If mocktail’s too sweet for you and cocktail’s too strong, perhaps you can get drunk on Folktail. That’s Bikram Ghosh’s latest album that promises to transport Bengal folk music from the fringes to the floors.

“If Bhangra being a form of regional music can be such a big international phenomenon, then there’s no reason why our folk music forms like Baul, Bhatiali and Jhumur can’t be as popular,” argues the percussionist.

This is the first time Bikram has dabbled in fusion after the success of Rhythmscape. “I feel Bengali folk music can be brought into the mainstream. The philosophy of the forms is so strong, but the rhythm is lacking. So I have added some rocking rhythms to the folk formats ? everything from Indian classical music to trance and techno.”

The songs have been mainly sung by the new voice of Sahajmaa, with more than 35 musicians playing 60-70 instruments. “This is easily my biggest project till date and I would even call it my best work yet. I have tried many different things like juxtaposing Santhal music with flamenco beats, giving a techno twist to Bhatiali?”

Bikram is ready to face the music from folk purists once the album is launched in early September, under the Saregama label. “My last album Samaa was a very safe shot, but Rhythmscape had come for a lot of flak initially. See, I myself come from a purist background and for me to try something like Rhythmscape was shocking for many. But everything changed within six months of the album release and you had tons of fusion work happening everywhere? You need to find new voices to help keep our traditions alive.”

The musician who played the leading man in Subrata Sen’s Hothat Neerar Jonnyo is just back from Ajmer where he shot for the first video of the album .

“It’s shot beautifully by Benoy Mitra in the mountainous locales of Rajasthan. The video has a lot of international elements to it and features a whole lot of foreigners ? Chinese, Mongolian, Israelis? The song is called Allah meherbaan, khuda meherbaan and fuses Baul and Sufi music forms. The sound is very Middle-East while the words talk about all religions being one. There is a storyline and I make some fleeting appearances as well.”

After Folktail, Bikram has other interesting projects lined up. “Stringscape is up next, which is my melodic take on rhythm, the opposite of Rhythmscape, which was the rhythmic take on melody. The compilation will feature big names in fusion like Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt, Ronu Mazumdar and Niladri Kumar. Each of these very talented musicians will perform one of my compositions while Pandit Tarun Bhattacharya will present three numbers.”

A sequel to Rhythmscape, titled Rhythmscape 2, is slated to be ready by December. “There will be loads of vocal elements this time. We are trying to rope in Shubha Mudgal and Kailash Kher as guest artistes.”

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s Drumscape, a percussion-loaded musical experience.