A little over two weeks ago in Mumbai in India, a group of musicians from India, Sri Lanka and Germany participated in a one week workshop that including a daily analogue x digital jam session.  As part of the Kala Ghoda Festival (a free arts festival that takes place in South Mumbai and attracts visitors from all over the city as well as passers-by) , the Galerie Max-Mueller was transformed into a public rehearsal space and music production studio where the audience could witness the process of track making, live spontaneous sound synthesis and collaboration in real time. …

In the 21st century, electronic music and the technology that comes with it has advanced in leaps and bounds. The advent of various commercially available digital audio workstations (DAWs), software synths, emulators and other virtual studio technologies (VSTs) have now transformed the way music is made. Bringing the capabilities of music production right down to the producer’s bedroom has made it affordable and accessible to the normal (curious) Joe. Of course, some purists would argue that digital music production sounds mechanical and computer controlled compared to using analogue machines and hardware. Analogue machines impart a feeling of warmth and originality to the sounds themselves . …

A lone child clutches a stuffed toy as azure waters lap his feet. A solitary isle in the distance welcomes you to Janaicah as clouds roll over this scene of tropical whim.

The Orient abounds as dragons and mandarin symbols float across a building, an aged gramophone providing the score.

Goddesses share music and the cosmos as fish make waves in a stellar ocean.

These landscapes, these reveries, these flights of fancy. All represent artistic musings either as cover or album art that are putting a ‘face’ to the somewhat camera-shy musicians of the Pakistani electronic music scene, selling albums (hopefully), creating their own mythos and whipping a storm across the Internet. …

Electronica is still a relatively new concept in Dhaka, though it needs to be said that names such as Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Nicolas Jaar and Deadmau5 are common among many young producers and their listeners. Though these producers have developed their own unique signature styles in their music, it is still a difficult task to package the genre in a way that will appeal to the majority of audiences in Dhaka. This is where the Jatra platform comes in. …

Of the wall art from Karachi Bound event (photo courtesy Humayun M)

Karachi, like any other metropolis, is constantly hustling and bustling with life and sound. Daily routines are often exhausting leaving very little time for leisure, yet people find ways to enjoy the bittersweet city life. When it comes to entertainment and freedom of expression, there are a few avenues. The Commune Artist Colony is one of those rare spots in Karachi where people can unwind and be themselves. …

Details have been announced for the next edition of Sound Lab set to take place in Mumbai from 7-13 February at Gallery MMB. This chapter will also feature a very exciting performance by Berlin outfit, Perera Elsewhere.

An initiative of the Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai, Sound Lab is an intensive workshop of analog and digital music production that aims to connect contemporary musicians from South Asia and Germany. The workshop is curated and co-hosted by Border Movement, and this edition will feature six selected participants who will work together at a provisional studio set up at Gallery MMB. …

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. …