Yesterday, we introduced India to the four Australian artists that will soon be touring their country in a special article exchange with the NH7 Weekender Festival. Today, they return the favour, and Arjun S Ravi and Ritwik Deshpande introduce us to four Indian bands they reckon we should check out here in Australia…
The Ganesh Talkies
Few Indian rock bands have appropriated Bollywood’s kitsch with as much seriousness and self-awareness as Kolkata’s The Ganesh Talkies. Where other indie acts have looked to Bollywood’s musical exaggerations with cynicism, The Ganesh Talkies have respectfully made it a core chapter in their songbook. In the short span of time that they’ve been around, they’ve become a fixture on pretty much every ‘Artists to Watch’ list courtesy their unique sound and their entertaining live sets that see them appear on stage in bright, shiny, colour-coordinated costumes. Their recently released debut album In Technicolor showcases the depth of their songwriting, proving there’s so much more to love about India’s sometimes embarrassing mainstream musical behemoth. And how deftly it has been embraced.
Recommended tracks:
‘Dancing Dancing’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9f0CaA8ZBM
‘Item Song’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-NS2FGTwM
Skrat
“I may be standing on my own // But I’m a badass to the bone.” Now ordinarily, one would dismiss lyrics of this primitive nature with the requisite contempt. But embellished with Chennai trio Skrat’s irresistible hooks and pop-punk timing, songs like ‘Samurai Badass’ and others on Bring Out The Big Guns, their debut album, go to show that even the most basal lyrics can shine in measured, confident songwriting. Skrat have evolved from an also-ran metal act to the alt/pop/punk/whatever-they’re-melodic-AND-loud powerhouse they are now. Their live sets further reinforce their balls-out approach to rock making, a method that has won them a legion of fans in their home city called The Skrat Army. They’re loud, loads of fun to watch, and musically precocious enough that you can forgive them song intros like, “Love’s just like snooker // So colourful, but all // Balls.”
Recommended tracks:
‘Samurai Badass’ https://soundcloud.com/skrattheband/samurai-badass
‘Tin Can Man’ https://soundcloud.com/skrattheband/tin-can-man
Hoirong
Hoirong is a glitch in the system, albeit a particularly friendly one — the Delhi-based band’s brand of noise rock (or disco punk if you ask them to self-classify) is the kind that’ll throw you against the wall, only to pick you back up with a shrug and a smile. They interpose the lo-fi melodic sensibilities of ’90s guitar heroes like J. Mascis and Lou Barlow with tidbits borrowed from modern Indian kitsch. The end result is a sound that effortlessly captures the in the hyper-dissonant soundscape of life in urban India. While Hoirong’s studio releases are bathed in earplug penetrating feedback, their live shows are decidedly cleaner — they help bring the ever-important melodic component of their songs into focus and serve to remind that what lie underneath the noise are some fairly amazing tunes.
Recommended tracks:
‘Leprosy Rhymes With Therapy’ https://soundcloud.com/hoirong/side-leprosy-rhymes-with-1
‘fancy dress + hindi = awesome’ https://soundcloud.com/hoirong/10-fancy-dress-hindi-awesome
Sandunes
Mumbai-based future garage producer Sandunes’ early output showed definite promise. Her debut release, 2012’s Temper Tonic, featured interesting synth melodies but the beats were decidedly tame. Fast forward to 2014 — a full-length album, an accompanying remix compilation and another EP later, she’s beginning to establish herself as the purveyor of some of the most interesting sounds to have emerged from India’s electronic music scene. Apart from her interesting sound design sensibilities, what serves to establish Sandunes as one of the most exciting proponents of Indian electronic music is her affinity for multidisciplinary collaborations — her work with practitioners of other disciplines is redefining how electronic music is performed and presented in a live context.
Recommended tracks:
‘Slybounce’ https://soundcloud.com/sandunes/slybounce-ft-nicholson
‘Good To You’ https://soundcloud.com/sandunes/good-to-you-feat-siddharth
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Find out more about the NH7 Weekender Festival in India here: http://nh7.in/
