They have put a spin of their own on the independent music scene in the city, and won over hearts, one song or gig at a time. t2 takes a look at the musical journey of six Calcutta-based acts on the occasion of World Music Day.
Rivu
His present sound can primarily be described as progressive guitar rock, blended with elements of synthwave. The Calcutta-based guitarist and composer is also the writer and co-producer for the experimental electro pop group Preying Mantis. October 2017 saw the release of his self-produced concept album, The Incredible Journey of Light, which champions his experimental style of progressive fused with synth.
The high: “The crowd in Calcutta for independent music is very cosy. It may not be huge, but it’s very supportive in the warmest way possible. I personally feel amazed, too, considering I’m playing something that’s fairly obscure and the most unlikely folks seem to take to it and show their support,” said Rivu.
The low: “The fact that there isn’t a widespread market for the ilk of independent music here is a bad thing. It impedes people from being able to give everything to their art and being able to make a living with the same. Homogenising of genres, people jumping on trendy bandwagons to make a buck, and then they lose their personal voices,” he added.
Listen to: Sky Fi, The Incredible Journey of Light (1 & 2), Kepler Sunset
The Ganesh Talkies
If there were to be a summer romance between indie rock and mainstream Bollywood masala, then The Ganesh Talkies would be the illicit love child born out of it! They’ve described themselves as Bollywood kitsch. Their debut album In Technicolor came with a heavy dose of Bolly influence, along with a generous share of dance pop, and funk. The Great Indian Freak Show was released in August 2017. Their unapologetic expression of their unabashed love for Bollywood, alongside their ability to fuse this love with other grunge and rock influences, has made their sound truly unique. Their live performances are always loaded with electrifying energy.
The high: “The city accords a great deal of space, as compared to many other metro cities as there’s less hustle. It allows you far greater artistic freedom,” said singer-songwriter Suyasha Sengupta.
The low: “There is definitely a lack of infrastructure, despite the developments that have happened over the past couple of years. There is a lack of venues, and sometimes even a proper audience,” she said. “The Calcutta audience is very moody but welcoming. Calcutta can be tough to satisfy but at the same time, on a rainy day, it can be easy on you,” added drummer Sambit Chatterjee.
Listen to: The Fan, Fight Club, Item Song, Style, The Great Indian Freak Show.
Chronic Xorn
Having played in support of international acts such as Children of Bodom and Parkway Drive, metal band Chronic Xorn released their debut album From Mercy. They have performed at Summer Storm Festival in 2010, and at Big 69 in 2015. Having released their newest EP, For These Sins Who Must Die, they headlined Rock Raiders Fest in Jaipur this April.
The high: “Chronic Xorn is not our bread-earner. We all do separate work in our lives. Yet the bit of recognition/fame/fan following we have, it’s mostly because of Chronic Xorn. Which feels amazing, as it means that our honest, sincere and long-term efforts to make metal music, didn’t go in vain,” said guitarist Suvam Moitra.
The low: “It is difficult everywhere, throughout the world. It’s mainstream vs independent music and the war is eternal. It is a cold war though, as both exist, both acknowledge each other’s presence, yet never cross paths. It solely depends on the band, whether they are willing to give in or throw down the towel or continue as it is. We stuck with the latter,” added Suvam.
Listen to: The Great Human Failure, Justice by the act of Violence, The Funeral Song
Paloma & Adil
An experimental electronic music duo, which have consistently described their sound as “mood music”, their chance collaboration for Mad About Drama’s 2014 production With Love, Calcutta, paved the way for the formation in 2016. Most of their music has been a product of experimenting in the studio, in Adil’s room.They’ve been making music and performing for almost two years now, and their EP, Alonely, released just this year.
The high: “Calcutta opens up to new genres and anti-genres. However, I don’t know whether this will ever be popular music but the audience in Calcutta have been receptive,” is what vocalist Paloma Majumdar feels.
The low: “I primarily write in English but also in other languages. So the thing with this kind of music is that it often doesn’t reach a wide audience. And people are quick to categorise and put you in this ‘western’ box just because it’s in English but various Bangla bands basically do a lot of electro pop or rock or alternative, which is basically western too,” she said.
Listen to: Keep Me In Mind, Don’t Talk About Love, City Lights.
Rohan Ganguli Quartet
Formed in 2017, the fusion of jazz, rock and blues elements that are strung together by intricate harmonic and rhythmic arrangements, and their melody-driven songs render the Rohan Ganguli Quartet’s sound a distinct quality of freshness.
The high: “Playing music has always been great for me, wherever in the world it is. I believe Calcutta has more variety and content in musical styles than any other city in this country, which is absolutely necessary and great,” said guitarist Rohan Ganguli.
The low: “The flipside is that Calcutta needs more venues and patrons of the arts to step out and go support their own people. If that happens, I can foresee a big change for the better. We also need to get over the freebie culture,” he added.
Listen to: Scorpion, Devotion.
Whale In The Pond
The group that released their debut EP, Marbles in the summer of 2017, prefer not to be pigeon-holed into genre-specific categories, as their sound ranges from indie folk to punk to dream pop. They have a range of influences, from The Beatles to Radiohead to Sufjan Stevens.
Being a group of multi-instrumentalists, their sound is a melange of guitar and keyboards, along with the likes of the mandolin and the melodica.
The high: “The reception to our music has been amazing. I get to organise my own music festival now. And Marbles sold a lot of copies. Way way more than any of us expected, and the accolades it got... everything was a surprise,” said vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sourjyo Sinha.
The low: “The one drawback is that even though we did well and continue to do well, there’s still no definite future. We can’t rely on the current culture of people not wanting to pay to attend gigs by artistes making original music. And the fault lies with venues as well. There’s not a lot of venues here that pay a fair amount and there are those which don’t pay at all. So that has to change,” said Sourjyo.
Listen to: Sufjan’s Lullaby, Autumn Winds, The Call.
Text: Puja Basu
