Hologram 28 Make Wistful Electropop on New EP ‘Vapourboat’

“Nostalgia is all around us,” says Suprateek Chatterjee, one half of the Mumbai duo Hologram 28. Chatterjee and London/Mumbai-based Heather Andrews make wistful, introspective electropop-rock that at times evokes a slow-moving river (complete with soft water splashes) and at other instances, the window seat on speeding train as it cuts through the landscape.

“We wrote a lot out of our rainy day experiences,” explains Andrews. “Suprateek with moody monsoon views from his Lokhandwala window. Me from a trip to Cherrapunji and thinking about family photos.” The pair’s new three-track, Vapourboat, invites listeners to look inward; to grab a pair of headphones and sit with their own memories for the duration of the EP.

“I was going through a reflective and contemplative phase at the time I came up with some of the ideas that led to the songs; had quit my job [as a full-time journalist], was looking to get into freelancing, love life in shambles–the usual, basically,” says Chatterjee. “The idea of going back to the basics was immensely appealing.”

Aside from memories, Chatterjee also mentions classic Italian film Cinema Paradiso as a source of inspiration. “[The film] is about a successful-but-jaded filmmaker who revisits his sleepy little hometown after many years,” says Chatterjee. “I took the feeling of that movie and tried to reinterpret it in our electro-pop/electro-rock style.”

The ‘Vapourboat’ EP cover art. Artwork by Asma Kazi

The duo, who met at Ragasthan Festival a few years ago, have interchangeable roles within Hologram 28. “Suprateek often comes up with the grooves and initial vibe of a song then I add vocals and other musical layers,” says Andrews. “Then we figure out the structure and finishing touches together.”

“There have been times when the entire idea of the song is by either one of us; there are times when we both assemble the song brick by brick, turn by turn,” Chatterjee adds. “It really depends on the song.”

Over the years that they’ve been making music together, Chatterjee and Andrews have grown into a comfortable, defined sound. Their new EP is a reflection of their increasing musical confidence. “I think it’s a lot more cohesive. It has a strong, definite theme in terms of lyrics, arrangements, and overall sound. It’s a lot more mature,” notes Chatterjee. “There’s much more thought behind the structures and parts and I think we’ve gone beyond the ‘let’s do this because this sounds cool’ phase, which is a phase every musician goes through, I believe.”

“We’ve let the songs grow rather than sticking with an out and out pop format,” agrees Andrews.

Listen to ”˜Vapourboat,’ Hologram 28’s new EP, below: