Listen: Instrumental Rockers Submarine In Space’s Debut Album ‘Wavelengths’

Ask New Delhi guitarist Abhishek Mittal what are the key elements for an instrumental band to succeed and he says, “Two things which I feel are really important is the melody and the groove.” And those are the exact spots that Mittal’s instrumental rock group Submarine In Space have aced on their recently released debut six-track album, Wavelengths.

Formed in late 2015, Submarine In Space comprises Mittal, keyboardist Raaed Ehsan Azim, bassist Madhur Chaudhary, drummer Vaibhav Ahuja and violinist-flautist Sayan Sinha. “It took us a while to get the sound but I am extremely happy with the way its turned out now,” says Mittal. The guitarist explains that the band’s writing process is very simple, he says, “Vaibhav comes up with a groove and that becomes the bedrock over which all of us add our own elements and individual characters.”

Wavelengths ranges from the bluesy “Prince Of Rumada” to the lively fusion track “83.83” to the soaring “Jamilahn” to the melodic “Meraki.” On “Incense” the band show off their jazz sensibilities while on album closer “Take Off” the group channel a more modern pop-rock sound.  “The album speaks about people from different time eras which are connected through a medium which we have taken as water,” explains Mittal.  Ever wondered how an instrumental band names their songs? Mittal says, “We are really influenced by music from other parts of the world, for instance, ”˜Jamilahn’ is an Arab word which means ”˜a beautiful melody.’ We always name the songs after we have composed them.”

Submarine In Space are currently on tour to promote the record with shows at Bengaluru’s Bflat Bar and Pune’s High Spirits Café coming up this week. After their tour, the band don’t plan on wasting time and want to keep the momentum going by starting work on their follow up to Wavelengths, says Mittal, “We have already started writing tunes, probably another album in the coming year.”