The score magazine TruePDF march 2019

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 12 Issue 03 March 2019

thescoremag

highonscore

highonscore

highonscore.com

India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

BAND OF THE MONTH

IN INDIA

PARATRA

POLYPHIA
ON THE COVER

ALSO INSIDE: INDIE REVIEWS, NAMM 2019 POST-SHOW REVIEW AND MORE.





CELEBRATING

music
since 1842
MUSIC INSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIES
MUSIC EDUCATION
MUSIC BOOKS

INNOVATE | ADAPT | OVERCOME
Musee Musical Private Limited
Chennai : 73, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002
Ph : +91 44 28522780, 28516474, Fax :+91 44 28585447, E :
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Ph : +91 40 66101535, 66201535, 27762229, E :
Pondicherry : Door. No.129, Saint Theresa Street, Pondicherry 605001
Ph : +91 0413 2223533, M : 9600009989, E :

www.museemusical.in






inside

12
24
25
29
34
36

39

ON THE COVER

TESSERACT

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

SUFIYAN MALIK

BAND OF THE MONTH

PARATRA

READ ABOUT

7 INDIAN RAPPERS
THAT YOU NEED
TO LISTEN TO
FESTIVAL REVIEW

SULAFEST 2019 AN AFTERMATH

IN INDIA

POLYPHIA

KNOW ABOUT

WOMEN

ACHIEVERS
IN MUSIC



THE TEAM
Director, Business Development
Pragash VM
Director, Marketing & Operations
Sneha Ramesh
Director
Ajay Prabhakar
Editorial Advisor
Nikila Srinivasan
Creative Director
George Vedamanickam
Creative Designer
Manasi Doshi
Content Contributors
Shreya Bose
Aditi Sarawagi
Mukesh Amaran
Souvik Chakraborty
Navya C
Gajendra Puri Goswami
Cover Photo & Cover Story
Photo Credit
Steve Brown

BRAND

PARTNERS

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The Score Magazine is proud to support the Mother Teresa
Foundation and urge our readers to join us in giving back a
fraction of what we have been given.


Loud and Clear
The S360 combines main monitor performance with compact size,
delivering a true reference even at high sound pressure levels. And

with our GLM software, the S360 will intelligently adapt to your
acoustic environment.
So if you need to really feel the energy in
your music – or are working with large scale
immersive film production – it is no longer a
choice between power and precision.
Find out more at www.genelec.com/S360

Distribution by Sound Team T: +91 22 2881 4041
E: www.soundteam.in


Dwells On An
Obscure Sorrow In
Their New Album
- SHREYA BOSE

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In the midst of our conversation, I pressed
Tesseract vocalist Dan Thompkins
to qualify their music. He took a few
seconds, stared at an abandoned beer

on the table and called it "Meshuggah
meets Textures meets Michael Jackson".
I gaped, but we were running out of
time and I couldn’t ask for specifics.
As an artistic engine, Tesseract puts out
music driven by wildly disparate influences
and motivations. If you are looking for
some kind of guiding ethos, the closest
you could come to identifying one would
be a brand of introspective honesty. They
do what feels right for each concept
they are exploring in collusion. For Polaris,
Dan's harsh vocal throttle was discarded
in favour of more brooding exhalations.
The harshness has returned on their latest
album Sonder, but has been deployed
with an almost calligraphic prudence.
Their albums are very distinctly "concept",
obsessed with crafting worlds out of ideas,
each tracing a prolonged meditation on
some human tragedy or psychological
wonderment. What do I mean? "Sonder"
denotes acknowledgement of the fact
that other people build and experience
lives as immediate, as pertinent and
as vivid as one's own. Essentially, it is a
deconstruction of empathy, done with
the intention of dismantling self-centered
delusion. A sentiment drawn from passing
through numberless unfamiliar lands,

the band weaves the idea into a sonic
combination of belligerent precision
and stark minimalist withdrawal.
It is hard to have a lukewarm opinion
about the band, because they offer
no lukewarm fantasies. Despite being
what guitarist James Monteith calls "still
very much a bedroom-based band",
their melodic offerings exhibit an
effortless dexterity. Either they rehearse
endlessly, or familiarity with complexity
is just part of their creative zeitgeist.
In conversation, they offer generous
expansions on ideas that they have
possibly talked about far too often. On
stage, they partake of stunning spectacle
that invites exaltation. The headbanger
standing right next to me in the 2018
Mumbai gig had brought his girlfriend who
clearly hadn’t caught these guys before.
She tried to slip away from the jostling
crowd, but he pleaded with her to not miss
Deception. Within a couple of minutes,
she was trying to slip into the moshpit.
Here’s what the band had to say when
they carved out time for us in Mumbai.

We are aware that you don’t
like to identify or label your
sound as exclusively ‘djent’.

But since you tend to be
as considered one of the
bands representative of the
genre, what do you think
of the state of the genre?
More specifically, what do
you think of the word in
relation to your music?
Dan Thompkins: I’m slightly
conflicted. I like the word, but I
also don’t like it. Oversatured,
I think, is a good way of
explaining our reaction to it.
There’s a lot of bands doing it;
playing within this genre. You
can see, throughout time, how
different genres have come into
being on the back of each other.
They’re doing one particular
thing, and then it grows as a
genre. And djent has become,
almost like a small version of numetal. I don’t think, necessarily,
that any of us would ever refer
to ourselves as ‘djent’, purely
because every record we have
created sounds very different
from the first one, which was
definitely more djent-sounding.
We kinda have different sounds,
and it is hard to conform to the

particulars of a single genre.

Tesseract is known for
expansive, evocative
storytelling, which is
reflected in the length of
your albums. In the light
of this, why is Sonder only
limited to 36 minutes?
Dan: Quality over quantity. It is
one of those artistic ethics that
we have always adhered to. Also,
we like to do things differently.
To put it simply, people expect
large albums. Whenever I listen
to an album that is 30 or 40 tracks
long, I get bored, sometimes
straight away. For an album of
that length to sustain the quality
of music is also quite rare.
I also feel like the replay factor
of Sonder is quite high, even for
myself. By the time I get to the
end of The Arrow, I often feel like
I want to listen to it all again.
During the making, that was
a certain aspect that we quite

liked about Sonder, and one we
haven’t explored in the past.

Of course, that’s not to say that
from now on, every album we
release will be 36 minutes long.
But we are trying something
different, thinking and crafting
outside the box, trying to be
creative with as many facets
of the music as possible.
Who knows, the next album
might actually be 20 songs long.
But it is still very much
a concept album.
Ironically, it is possibly the
most conceptual album that
we have ever created.

Which one of you went
to The Dictionary of
Obscure Sorrows and
found the word Sonder?
Dan: That was me. I came across
the word about 6 or 7 years
ago. I mean, I discovered The
Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
a couple of years ago, but I
have been aware of the word
‘Sonder’ for several years.
I just remembered the word,
and I revisited it by googling
it. I realized that it was coined

by John Koenig (the Swedish
storyteller). The word has a
feel, a vibe which each of us
have experienced as touring
musicians passing through
different lands, different
cultures, traveling the world.
And often, we are bystanders,
perhaps driving through a town
that passes quite quickly.
It’s an interesting way to be,
looking in on other people’s
lives like that. What are
they doing? Where are they
going? What’s happening in
their day? Are they worried
about something that we can’t
relate to, or something that
we can relate to very easily?
I also think it was just a nice
way to include our fan base
in a more creative way.
Right. You also invited your
fans to send in recordings,
some of which have been
incorporated in the album.

Dan: Yea. So, it wasn’t just
the concept of Sonder that we

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wanted to talk about. It was an inclusive
exercise in which we drew people in to
participate with their own unique stories.
And also, I guess there is an underlying
message of trying to highlight the way
we live these days – with an element of
tunnel vision focused on our screens. In
that light, I think it’s good to have a more
expansive outlook on life, and this album
tries, maybe, to instill a bit of perspective
into people’s lives. Just take a step back,
and look at how someone else is living.
Coming from my generation, I still remember
telephones, the ones on a wire. There was no
internet. Now I have kids myself, and seeing
them grow up in such a technologicallyoriented world – it’s quite scary in a way.
I’ve seen how relationships develop around
technology and how damaging it can be.
For example, if you have a face-to-face
conversation with somebody, you get to read
body language and get to know their reaction

in the context. When it’s done through social
media or technology, you miss out on a whole
spectrum of emotions, and relationships
resulting from that can be quite lacking.
A lot of this thought went into composition,
and Sonder just tried to pin the whole
cosmology of thought into one idea.

Are there any stereotypes attached
to Tesseract’s music that you
find irksome or incorrect?
Dan: Not really. We’re quite relaxed as
individuals, even reclusive at times. We don’t
try to dip into the world of musical politics.
But when it comes to stereotypes, I think
one that still endures that is the one that
describes the general metalhead as a male
in their early to mid-20s. But that no longer
exists for us. Our metal fans represent a
huge demographic. Old, young, male, female,
different sexual orientations – there’s a
whole spectrum of people who love Tesseract.
Interestingly enough, we’ve discovered
that the audience varies by album. So,
you can quickly identify people who listen
to songs from One, or want to hear songs
from Concealing Fate or from Sonder.
I think every one of our albums has a
different fan base, and I think that is
born from the fact that we tend to be very

creative, and always try to do something
different with each one. We don’t try to
recreate the sound of a previous album.

Is there a tedious aspect to
composition and putting out music?
Acle Kahney: Composition is the fun
bit. Its touring that can get a bit tedious
because you have to keep doing the same

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thing every day. Composition is the fun
bit even though it can be a long process.

So, the concept of Sonder – that
other people live lives as vivid and
as dynamic and your own- how did
that become a topic of discussion
for an album in the first place?
Dan: This was one of the first times that we
came together as a band and confidently
decided that this was the direction to go
in terms of concept. Sonder is one of those

ineffable emotions, one of those things
that is especially hard to articulate or
describe. I think this might be the first
time when I remembered a word that
really resonated with me. I brought it to
the table, and everybody else related to
it so strongly that we decided, as a band,
that this was the way to go artistically.

Since good art is often interdisciplinary,
if you had to pick a certain book or film
to match the ethos of this album or your
music in general, what would it be?
Acle: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Dan: We actually have been listening
to a lot of film scores lately, both
before and during the creation of
Sonder, so that would make sense.

Since you have been to India
a few times, does anything
really stand out anymore?
Dan: At this point, the one thing that
does stand out is the traffic and the heat
(laughs). It is completely bonkers. But
needless to say, the diversity is always
noticeable here. The energy of the people
– its completely unique. You don’t see
this anywhere else in the world.

What was the back story to
the artwork for Sonder?
Amos Williams: So, imagine that you
are walking down the street in Mumbai.
Now, you can imagine that straight away.
In your head, it’s a level of familiarity
that is subconscious. The artwork was
an attempt to replicate that – something
that would represent humanity in such
a subconscious and immediate way.
Everything that we have been, everything
that we are and everything that we will
be in the future - it was an attempt to
create an icon that could represent all of
that, perhaps even represent a concept
of humanity. Hopefully, you look at it
and it leads you down a path that takes
you to a memory of who you are.


Facts About Tesseract To Impress
Your Prog-Loving Date

Our Current Obsession AKA
Tesseract On Loop

Smile (Sonder)
Juno (Sonder)
Of Matter - Resist (Altered State)
Of Mind – Exile (Altered State)

Of Reality – Palingenesis (Altered State)
Perfection (Perspective)
Cages (Polaris)
Utopia (Polaris)
Hexes (Polaris)
Seven Names (Polaris)
Deception - Concealing Fate,
Pt. 2 (Concealing Fate)
Origin - Concealing Fate, Pt.6
(Concealing Fate). Actually, just keep

· In 2013, Tesseract was slated to perform
at NH7 Weekender Bengaluru. They
couldn’t, due to a sudden downpour.
· Tesseract took birth in 2003 while
founding member and bassist Acle
Kahney was recording and writing
with his band Mikaw Barish.
· They have toured with Megadeth,
and asked Dave Mustaine to get
them beer (He did it, too).
· They have also opened
for Devin Townsend.
· The name for their fourth album
Sonder comes from John Koenig’s
Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows.
· For Sonder, they used about 37 or
38 field recordings sent in by fans.

hitting replay on Concealing Fate.

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CSP -150
The all-new CSP Series gives you the ability to play the songs you always wanted
to play, featuring state-of-the-art smart technologies and concepts that let you fulfill
your dream of performing on a piano.
Introducing an innovative new way to enjoy the piano
• Operate with your smart device
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Intuitive simplicity
Enjoy simple, intuitive operation from smart devices
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you want to play and then creates a music score for
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Pick a song, any song...Choose any song you
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Load the song into the Smart Pianist app, and
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Now you’re ready to go! Let the Stream Lights guide
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For the more committed performer…
When you’re ready to take on the challenge of solo
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even if you’re not confident in your own playing abilities,
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Solo, band, orchestra, and more!
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Want to sing as well? The CSP comes equipped with a mic
input, and will even harmonize with you as you sing!

Flexible connectivity
CSP Series Clavinova are equipped with a terminal for
direct connection to PCs and iOS or Android devices.

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17


Products launched at

The NAMM Show 2019 yet again brought together the entire music fraternity
uniting music, pro audio and event technology companies. This show gives
exhibitors an opportunity to reach out to retailers, and also their end consumers.
With a display of thousands of synths, instruments, controllers and software
on display, this show is the mother of music tech gear in the world!
Joe Lamond, President and CEO of the show commented on the key changes
he has seen in the music industry “I see an interesting situation developing. On
one hand, technology is driving incredible innovation, electronic instruments,
recording, and technology used in live events are better, faster and less
expensive as ever. It also becomes obsolete quickly as the next model is even
better than the last. And at the same time, I see an insatiable appetite for handcrafted, custom made, beautiful instruments and gear that will last forever”
We bring to you some of the key products launched this year at the show!

AKAI PROFESSIONAL

FORCEStandalone Music
Production/
DJ Performance
System

ASTON MICROPHONES
STEALTH Microphone

Trio 11 Be Monitors

• It is used for Broadcast,
Stage, Live, Studio or
Podcasting.

• It is a 3 way speaker with a
tweeter, woofer and a
sub-woofer.

• Universal Mic that
works like a dynamic
microphone.

• It is known for its
extreme neutrality, precise
stereophonic imaging and
ability to resolve most

• Remix, mash-Up,
DJ and produce
with 6 Track types

for complete audio /
MIDI / CV sequencing and
performance capability

• Class A built in mic
preamp with audio detect 48V Phantom power.

• No computer required. It’s standalone

• Built in cloud lifting device.

• 7" full color capacitive multitouch display

• It has 4 voices on it that work on active and
passive mode.

• 4 powerful, fully-editable synth engines
• 16GB of on-board storage

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FOCAL

minute sonic details.

• Dynamic and power subwoofer
• You can use the speaker in vertical or
horizontal direction.
• You can use it as a 2-way or a 3-way monitor by
switching the focus mode.


Mix Fi- Studio
headphones were given
an Emmy Award for
outstanding achievement in
engineering development.
These are the first
headphones ever to have
won this award!

FLUID AUDIO
Strum Buddy- Mini
Electric Guitar Amp
Amplifier
• 6 watt Amplifier
• It comes with a 40mm
neodymium magnet
speaker
• Has a personal guitar monitor/ amplifier
for Metal.
• Rechargeable battery that comes for
3.5 hours.
• Plug and Play!

SRI-2: USB Interface
• Home recording
technology
• Has a strong
headphone output and
can control two pairs
of speakers.

• Used by world class
artists, musicians, sound engineers and also
popular shows like Westworld, NCIS, Grey’s
Anatomy to name some.
• It has massive 40mm dynamic drivers inside to
give you rich and detailed sound.

• They are custom moulded to your ears and
contain up to six drivers in each ear

• Every pair is tuned and sculpted to give
superior audio quality.

They come in four models: 000-28, OM-28, D-28
& D-18
• Includes a Sitka Spruge Vintage Tone System
top, a dovetail neck joint, and natural protein
glue construction that give it a rich tone.

ERNIE BALL

• Made from
Aluminium and
feature a lightweight
rubber handle.

FX-50

• Acoustic space control
lets you calibrate low
frequency to your
mixing environment.

MARTIN GUITARS

• They create s natural seal with your ear to
block out ambient noise.

Axis Capo

• Seamless, transparent
response in compact
footprint.

• It comes in Black and Clear colors.

Modern Deluxe Range- These guitars have
replaced the Vintage series and created to
fit between the Standard Series guitars and
the Authentic guitars. They are all about
high performance technology with fantastic

sophistication and traditional building.

• DSP controls with the
crossover.

• Very similar to FX-8 but updated version.

• The strings are long.

ULTIMATE EARS

• USB powered and additional input for ipad
or anything else you would like to connect.

• More EQ functionality.

• Most of them
have a ball end
which makes the installations faster and better
tuning stability.

• You can see the unique design to be the most
comfortable and personalized fit headphone.
It has a linkage system to keep the ear cups
parallel at all times.

Ultimate Ears CSX- Customized
In-Ear Monitors

• It has a plastic front

that makes it look a
lot cooler.

• They are
suited for
concerts and
sopranos.

• Built-in audiophile amplifier inside so it’s
perfectly matched with the drivers. You can turn
on the headphones from inside and get the full
power of the amp.

• Two channels

FX-80 Studio Monitor

Uke Strings

• Some featured include ultra-modern features
like titanium truss rod, Liquidmetal bridge
pins with red dots, and a composite carbon
fibre bridgeplate that boosts volume without
adding weight.
• The new neck shape is for maximum hand
comfort up and down the fretboard!

• They are available in Black, Silver, Brown &
Gold colors.
• These Capo’s are ergonomic and created to

allow you to have a fast and accurate singlehanded key changes.

• Other features are similar to the FX-80.
Burly Slinky & Ultra
Slinky Strings

BLUE MICROPHONES
Ember Condenser Mic
• Great for vocals and instruments.
• Great off access rejection to bring
down noise.
• Open and detailed sound
• It delivers strong, clean signal
with ample headroom.
• The compact design keeps a lot
profile on camera.

.018, .030, .042, .052”

Authentic Acoustic Guitar Strings

• Two sets offered in the
classic slinky lines of
strings.

• Known for superior performance

• Burly is a hybrid with
a power and skinny top.
It has gauges of .011, .014,

• It comes with the tensile-strength core wire,
then tin-plate it on all six strings for added
corrosion resistance.

• Ultra is a combination of regular and power
slinky sets. It has gauges of .010, .013, .017,
.028, .048”

• The strings are engineered and designed
keeping the performer in mind.

• They have excellent tuning stability,
corrosion resistance and great playability!

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Powercaster- It has a
different hardware than
what you are usually used
to seeing. It’s got a hard bar
and an adjustable bridge,
medium-high output hum

bucking in the bridge and
a nice pickup for the neck.
Different feel and overall tone!

CASIO MUSIC INSTRUMENTS

Privia PX-S3000

Electric XII- It’s a purpose
built-12- string electric
guitar designed for folk
rockers. It has a hardtail
bridge and a 3-position
pickup selector. The best
part is the deluxe gig bag
that comes along with it!

• Comes with lot of controls and also a touch
panel
• LCD display to keep the player in control
• 700 sounds and 200 rhythms and song
writing tools to play with
• Hands-on control

Sixty Six- The classic
Fender tone meet cool
visuals! It’s a downsized
Jazz Bass body! It has
a flexible HSS pickup
configuration. Sixty Six

delivers unique tones that
are suited for any genre of
music.

• Designed to work with the free Chordana
Play for Piano iOS/Android app
•Optional battery power (AC adapter
included)

FENDER

Meteora- Comes with a
HH solidbody with extreme
curves! This guitar is
perfect for adventurous
guitarists as it provides a
wide sonic range.

SENNHEISER
Neumann NDH 20
headphones
• Flat and linear
sound and response
• Memory foam ear
cups and a nice
smooth response.
• Transparent sound with high resolution

BOSE
PROFESSIONAL

S1 Pro Slip covers
• Available in four
different colors
• Acoustically
transparent play
through covers.
• It allows you to
protect the S1 Pro
while you are on the go against scratches

Carry cases for
Tonematch Mixers
Fender guitar Pedals

SOUNDBRENER

• Lost Highway Phaser- These pedals bring
powerful, flexible analog phasing to your rig.
Foot-switchable Fast and Slow speeds!

Core: 4-in-1 smart
music tool

• Downtown Express- Is known for its killer
bass tone. It has an all-original Fender circuit
and is your one-stop-shop for tone shaping.
• The Pinwheel- It has three different voices
including a vibratone effect.
• Bubbler Chorus- It has a classic analog
effect to shape your tone.

a smartwatch

• Great design and
can be used as

• A music tool that can be customized as per
the musician and the beats they want

• It works through magnets. You can attach it
to the tuning pegs and then use it.
• It also has a decibel meter to tell you how
loud the song was after playing. You can set up
an alarm to tell you when you are too loud.

SARA TRANS
Alternate Reality Series
Leather bags for
musical instruments

It has only 4 strings and customized pickups
and you can do anything you want musically.

• All kinds of bags are
customized based on
the customers’ needs
• They deal with guitar bags, drum bags,
percussion bags, wind instrument bags, string
bags, and hardware bags.
• Customers can get bags with their logo, and

specialized fabrics.

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• It can store the 4 or
8 channel with power
supply cables.

• You can use it as a
watch everyday

• Has a contact tuner that is very accurate.

Tenor Tele-

• Nylon protective
carry case

• The inside of the bags keeps the instrument
snuggled and is handled with care.

SONARWORKS- SOFTWARE THAT
CALIBRATES SOUND TO KEEP IT
CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL YOUR

DEVICES
Sonarworks
Reference 4
• A piece of
software that
calibrates
speaker and
headphone
sound so you
can have the
most accurate reference in your room or on
your headphone.
• Best you can take for your studio sound that
is easy and affordable.
• It will make your mix sound the best as it is
calibrated specifically for you!



INDIE

SHREYA BOSE

REVIE
Lean On Love (Ady Manral):

Imagine you have had a hard
day. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Especially if you live in the concrete
labyrinth that is a city. Your boss

gave you the cold shoulder, the office
coffee machine was broken, and the
cute girl on Tinder did not respond
to your right swipe. Your cooking
isn’t that great, and you’re too tired

to stay up for the 45 minutes it will
take for takeout to reach you.
Now retreat to your room. Lean
against the wall in your favourite
corner, try to brew a cup of tea
and take the first uninterrupted
breath of your day. Now press
play on Lean on Love.
And, there it is. Acoustic flourish
rushes in on you, and you can almost
see it. Mountains rising into a
glistening summer sky. An unhurried
chai at a roadside tapri. Unrecognised,
beautiful wildflowers in your path.
Playful dogs and children bundled
under layers of fur and woollens. The
air smells of budding foliage, and you
spot green as far as the eye can see.

22

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Ady Manral sings of his own life,
nestled in the idyllic Landour
community that defines, for him,
home. It is emblematic of comfort and
familiarity, of the simple liberties
we take with the small worlds that
we grow up in. The point of the
song is equally uncomplicated value love where you can find it.

While not stylistically or
thematically groundbreaking, the
song is an emphatic happymaker.
Give yourself the space to reward
yourself with some reassurance
that love does exist for you to take
recourse to after that bad day.
Saansein (The Mallroad Project):
Whatever takes your breath away
is worthy of art. The sentiment of
having your breath stolen is also
equally worthy, and possibly a
challenge to represent. The Mallroad
Project, a Delhi-born rock outfit
does attempt something similar,
but manages to accomplish a
somewhat half-edges execution.
Immediately striking is the monotone

that marks the vocal intonation. The
words suggest the appearance of
an individual akin to an epiphany,
who cuts through loneliness, ennui
and despondence but the idea is
not matched by the a tumbling,
predictable soundscape. While one
cannot point a finger at the melodic
structuring and extract some
massive gaffe, one is not driven to
recall it too often either. Seeking
to represent a life event that shifts
your existential tectonics, the band
manages to measurably underwhelm.


E

EWS
Apocalypse (Adido):

A revolution has come
about in our countries

Chango Tales (Jatayu):

For crimes caused by
your hunger and need

To build what you’ve come to

call The American Dream”
The hilarity of seeking a new
world (which is no longer a
metaphor, since Elon Musk
actually intends to colonize
Mars) is also addressed.
We’re living through
a dark time, and it has
broken Adido’s heart.
This Goanese wordmaker
introduces himself with a
debut single that attempts
to engender introspection
from the first beat.
The crux of the matter is an
accusation. Humanity has
driven itself dangerously
close to devastation. Now,
that’s not news. Our world is
playing with the possibility
of annihilation, all directed
towards the dream of a “first
world”. This is a particular
target of Adido’s ire, and
understandably so.
“I see what you’ve done
with your industries

“Not realising the irreversible
damage you bring

And now you’re looking
for a new world?”
Adido’s ideology is impeccable,
and his verbiage is admirable.
While his wordplay can be
considered unpolished, it
resonates with authentic
anguish. At key moments,
however, his delivery is more
akin to the auspices of slam
poetry than hip-hop. For one
thing, his breathplay is still
nascent, in the midst of taking
form. The rage characteristic of
street rhymes is not noticeable,
and one will have to revisit his
subsequent works to seek the
catharsis of spitfire poesy.

Interpretation is an
exhausting exercise. Why
else would millions of
seemingly free will-laden
people around the world
agree with obviously awful
ideas? Because paying close
attention, formulating
relatively unbiased opinion
and going against the grain of
popular agreement can be, if

not fatal, distinctly tedious.
Why bring this up? Because
to language-driven,
communication-hungry
humans, instrumental
music can be simultaneously
liberating and baffling. On the
one hand, you are free to chip
out your own tales around
the sound. Conversely, if you
are anything like me, you are
obsessed with trying to figure
out the artist’s intention,
thereby googling too much
and eventually bewildering
yourself. Jatayu’s Chango
Tales engenders this conflict,
and keeps it going until
the last minute of the EP.

Chango Tales is cunning
craft, it's story vacillating
between somber ominosity
and sprightly skill. Like all
good jazz, this Chennai-based
quartet creates music that is
deeply visual and redolent
with story. Clearly, the
band is aware of the history
of the genre, as they take

hold of their storytelling
and expand it to slightly
surreal proportions.
To quote Jatayu,
“Who Is Chango?
Chango is I.
Chango is You.
Chango is the crimson fire
that burns bright within.”
The promise of inclusiveness
is delivered on throughout.
Through the lens of expertly
woven jazz-rock offerings
that are laden with Carnatic
whiplash, they impart sonic
tales that could range from
Sunday morning stimulation
to strange musings on a
Thursday evening commute.
Basically, their music can be
transposed to innumerable
lives, and would fit with equal
ease into each. Whatever
the story playing in your
head, it will find a pertinent
soundtrack somewhere
between Shingara and Pazhi.
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