Fresh Indie Fridays #48

Karan Kanchan, Rahul Rajkhowa – “easier to be alone”

If you tune into the newest release by ace Mumbai producer Karan Kanchan, you will immediately recognize that he is more than just a hip-hop producer who makes beats. Kanchan’s ability to cross over to the pop world is second to none, as showcased on the groovy “easier to be alone” featuring vocalist-guitarist Rahul Rajkhowa. Rajkhowa’s velvety voice rests beautifully over Kanchan’s production touch that features lush keys and a booming bassline, as well as plenty of rich embellishments. With this being the first of many that Kanchan plans to release in the indie and pop space, he said in a statement, “This song is about how sometimes it may be easier to be alone, than in a relationship that’s not meant to be.”

Sai Vsr – “Dear Madeline,”

Hyderabad-based singer-songwriter Sai Vsr just released his latest single, the exhilarating “Dear Madeline,.”  The anthemic acoustic-leaning song includes chugging strums, melodic keyboard parts and a whirlpool of dynamics that send out plenty of emotions, as well as the artist’s crisp and breathy vocals. Fellow artist Sidharth Bendi produced, mixed and mastered the song while guitarist Pritpal Sudan and drummer Kenneth Harrison also feature on the track. In a statement, the singer-songwriter said, “I wrote this song back in September 2021 when I was in a particularly overwhelming stage of my life. I also had a falling out with a close friend of mine at the time, which gave me the idea of writing a song that would signify the weight that unsaid words carry, and the importance behind finally saying those words.”

Rākhis – Bears Off The Leash

Mumbai producer-guitarist Shikhar Manchanda aka Rākhis (from post-hardcore/progressive metal band Reverrse Polarity) recently dropped his five-track electronic debut EP Bears Off The Leash. The record is a juxtaposition of analog and digital soundscapes, as well as harmonious and dissonant elements that make it quite the earworm. The EP covers themes like insignificance, greed, corruption, concrete jungles, and supernatural possessions as well as “the current scenario of drug usage and dependence including that of the big pharma conglomerates’ constant push to subjugate the people of this planet,” Rākhis said in a statement.