Exclusive Premiere: Bengaluru Trio Cinema of Excess’ Laidback Debut ‘Wide Awake’

Have you ever wondered why acoustic groups don’t usually have a bassist in the band? Anirudh Ravi does as well. The Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter (from erstwhile indie band Inthenow) made his solo project into Cinema of Excess in 2016 when he met guitarist Bharath Kashyap. They decided to invite bassist Abheet Anand (from metallers Tangents) in as well.

Anirudh says, “It (bass) just makes everything sound fat and full and It binds all these sounds together. Most importantly, in our case, I feel like everything comes together quite well in the jam room, and it’s almost as if it would sound like something is missing without the bass.”

On their debut single “Wide Awake,” Anand certainly fits in well, providing a bedrock for Kashyap to noodle over sweetly on his acoustic guitar, while Anirudh strums along. Originally intended as his solo project featuring a host of musicians from the city’s scene, Cinema of Excess found permanent members and now has a five-track EP, Bring Back the Sound, due later this year. Like the bittersweet pleading of “Wide Awake,” Anirudh says there’s more of that on the EP. “I think the songs on it have a certain sadness to them but there’s a lot of hope too.”

The trio will launch the single on tonight at the newly renovated Bflat in Bengaluru, alongside acoustic duo Beard of Harmony. While the EP wraps up, Anirudh says there’s more in the works. “We’re currently working on our second album and performing a longer set. We have a lot planned for this year and are really excited to see how everything goes down.”

Watch “Wide Awake”