New Music: From Acid-inspired Electronica to “Indie Grunge”

“I Am Acid” by Func

On the second single off his latest EP Beast, Func continues his aquatic antics in a video that he says was “inspired by Salvador Dali, Michel Gondry, Rajneesh Osho & Rajesh Khanna”. With a little help from vocalist Kanchan Daniel [of blues band Kanchan Daniel and the Beards and acoustic act BeesKnees], vocalist-guitarist-producer Randolph Correia unleashes machine-gun beats against synths that are as epileptic as they are addictive. Func’s video description of “You don’t need drugs, you are drugs” suddenly makes perfect sense.

 

“Remember Why” by Rishabh Seen

Delhi-based sitar player Rishabh Seen takes a break from his top-speed sitar-shredding with his prog metal band Mute the Saint to mellow on a post-rock-influenced track that, which he describes was composed when he “almost felt like giving up on a lot of things, but chose to keep going.” Set to a gorgeous video that’s part Prisma-fied, and part watercolored-down, Seen weaves delicate melodies against an ambient soundscape to create a dreamy getaway.

 

“Taste Some Paradise” by Stereo Culture 

Everything in rock music seems to now lend itself too easily to electronic elements. Bengaluru electro-rock band Stereo Culture’s debut single “Taste Some Paradise” might feature not-so-mature lyrics, but you can’t fault them for that. They’re singing about breaking away from the planned and proper life of jobs and loans and  want to identify as the generation that refuses to grow up.

 

“Insanity” by Papersky

Dimapur-based indie rock trio Papersky first came to our attention when they were competing at the Hornbill International Rock Contest in 2014 and within three years of coming together, they’ve been winning a few more competitions in the North East as well. Their first single “Insanity” is their claim to being an “indie grunge” band – an unlikely pairing – but comes across more as supersized overdrive riffs that might just fill an arena one day.

Listen to “Insanity” here.

 

“Tomorrow Never Knows” (Beatles cover) by Susheela Raman

British-Indian vocalist Susheela Raman pays tribute to 50 years of the Beatles’ Revolver by transforming the hurdy-gurdy psychedelic rock headiness of album-closer “Tomorrow Never Knows” into a tribal fantasy. Raman ropes in Gamelan musicians from the city of Surakarta in Java, Indonesia to lend tinny percussion and primal chants against her own vocals. We’re all too glad to lay down our thoughts and surrender to this void.

 

“Jump, Don’t Be Afraid” by Fraunikus (Live)

The Mumbai instrumental rock band — keyboardist Sushan Shetty dubs their genre as “disco-depressive”/ “post-depressive”– closed out their recent show at Hard Rock Cafe with this six-minute epic that layers ominous choir chants, Moog-inspired melodies and wailing sirens over no-nonsense riff work. Fraunikus may only be one EP and three gigs old, but we’re willing to take the leap.

 

By Anurag Tagat and Nabeela Shaikh