Sumukh “Smokey” Mysore

Bangalore is recognized for being a cosmopolitan and open minded city, renown for its obsessive tryst with music. In a way, this has helped nurture what was a fledgling creative space into an exciting new frontier. Erasing stereotypes and embracing influences from art, culture and lifestyle has inspired artists who believe in this exact ethos and are on top of their game. We decided to get in touch with some of the artists who are helping bring about a change, to find out why they love the scene in Bangalore. …

Cloaked in mysterious melodic layers with a structure that delicately crafts aural twirls, Nawksh Toboggan’s musical identity is a cluster of expressive soundscapes. While the orchestral wonderment of his compositions unfold tales of intrigue and enigma, the sepulchral undertones camouflaged within a moody ambiance take one on a profound journey towards the soul of his music. …

Independent music’s foray into Indian radio is another step closer to building a stronger ground for alternative musicians in India. …

“If the cosmos is nothing but a symphony of sounds and vibrations, then my role as a musician in this universe is to synchronously resonate and be a part of its collective existence. Perhaps, I could describe my musical identity as the inner voice of a wandering soul,” said Karachi-based producer Daniel Arthur Panjwaneey. Although discovering a multitude of sonic portals within sustained experimental structures led him to being the artiste he is today, his earnest exploration with his own sonic-scape lent him his current individuality. …

The last month of 2014 was for many (including this author), defined by a singular hazy, ethereal weekend embellished with stars and light – an empty oasis in the desert brought to life by the sound of music and laughter, and imbibed with the energy of a thousand existing as one. The Magnetic Fields experience often seems to inspire superlatives in even the harshest critics, and not without reason. …

There was a time when the thought of suffering Sri Lanka’s dreaded nightlife was too unbearable to imagine. I had just finished university abroad and like many of my peers, reluctantly agreed to move back home to Colombo – much to my parents’ delight. I had little idea of how I’d cope with the dire entertainment on offer. …

Though he’s only recently ingratiated himself in the Indian circuit, 28-year-old Sohrab Nicholson is as wary asmostexperienced artists his age tend to be – he’s explicit about which parts of our conversation are off record and which are off limits completely. …

RESET by Ashish Parmar

It may not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of electronic music in India but Hyderabad shows a lot of promise in becoming the country’s next hub.

A stunning city, with a rich mix of history, architecture and IT industry, Hyderabad turned out to be more than just old world charm and new-age technology when I heard about an electronic dance music event called Reset that was taking place in the outskirts. I quickly discovered that the city has a live and kicking electronic music scene which has been growing over the last 6 years. …

DYNOMAN by Alee Hassan

When trip hop emerged from Bristol, UK, in the mid to early 90s, it came from a certain antecedent that had root in the prevailing music scene. Combining straight up American hip-hop with a particularly European electronic aesthetic, the genre was sonically (and literally) a portmanteau. Acts like Massive Attack and Portishead could trace an indirect line back to new wave artists like New Order, Joy Division and Depeche Mode and those bands themselves could trace a lineage to Continental groups like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. Picking up the trip hop mantle State side, DJ Shadow would be seen as an inheritor of the Afrika Baambata legacy, taking hip-hop further into electronica and inspiring numerous others in his wake. …

NISCHAY PAREKH

It is fair to say that work culture in India can be tentative and poorly structured.  When we shift the focus to the emerging creative sector, specifically the developing independent music industry, we can observe a high level of counter-productivity. Gigs get cancelled with no prior intimation, artists are expected to play free shows and pending payments and dodgy promoters are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s also the general attitude of complacency with the way things are that is disconcerting. …