Somewhere inside the ruins of the erstwhile capital city of the magnificent Krishnadevaraya empire, the curly-haired, talented Papon strums out a melancholic but persistently groovy melody against the glistening, golden evening sun. Just when you discern his powerful vocals set to Assamese lyrics, India’s favorite electronic artist - Nucleya, drops his signature bass ridden beat to kick start the latest (music) collaborative effort from the 4th season of The Diarists - “Memories”. Released on December 16 over YouTube (and Sound Cloud), the two artists are brewing up a refreshing genre of “intelligent” electronic compositions, losing the over consumed, infuriating, “duck beat 4X4” EDM formula, in their latest track. In the show’s 4th season, both Papon and Udyan (Nucleya’s actual name), are brought together in the picturesque, UNESCO heritage site of Hampi, Karnataka to create new sounds, drawing inspiration from the temple city’s rich past.
Born to iconic Assamese folk artists, Khagen and Archana Mahanta, Papon has gained countrywide acclamation for his electronic, new-age spin on folk songs from his native state. True to his homegrown, ebullient Bihu”ness”, singer, songwriter Papon seems to have once again whipped up an eclectic composition in his native language, hauntingly recalling the history of his surroundings, in a soulful yet catchy song structure. While the song plays on signature Bihu inspired melodies, the overall composition (as well as lyrics) has been put together by the artist himself.
Papon’s musical efforts are layered with the electronic ingenuity, characteristic of Electronic Music DJ & Producer, Nucleya’s work. Among the original members of fusion music outfit, Bandish Projekt (1998), Udyan Sagar has effectively refurbished the burgeoning Indian electronic scene, more recently in his solo avatar as Nucleya. The artist has been busy touring the country, headlining in some of the largest music festivals across cities, adding to this fan base with the success of the recent albums “Raja Baja” (2016) and “Bass Rani” (2015).
Nucleya’s innovative, bass-heavy sound compilations reflect a deep fondness for Indian folk sounds, street music and old Bollywood influences. His song structures are rife with chopped vocals, unheard Indian beats, concocted clandestinely to upbeat, electronic dance beats. In his signature style, Nucleya brings to life, the story of past memories, as narrated by Papon, set to some seriously addictive Moombahton bass beats (Moombahton refers to a fusion genre of house and reggae originally developed by American DJ and Producer Dave Nada in the year 2009).
Interestingly, it isn’t just the audio compilation that creates a powerful bond with its listeners. The track’s video throws life inside the temple ruins, as the city of Hampi erupts to the beats of “Memories”, as life sized rocks are shaken out of their long stupors, flying across the video frames, throughout the song.
“Memories” comes across as a welcome step towards recalibrating faith in the supposed inability of the simplistic genre of electronic dance music. Strongly positioned to acquire lead position across club playlists, the track also leaves critics of “easy computer music” some room to let their hair down. Without losing too much melody in the process.
Watch the full episode below:
(This article has been written by Shweta Sharma, who is a Delhi-based musician/entrepreneur).
No comments:
Post a Comment