New Releases: RnB from Bengaluru and metal from Chennai

“Thinking About” by Spryk ft Hayley Couper

Spryk is the solo project of Mumbai-based musician Tejas Nair, a self-proclaimed “urban drifter” who has developed a broad, electronic sound as he shuttled between Australia and India. “Thinking About” is full of ambient sounds and shifting tempos, which makes it difficult to fit neatly into one category, but comes closest to trip hop. Guesting on the track is Haley Couper, delivering lazy vocals against a background of sharp beats, making for a rather psychedelic tune overall.

“Burn” by Alexis

Bengaluru-based RnB band Alexis are just out with their first track off their upcoming 4-track EP Back To The Start. A mellow yet upbeat song, “Burn” contains well, not exactly PG-13 lyrics. We tried not to let lines like “The color on my lips is my game/you’re pushing on my hips that sweet pain” distract us from funky walking basslines, but we hope you have better luck. “Burn” has a pleasantly laidback, jazz bar vibe that the band seems to also have channeled in their video.

 

“Zoot Suit” By Hologram 28

Formed earlier this year, Mumbai-based electro-pop duo Hologram 28 just released their debut EP Happy Accidents. The duo consists of Heather Andrews on lead vocals, keyboards and synths and Suprateek Chatterjee on guitars, synths and backing vocals. “Zoot Suit” was our personal favorite-right from the Icona Pop sound to the infectious hooks to the up-tempo riffs.

 

“Of Fire and Ashes” by Diabolus Arcanium

This Chennai-based black metal band released the first single from their upcoming debut album Path of Ascension. The full length album, which is also up for pre-ordering, will be released on August 15th via the label Transcending Obscurity India. The track “Of Fire And Ashes” with some classic symphonic metal riffs that accompany the terrifying shrieks of their vocalist Vyas Manalan sounds a lot like Norwegian black metal pioneers Dimmu Borgir taking a step further into hell.

“Maya” by Coshish

If you have been following Mumbai-based prog rock band Coshish since the release of their debut album Firdous [2013], you’re probably familiar with the attention that the band pays to details right from the detailed album art and more recently, the elaborate ‘Mukti’ DVD box set. The band has gone on to release what they call “the final milestone of their album,” a video for “Maya,” which is [arguably] their heaviest single so far. The largely monochrome video portrays a freeform dancer in a dimly lit room with sacred geometric patterns on its walls, including a Kabbalistic tree of life and the band’s signature ”˜impossible object.’ Visually similar to the music videos released by prog rock band Tool, whom they cite as their biggest influence, “Maya” is as haunting as it is hypnotizing.