Pioneering rock musician Uday Bengal, fresh from releasing a decidedly modern single, talks about how the music industry is changing
A still from the video for Antigravity, directed by Dubai-based filmmaker Tejal Patni
Old-school rock music in India is in critical condition. It's on life support for all practical purposes. Electronica and hip-hop have robbed it of its oxygen cylinders. And marketing forces like brands are refusing to pay the hospital fees. There might be a revival sometime in the future after the genre slips into a coma. But as of now, it does look as if this style of music is on its last legs in this country.
That's why even a band like Indus Creed, one of the country's biggest rock outfits, admittedly gets few gigs these days. And further evidence lies in the fact that its vocalist, Uday Benegal, has now released a solo track called Antigravity that has decidedly modern elements. The song is dressed in the garb of rock music. But it suddenly undergoes a makeover in between when producer Bianca Gomes spits some edgy rap verses. Even the accompanying music is a departure from the sort of rock ballads that Benegal is known for since it has a progressive tempo that matches contemporary tastes. He hasn't composed it, however. Clinton Cerejo was in charge of that. But either way, for Benegal to present himself in such an avatar, and that too as a solo artiste, is a sign of the changing times.
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Hardly rock steady
The single is part of an ongoing series that a music website has launched and the singer tells us, "Things like this project might be the breathing apparatus that we all need. It gives oxygen to a scene that has been deprived of it for a while. So, it's a good thing on that front. By and large, however, rock music in the indie industry is suffering quite a bit. But rock and roll does have that quality of subsisting and staying under the radar for a while when things are down."
Uday Benegal
In that case, the lyrical content in Antigravity can be viewed as a message that's being sent out to, among other people, rock musicians who are down in the doldrums. Benegal talks about the importance of standing tall when the going gets tough. He says, "We often talk about second chances, or the fact that you don't get second chances. But I believe that to be entirely untrue. I think we get many chances in life. Second chances aren't where it ends. Life offers every individual many opportunities to make your existence more meaningful and enriching. And that is pretty much what Antigravity talks about. It's about getting past the thing that brought you down."
New order
It remains to be seen, then, whether rock music in India will be able to get past this dire phase of its existence. But for that, it might be a good idea for musicians to be open to the idea of incorporating modern electronic sounds (a bit like what Benegal and Cerejo have done here) instead of sticking to no-holds-barred rock and roll at all costs. The vocalist reveals that he himself keeps an ear out for new music. He says, "I want to know what's going on. I'm interested in seeing what new ideas are coming into the musical world, with people who have a bunch of new influences and voices. So, my attraction today is more towards bands like Bon Iver and War on Drugs, and I don't really listen to the stuff that I grew up on [like Led Zeppelin and The Who]."
Those words come from a man who's no less than a pioneer when it comes to Indian independent music. Rock Machine, Indus Creed's earlier avatar, gave India its first-ever all-original album in the form of Rock 'n' Roll Renegade in 1988. Benegal is thus one of the founding fathers of the modern independent music scene. But now, even he feels the force of the changing tide. Yet, he signs off on a hopeful note saying that he sees the genre of rock music continuing to exist in some form or the other, adding, "I'm just keen to see what the next avatar is."
Log on to: mynexa.nexaexperience.com to listen to Antigravity
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