Premiere: Hear SundogProject’s Twisted New Album ‘Tora’

SundogProject frontman Rahul Das. Photo: Jatin Chawla Photography

It’s been more than two years since New Delhi experimental/electronic act SundogProject’s Rahul Das was talking to us about the follow-up to their 2013 debut Hex1/Visions. Called Tora, the band’s second album was intended to be a mood-driven collection of 22 tracks. Das says, “Albums are part of phases of life and this has a thematic idea of closure. This is closure for that phase of life for me.”

Originally taken apart and put together from Das’ collection of compositions and sounds from as early as 2006, Tora began taking new form when he released singles such as “Tentacle,” “Bicycle” and “Tauro” over the last two years. He says, “It brought the album together. When I started writing vocals and even making videos, I got a better idea of what Tora should thematically and sonically be.” Last month, he released “Outsider,” which Das wasn’t sure how people would respond to.

Co-produced by Mumbai-based studio and live engineer Anupam Roy (who played bass in Sundog’s initial lineup), Tora takes its name from the Bengali word for “a freshly plucked bouquet of flowers”. Like the singles released earlier, Tora features a mix of industrial, darkwave, ambient and rock elements ”“ all presented with an ethereal production that shifts moods effortlessly, from the hyper “Disk” to the mind-bending “Deity” and shimmering “Screwhead Notes.” Then there’s ominous, sprawling album closer “Vajra (Protection From All Harm),” which Das is personally excited about.

It’s only preserved parts of the choruses and industrial rock energy of Hex1/Visions, but Das does say that the music is still in the same vein. “There are existential themes, personal themes, talking about consciousness. It’s present as an assortment of different flavors and colors.”

Released via record label Bangalore Recording Company, Das is happy that he’s “setting it [Tora] to sea and letting it float”. He adds, “Let the music travel first. We might tour in January, with an all-new look. There’ll be interesting ways of performing this music, working with audio-visuals and reworking the songs. Some of the ambient stuff turns completely electro-rock live.”

Listen to Tora. Buy the album below, follow SundogProject here.