Advertisement
Sections
The Groovebox Jukebox: From Semwal's Elephant In The Room to Anthropocene by Rafoo, music for the new year
Semwal's Elephant in The Room has a warmth that is ideal for winter, while Rafoo's musical output is informed by her career in sustainability and policy research.
Album/EP: Elephant In The Room, SemwalPretty much every singer-songwriter on the planet sings about the subject of love, so it’s increasingly rare for any of them to really stand out. Dehradun and New Delhi-based Shubham Semwal is among the few new artists who manages to make a mark thanks to his laidback vocal style, layered instrumentation, smooth production and pop sensibility.Semwal counts among his influences 1970s melody mavens such as ABBA, Bee Gees and Boney M. but also more contemporary musicians like John Mayer, Charlie Puth and Tom Misch. But these influences aren’t obvious and there are no overt elements of nostalgia on his debut EP, the four-song Elephant In The Room.The warmth in his sound is ideal for the wintry weather we’re experiencing. 'By Your Side' is a sweet campfire-side ballad about being as much of a friend as a lover, 'Through These Years' is simultaneously anthemic and mellow. In other words, Semwal is the type of artist who can make grand romantic statements without seeming melodramatic, also a rare ability. Perhaps to prove he’s not a one trick pony, Semwal — who has already followed up this EP with his first Hindi single, the mid-tempo 'Tishnagi' — throws in an electric guitar solo on the set’s largely instrumental, funky closing cut 'Indian Summer'. He’s one to watch over the next few months.Single: 'Anthropocene', RafooSinger-songwriter Rafoo, whose real name is Tarang, was among the handful of female composer-producers to debut last year. It was a small group, but they covered a range of genres. Bengaluru’s Rudy Mukta could arguably be described as an R&B artist, and Mumbai’s pb as a purveyor of bedroom pop. Delhi-based Rafoo makes a unique mix of experimental electronica and industrial rock from which emerges a sound that could loosely be classified as goth-pop.All three are blessed with euphonious voices that belie the wryness of their material. That Rafoo doesn’t do ‘happy’ is evident from her lyrics and brief descriptions of her songs on her Bandcamp page. Her debut single 'Gaia', she shares, “is a commentary on capitalism and its exploitative consumption of nature and the proletariat. And also on my relationships.” Sonically, the sparse track is still a touch lighter than 'Anthropocene', a companion piece that’s “one part an expression of my exasperation with the status quo and one part, a slice of my turbulent mind”. She may specialise in dark matter, but the future is clearly bright for Rafoo whose musical output is informed by her career in sustainability and policy research.Music video: 'I’ll Be With You' - Apartment Upstairs featuring Doc.Awes, Abhay Sharma and FakeerThe music video for the new single by Apartment Upstairs, the Bengaluru-residing duo of singer and multi-instrumentalist Rohan Pai and drummer Shourjo Chatterjee, checks off two recent trends among MVs in the Indian indie music scene. It’s an illustrated video of which we’ve had a surfeit since the lockdown (I wrote about a few that I’ve loved the most here) and it normalises same-sex relationships (two other examples can be viewed here and here). 'I’ll Be With You', they state on its YouTube page, “narrates the story of a homosexual couple that is equal parts excited as they are anxious to be with each other”. The sense of tentativeness it talks of is universally relatable, the sort experienced by everyone at the start of a new romance. Musically, it checks off a third box of current Indian indie trends: much like the sound of acts like Ape Echoes and T.ill Apes, it brings together the genres of jazz, pop, R&B and hip-hop. It’s a vibrant tune brought to life by illustrator and animator Varshini Krishnakumar whose style is characterised by bright blocks of colour and giant-bodied people that lend her drawings the look of children’s storybooks.Amit Gurbaxani is a Mumbai-based journalist who has been writing about music, specifically the country's independent scene, for nearly two decades. He tweets @TheGroovebox
First Published:Jan 31, 2021, 13:16:33 IST
Advertisement
Advertisement
Midhaven on taking Indian Metal to Wacken this year: 'You’re sure to see a heavier, more nuanced performance'
Fresh off winning Wacken Metal Battle India and a 19-city Europe tour, Mumbai metal band Midhaven opens up about blending Indian classical traditions with sludge metal, representing India at Wacken Open Air, and the future of Indian heavy music in an exclusive interview with Firstpost.
5 min read
The woman in Lucian Freud's $39 million portrait was alive to watch herself become history
Decades after sitting for Lucian Freud, Sue Tilley reunited with one of the artist's most celebrated portraits as it headed to auction for $39 million, reflecting on fame, body image and becoming an unlikely muse
2 min read
Alexander McQueen is coming back to London Fashion Week, and its old shows explain why everyone's excited
McQueen will return to London Fashion Week for spring/summer 2027, its first time on the schedule since 2023, and the announcement has sent fashion writers straight back to the unsettling, theatrical shows that made its reputation in the first place.
3 min read
Why the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is earning international recognition
With a new mega-campus, a former Louvre Abu Dhabi director at the helm, and growing international partnerships, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art is emerging as a global force in the art world
2 min read
David Hockney dies at 88: The artist who put queer joy on canvas
From swimming pools and sunshine to portraits of lovers and friends, Hockney spent more than six decades showing that queer life could be ordinary, beautiful and full of colour.
2 min read
Advertisement
Advertisement