The Supersonics

Sometimes its a happy thing when your camera doesnt act the way you want it to,.. or what are watercolour and brushes for! This is an impression of The Supersonics gig I went for last week, held at (no prizes for guessing) Hard Rock Cafe, Pune. It was an energetic show, full of colour and youth, and the promise of a kickass band reunion (they were hibernating for close to 3 years). And what a comeback it has been 🙂

Left to right – Rohan (guitar, backing vocals), Avinash (drums), Ananda (vocals, guitar) and Nitin (bass, not in the composition but present in spirit)

Remembering Mohiner Ghoraguli

A publication project I had undertaken at design school, following the life and times of Bengali folk-rock band Mohiner Ghoraguli. Sharing the illustrations I had done as part of the same. Barring a couple of illustrations that were done using direct references from original band photographs, all artwork are based on my personal interpretations of their songs and mood. Sketched outlines using pencil, followed up by a quick brushwork with transparent watercolour inks in shades of sepia, stone grey, flesh tint, yellow, blue and red. Later scanned and cleaned up on photoshop. The 32-page book can be read here.

© Dammygraphy and MOONSHINE, 2008-2012.

Engines of Creation

Sewn and Silent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revamped an old drawing after listening to Sewn and Silent on a loop, a beautiful and haunting single from Karnivool‘s first studio album Themata.

Coloured with oil pastels on textured paper, later scanned and photoshopped.

House of Cards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A quick sketch while listening to Radiohead.. one of my all time favourite songs

Pseudonym marries Comic books

Had this idea when Pseudonym was called in to perform at the last hour, to fill in at Someplace Else (The Park Hotel, Kolkata), when American band Black Lips had to cancel their gig. After all, the show had to go on.. 🙂

On Rubina’s Death

A week before my semester II jury, I’ve been doing everything but projects and documentation. This is a CD cover for a personal music compilation, using water colour and poster paint.

Note: Rubina is a beautifully written music piece by Joe Satriani, from the album ‘The Beautiful Guitar’

lights sound goosebumps

I have never done drugs.. dont think I never need to, cuz I know you can never feel as intoxicated and surreal as this.. when you experience Porcupine Tree live, it has got to be the most amazing feeling ever.  On 21st Decemeber 2009 they had their first gig in India, and I couldnt have missed it for the world. It was one of the longest waits on the lush green campus of IIT, Powai.. a lot of chaos, random rumours, separate queues for girls and boys, dumping our bags and cameras in the cloak room, silence.. standing at the highest point of the gallery, waiting.. Parikrama has just finished their opening act.. still waiting.. a dull throbbing ache in the head, pulse beats and breathing being the only sounds you can hear.. suddenly a movement from the shadows, and you know its them! The crowd goes berserk, while the guards try to push the crowd back for security reasons..  and yes, out they come. The lights are on them, the giant screens flash into action, and the magic begins..

I still cant remember if it was a song from their latest album The Incident , or ‘The Sound of Muzak’ (In Absentia) that marked the start of the show.. the next 105 mins was like a haze. Some of the videos played on the background.. perfectly in sync with the twangs of the strings, or the numbing penetration of Steven Wilson’s voice.. sometimes he moved back, and just when you think the next stanza will begin without him managing to reach the stands on time.. he zooms in from nowhere like some airy spirit. ‘Open Car’ begins, and suddenly the lights are on the audience, 4000 heads banging to and fro, everyone seems possesed. A particularly receptive audience, everyone sings ‘Blackest Eyes’, perfect to the last note. Wilson’s voice booms “So what do you want to hear?”. Some chaotic jabber. “Sorry we don’t do requests.. Thats for us to know, and you to find out, hehe”. The magic continues, ‘Time Flies’, ‘Lazarus’, ‘Start of Something Beautiful’, ‘Way Out of Here’, ‘Halo’.. Suddenly, standing up high, with the wind in my face, a clear starry night above my head, everything seems to slowly whirl out of reality. It feels like the music is all that remains in this world. You could close your eyes and believe that the record was playing, enveloping you from all sides, seeping into your pores, everything was so perfect.. it was then that I realized that I had goosebumps all over.

Colin Edwin (bass) weaved some of the most beautifully haunting notes, completely at ease with his surroundings, smiling throughout the show. Blackest Eyes began, and Gavin Harrison (drums) had everyone on their toes. Lazarus was clearly Richard Barbieri’s (keyboards) best gift to the melody-hungry audience. Additional guitarist/vocalist John Wesley held the band together.. his pitch-perfect harmonies adding to the floating emotions PT delivers so effortlessly.

At 10pm, Wilson said “Bye-Bye” and suddenly all disappeared into darkness. An unexpected silence ensued.. and then a crazy chant of “We want more.. We want more”. After a few awkwardly long minutes they reappeared and said “Thank You”. “This is a song quite popular with the youth of America, .. Hope you like it too”, and thus they gave us ‘Trains’. The crowd sang along, people climbed up the light poles waving their hands, doing a circus act in mid-air.. The more I think about it.. the more unreal all of this seems now.. I dont remember when the show got over, how we got back to the house where we were putting up for the night.. The pink and blue backlights visit me sometimes, reminding me of the rim they created around their black silhouettes.. the weird smell of excitement, the crowd that made the show what it was, the silken hair covering Steven’s face while he sang for me, and the Porcupine Tree T-shirt I bought in a frenzy , but most of all the music.. aaah the music.. can anything really be more intoxicating?

Comeback

I just realized its been over a year that i’ve posted anything.. Its a wonder i still remembered my password.

Thought i’d share the conflicts i’ve been battling of late.. My retirement from music. Choosing to pursue higher studies had its toll on me in a way i had not imagined earlier. I LOVE MUSIC. and I LOVE GRAPHIC DESIGN. somehow, the latter came as a professional choice to me much more naturally. The fact that i’d have to leave my city to pursue this was only obvious. needless to say, i’m loving my current scene. its absolutely amazing to be in the middle of creativity, while it softly sinks into your pores. however, when i was home for the holidays recently, the fact that i’m not a musician anymore, that the lights dont shine on me anymore, that i’m suddenly the ‘ex’, hit me pretty hard. in a way, it was much like any other relationship breaking off. you knew you had to break it in order to move on, but once you’re gone you’re still married to your memories. Funny! i was actually surprised at myself.

good news. i’m back with a bang to reality. you cant really have your cake and eat it too.. now can you? my trip home only made me surer of my decision. it was a reminder that once any choice is made, we’re put to many tests, many other temptations to divert you.. at the end of it all.. you just have to close your eyes and stand by it, cuz this is what you believe in. and whats more, music is not really over for me. its only as over as i want it to be. the motion graphics, the live show backdrops, the music videos, the event invites, the posters, the record labels – life as a designer totally rocks. lesson. never settle for anything less. if the cake is lost, make sure you have the bakery atleast 🙂

Career Advice (!)

The following article was written by a junior from my college. It was published in the online edition of Education Times last month. She is currently interning with the Times of India, Kolkata.

Offbeat

Rock on!                                                                                     Ishita Lahiri tells us what goes into forming a band worth its salt They drum with passion, they strum their guitars soulfully and they sing their songs without a care in the world. The bands make a performance look very easy but a lot goes into making the perfect band. Here are some of the basics that go into making a band.   Starter’s Tip   Forming a rock band is not an overnight task. Though there is no conventional course one can follow to pursue this line, the primary criteria are dedication to music and numerous practice sessions. For starters, it is essential that a few like-minded people come together that have a passion for playing and are not money minded. Choosing the correct genre of music is important—they must be sure of the kind of music they want to specialise in. It is necessary that the members of a band are open-minded in order to invite different ideas and accommodate all sorts of creative thoughts.   Basic Training   There are numerous self-taught musicians in the circuit, however training always helps, advises Damayanti Chakravarty of Pseudonym. Damyanti says, “An aspiring vocalist should ideally get a classical music training as it helps tackle all genres of music.” Ditto for instrument players. There are tutors around the country who offer courses in guitar, drums, keyboard or any other instrument one wishes to play. Music schools too provide courses that may prove helpful to those without any knowledge of the instrument they wish to play. Being an unconventional career, it is not a smooth sail and with only a lot of hard work does a band gain popularity.   Make yourself known   All bands usually start their journey by playing in clubs and should not expect to be paid highly. Jayashree Singh, who handles the vocals for Pink Noise, recounts their first performance: “We started way back in 1976 and the pay that time was really low. In fact, play only if you are passionate about music and do not think of making money at the first go.” Supersonics’ lead guitarist Rohan Ganguli too says that the initial pay may be peanuts and those who play usually do not do so for the money. Bands usually collect money and set out in the beginning and as and when they gain popularity cash may flow in. Bands with a PR Manager have an edge over the others. However, it is not very easy to acquire a PR when you are not known well. The PR culture has not caught up in India as far as rock bands are concerned. “Besides”, says Jivraj Singh, who is the drummer for Pink Noise, “They are not always very dedicated and are quite expensive to keep. For a band that has just set out, it may be an extra expenditure.”   Greener Pastures   Bands that wish to have their records out in the market need to have contacts or cash at their disposal. They charge a hefty amount that can be reduced only if you have contacts in the right place. There are certain music companies who keep a track of the rising talents and provide them the opportunity to record in their own studios. In that case the cost of recording becomes minimal as mostly the company itself covers it. An alternative to this that is also comparatively cheaper would be recording on the computer. Starters who are financially not sound can opt for this though voice recording on the computer may be of a low quality. While recording, a band should never use second-hand instruments. Investment in a soundproof practice pad and good amplifiers helps. While performing on a public forum, knowledge about the taste of the audience makes matters easier. According to Chakravarty, “A band should have a decent demo that can be handed over to the probable venues along with the band profile.”   The victory note

Friendship, vision and the hunger to grow together keep a band together. Striking the right note on stage would require regular practice and coordination. The career may prove to be lucrative only when you put in your best and the erstwhile audience appreciates it. To sum up in the words of Tajdar Junaid, a leading guitarist, “Know your instrument as much as possible and then once on stage, clear your mind and just play!”