By incorporating electronic beats into Hindustani classical music, Mumbai-based band Samved hopes to appeal to the youth. Founding member Ritvik Joe speaks about their upcoming gig and their new album
Samved is working on their next album
Their debut album, Rlung Ta, released in April 2014 and in December that year, Samved — the electronic Dance Music (eDM) band comprising KK (electronic artiste/music producer), Ritvik Joe (electronic artiste/music producer), Sangeet Mishra (sarangi), Zeeshan (vocals) and Kirti Das (Percussions) — won the Radio City Award for the Best Folk Fusion Artist of the year. By smoothly weaving in bols and alaaps of Hindustani classical music into the electronic beats of eDM, this Mumbai-based band has created a special place for themselves in the hearts of eDM fans.
Samved is working on their next album
It was a casual jamming session among friends back in 2013 that led to a few experimentations and within days, Samved was born. From the very beginning, they were very sure that electronic music from India should have a flavour of the land. "Blending Hindustani Classical with eDM not only enhances the experience but it also adds soul to it," Joe points out. But, this was easier said than done.
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The very idea of blending this music with Indian classical didn't go down too well with many. "even now, we face criticism from a lot of conventional classical music listeners who feel this dilutes the genre. But Indian classical music is such a prodigious genre that it's impossible to put a dent in its identity. By incorporating electronic beats into Hindustani classical music, we are trying to make the genre more relatable to the younger crowd," says the founding member.
Last year, the band launched their first video that of the dubstep track Kama Unit. And apart from the robust vocals and young and hip sound, it also grabbed eyeballs for its innovative visuals. Talking about the online release, Joe reveals, "The video which took six months to shoot, combined light painting and stop motion techniques and it took six months to shoot this video. Our video director Chandrashekhar Karalkar clicked over 6,000 images and built 36 light units without any special effects," smiles Joe, a feeling of pride palpable in his voice.
Currently, Samved is working on their next album, which will see a lot of collaborations and new sounds. They are also planning to include a few acoustic tracks and go slow on the electronic section.
In the coming years, the band's sole aim is to build a definite identity of their sound and grow stronger as musicians and performers. "We want to represent Indian electronic music globally while keeping our Indian flavour intact," Joe concludes.
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