Listen: Kolkata Indietronica Duo Oh, Rocket’s Debut Single “Cat Door Back Door Man”

(from left) Oh, Rocket’s Shubharun Sengupta and Aniket Dutta.

When 23-year-old vocalist Aniket Dutta is not channeling all his angst for his hardcore band Tint, he swings to the other side of the spectrum, to electronica with his group Oh, Rocket. Dutta and Kolkata-based producer, bassist and guitarist Shubharun Sengupta got together to form Oh, Rocket late last year. The idea of the band came up when Dutta sent his solo demos to Sengupta, who has been part of Dutta’s circle of friends for years now. Says Dutta, “He found it cool and we decided to work on them together.” The band released their first single, “Cat Door Back Door Man,” as part of a full-length album, Bloomspoon, due in June.

There’s more to Oh, Rocket than just electronica and rock, says Dutta. Some of the newer material the duo is writing is influenced by American freak folk band CocoRosie, Icelandic vocalist and multi-instrumental Bjork and American chillwave artist Neon Indian. Says Dutta about the song “Harmful If Taken Internally,” which will release in May, “I make up a lot of imaginary situations and end up writing lyrics based on that.” Their lead single, “Cat Door Back Door Man,” however, is more inspired by a theme that bands have been preoccupied with for centuries now ”“ love and more specifically, the thrill of a crush. The single features a dance floor-friendly beat and funky synth over Dutta’s R&B-inspired vocals.

Oh, Rocket’s live setup involves Sengupta taking charge of bass and synth and Dutta on vocals and samples. Following the release of the single, Oh, Rocket are hoping to perform across the country, especially in Mumbai, where Dutta last played with Tint in June last year. Says Dutta, “There are a few venues in Kolkata, but we definitely want to come down to Mumbai.”

Stream and download “Cat Door Back Door Man” by Oh, Rocket