Jim Richman for a 12-track concept album due in September
(from top) Vishal J Singh, Jim Richman, Andrey Sazonov. Illustration by George Richman
What do a wedding brass band, Assamese folk stories and jazz have in common? The answer, not surprisingly, is avant-garde band Amogh Symphony, which now has members based out of India, Russia and the U.S. While the first album, Abolishing The Obsolete System [2009], was composed by Mumbai-based guitarist Vishal J Singh, American drummer Jim Richman joined on the second album The Quantum Hack Code in 2010.
While Amogh Symphony started out as progressive, technical metal fused with genres as diverse as flamenco and Middle Eastern music, Singh says Vectorscan, slated to release in September,draws from “8-bit electronic elements, traditional microtonal elements, Sixties and Seventies vinyl production and experimental/avant-garde/contemporary jazz with a pinch of grungy tech metal.” Singh adds, “Imagine a metal band, a jazz band, a wedding brass band and a string section all in the same studio. There are so many elements.” The 12-track album is also a family affair for Singh, including tracks sung in Assamese by Singh’s mother Kasturi Singh and poetry written by Singh’s late grandmother Labanya Prabha Nath in 1941. Labanya Nath was also a freedom fighter and one of the first female Indian artists to release music on a record.
Vectorscan is a concept album which combines Singh’s interest in poetry [including poets such as Nath, Hemchandra Goswami, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Premchand], painting [Spanish artist Francisco Goya, French symbolist painter Gustave Moreau and engraver Rodolphe Bresdin], film [including Indian filmmaker Kamal Swaroop’s 1988 postmodern work Om-Dar-Ba-Dar] and music. Says Singh, “Anyone who is into avant-garde and anyone who loves soundtracks will love this album.” Singh likens his work with Amogh Symphony to being a chef who’s asked to make what he loves. Says Singh, “He’ll make something you’ve never heard of. My point is, I always aim to make something that has no competition at all.”
Vectorscan tracklist
1. Desolate.
2. Junaki, Osinaki. Dhumuha, Saki.
3. Consume ectoplasm before it runs, resume chakras because it burns.
4. Bliss of the weak, strength to the peak, teach for humble, soil will rumble.
5. We are here, they are here, sector of nectar, feeding vector.
6.1289, voyeur will shine, fight for distinction, evolution is mine.
7. Osir.
8. Mayamohey bhora, aey dhorat.
9. Tongue of fire, burning wings, torment dormant, breaking black rings/Karna from 12 a.m. till Sunset.
10. Weather report, shortening of days, change their minds, clash of rays.
11. Maatir manuh ami, Maatirey jibon, matirey gao joyogaan.
12. Onamika
Listen to “1289, voyeur will shine, fight for distinction, evolution is mine.” Pre-order Vectorscan here
