Parikrama Release New Downtempo Version of ‘Vapourize’

When New Delhi rockers Parikrama made their U.K. debut at Download Festival in 2007, the song they decided to close the set with was the hard-hitting, jumpy and all-out blazing track “Vapourize.”

The track which features pulsating drumming, high octane vocals and sweltering guitar parts has now been given a new lease of life by the band. Earlier this month, Parikrama released a downtempo lo-fi lockdown version of the song.

On the new look “Vapourize” – which clocks in at just under three minutes – we hear singer-guitarist Nitin Malik reel it in with a very chilled and laidback vocal delivery while bassist Gaurav Balani and organist Subir Malik set the mood for the song. Guitarist Saurabh Chaudhry adds his flair to the track and drummer Srijan Mahajan – who produced and arranged this version – is heard holding the groove with a minimal yet rounded approach. Also included is a stirring sitar solo from Dhruv Bedi. The track has been mixed and mastered by Indo-American prog-rockers Skyharbor’s guitarist Keshav Dhar.

In a statement, the band said, “What started out as a project to support two big causes (daily wage workers affected by COVID and Bengal by the cyclone) ended up being a totally different version than what we had envisioned.” They added, “[The] initial idea was to make a swing version of ‘Vapourize’ but Srijan came up with this… and we said, ‘Why Not?’”

Parikrama have also released a playthrough music video that they shot individually from their homes due to the lockdown which was then compiled and edited by Meraki. The clip closes with a touching tribute to the group’s late guitarist Sonam Sherpa, who passed away earlier this year. The new version of “Vapourize” will be available on audio streaming platforms soon.

Watch the video for “Vapourize” below: