That Boy Roby’s Music Video ‘Backdrop’ is Set to Winter in Spiti Valley

Chandigarh’s experimental rock band That Boy Roby have been at the top of their game when it comes to music videos, from the mind-bending “T” to enlisting photographer and filmmaker Himanshu Khagta to explore Himalayan towns for “Mountain People” and “Happy Camper.”

Their latest visual treat is for the ambient, evocative tune “Backdrop.” It takes Khagta’s short film Pitti and just enhances the experience of what the band describes as “White Spiti.” Shot in Spiti Valley in the winter of 2015, the filmmaker captured hills, curious dogs, stoic people and fun loving kids during a heavy snow period of three months. The band adds in a statement, “The intent of the director is to capture a day when the wind and snow are in a symphony with the landscape. […] No electricity, sub-zero temperature, piles of snow make the winters in Spiti as beautiful and harsh as one’s first love. Only a few dare to call it home.”

Adding mystique to the video is the song (from their 2018 album Four Pair of Jeans), bringing together a striking sarangi section from Suhail Yusuf Khan (formerly of fusion band Advaita), cinematic violin from Imraan Khan (a regular for New Delhi rock veterans Parikrama) and a hint of whistling and vocals from Chandigarh-based, Solan-bred rock artist Shubhank Sharma.

For his part, Khagta says he’s always excited to work with That Boy Roby. “Mainly because one, the music that they create is always fresh and gets my creative channel flowing. Second, with the soundscape and our understanding amongst us, I really get the required space to create something meaningful which satisfies my artistic expression.”

Watch the video for “Backdrop” below.