Blakc Present a Twisted New Sound on Third Album ‘The Consequence of Feeling’

The last time we spoke to Mumbai rockers Blakc, the group was prepping to record their upcoming LP by working out the songs at a makeshift studio in Karjat in 2016. Since then, they parted ways with longtime bassist Roop Thomas Philip and drafted in Sourya Mukherjee (from Mumbai neo soul band Cuttlefish) to replace him.

On Mukherjee’s arrival, vocalist Shawn Pereira says, “He was playing with Varun [Sood, drummer] anyway with Cuttlefish so we jammed a couple of songs with him and it locked in and sounded great.” Now, the five-piece outfit is ready with their third and most grown-up album till date, The Consequence of Feeling, which comprises nine tracks and releases on October 6th.  

Unlike their previous records ”“ 2008’s Choking on a Dream and the 2012 banger Motheredland  ”“ Blakc have decided to release The Consequence of Feeling in a piecemeal fashion, putting out one track at a time with lyric videos to each song. Pereira says, “It made a lot more sense and Anish [Menon, guitarist] had this idea to give people that bandwidth of letting them absorb each song at a time.” He adds, “Everybody has time limitations, so a song each week seems like it is enough for someone to check it out and hear it.”

Pereira explains that the songs on the new record confirm the group’s maturity as musicians and that they have paid more attention to their musicality than ever before. “[We wanted] to try and sound like us now, we didn’t think if we were sounding like a grunge band or a rock band or whatever it is.” Blakc still retain their long-standing heavy rock sound while also evolving. The vocalist says, “It would naturally sound different because of the fact that there are new musicians.”

The group has so far released seven songs with two more on their way and Pereira tells us that lyrically he wanted to be very honest and write about what they were feeling at the time of making the record. He says, “I don’t know how to write concept albums or any of that stuff so when you have a feeling you put that down.” On the dynamic “Humane,” Blakc showcase a strong rhythm section with chunky guitars and Pereira’s steely vocals about humanity. The high-energy “Dopamine” can’t be deciphered that easily, though. Pereira jokes that people might think that the song is about drugs because of its title, but says, “It’s about someone wanting to find what pulls you and inspires you.”

There are also songs about hope on the record such as the chaotic “Returning Light” and “Colours.” The vocalist says, “The whole album is about wanting to go at the world with a certain kind of drive, being inspired, living through the motions, which is what the consequences of feeling are.”

The Consequence of Feeling has been self-produced by the band and was recorded at Mumbai’s Yash Raj Film Studio under the supervision of sound engineer Shantanu Hudlikar. “He’s played a big part in the recording of the album,” says Pereira. The singer however tracked his vocal parts at the city-based Benchmark Studios where the album was also mastered. Guitarist Reinhardt Dias mixed the record.

Next, the rockers are organizing a massive free outdoor launch gig for the album alongside two other Mumbai acts; prog/fusion rock group Paradigm Shift and psychedelic rock band Daira who are both launching their own albums too, Sammukh and Itni Jurrat? respectively, at Razzberry Rhinoceros on October 6th. “We really want to throw a big party, we’ll be doing the production, lights, sound and making sure the place looks great,” says Pereira.

Also in the pipeline are music videos for “Dopamine” and the pulsating “Disorder.” On the live front, Blakc are planning on performing at upcoming college festivals and are in talks with venues in South India. Pereira adds, “The live set is going to sound different and better hopefully.”

Listen to “Consequences” below.

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