Indian Shoegaze, Noise & Dream pop guide, volume 1
The Indian sub-continent’s popularly for its vibrant Bollywood film industry and pop culture had always been one of the major factors that blankets the growth of independent music scene in the country. But thanks to the upsurging music festivals and events, India now boasts with a plethora of independent musicians who’ve been producing magnificent work that has made its way to the heart of a global audience.
Although, it’s difficult to say Noise Pop has established a foothold in the Indian independent music scene, but popular music festivals/events (Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Ziro Festival of Music, Magnetic Fields, Hornbill Music Festival, etc…) have helped the independent music industry evolve into a vibrant music ecosystem.
The first volume of our guide will bring you in a journey to discover some of these talented artists
LO! PENINSULA
Lo! Peninsula is a Shoegaze/Dreampop/psych rock three-piece band based in Imphal, India. As said on their Bandcamp page, they “Weave dreams for a living”.
They indeed propose a music both melodic and powerful that will carry you in a psychedelic universe, should you let you carried by it.
They were formed in April 2017 and have released a single and an EP to date. Their debut EP, AKA Lo Peninsula, is” a catharsis of the existential crisis that we have been facing since the band was formed. This is our response to all the trials and tribulations that we had endured since we took our baby steps as a band”. It is an excellent first EP.
The current lineup is:
Nitin Shamurailatpam (guitar, vocals)
Avinash Thokchom (bass)
Jyotin Elangbam (drums)
The musical work to date is:
AKA Lo Peninsula , EP, August 2018
Chasing Tidal Waves, Single, July 2017
SHASHWAT BULUSU (BULLU)
Baroda-based singer-songwriter/producer Shashwat Bulusu (also known as BULLU) is no stranger to the Indian lo-fi music scene.
His experiments on lo-fi music production began some time between 2014-15 which gravitated towards creating dreamy, lo-fi atmospheric soundscapes with generously reverberated melodic vocals and thus began his journey as a performing artist. Although he has been self-producing most of his work as singles, but his debut EP is scheduled for release in early January 2019.
Some of his musical work:
While, Come Over Again, Gulnava, Dog Days, Senior, Ruksana, Dhanyavaad, Chaand, singles 2018
Colours, Disco Ode To The FatMan, You’ve Got A Message – AGAIN, Murder In The Rose Garden, singles 2017
KOUROS
Kouros is an experimental Metal/Rock project. It includes elements of doom, Noise Pop and Shoegaze and does it very well. The different influences makes the sound and texture always evolving in different sonic universe rather than staying stuck in one.
Kouros is one of the solo project of Sushant Rawat. Check also his other musical ventures, RAAT and Nightgrave.
The music work to date:
The Distance Between Us, Album, May 2018
Causa, Album, October 2015
BEGUM
As described on their Facebook page, Begum are “Dreamy, lo-fi experimental perverteres from New Delhi, India.” They were formed in 2013 and have released 2 singles and 2 albums to date. Their debut album, Bagh, offers a plethora of dreamy/waltzy sound even though the album consists of only three tracks. Following their debut album, Bagh, released in 2014, they have released one EP and two singles.
Current line-up:
Tushar Mohan: bass/sample man for Begum and Nigambodh,
Karan Singh: drums and keys, other than playing for Begum he also plays drums/harmonium for Peter Cat Recording Company and Lycanthropia.
Kartik S Pillai: guitars and vocals, other than playing for Begum he also plays guitars/keys for Peter Cat Recording Company.
The musical work to date:
Waiting, 2014
Bagh, 2014
W.A.E, 2016
Sweet Nectar, 2018
HOIRONG
HOIRONG is a solo project of Bangalore based lo-fi/noise rock guitarist Kamal Singh. Like most of their lyrics, their bio is equally and outrageously wacky. Here’s how they explain their music - “This is the fat and ugly stepsister of pop music, and it’s basically sublime. It’s all very confusing, with traces of punk, art-rock, noise-rock, pop, metal, (and disco, apparently) all jostling with each other and making fleeting appearances in a sound that, while indeed a jumble, is still inherently individualistic and undeniably cool.”
After the release of his debut album, The Resurrection Of The Princess Of Woe And Her Vampire Hound Posse, in 2013, he got himself a band to perform together in 2014.
OUTRO
Editor’s note: A big thank you to Pedro Damian (Shoegazer Alive radio and Shoegazer Alive blog) for recommending some of the bands and for the related special India radio episode. Also thanks to Shoegaze Japan FB group that started Noise Artists interest in Indian bands. And of course thanks to Nitin for his enthusiasm and hard work on this article.
We hope to be working soon on a second volume, so please let us know if you know anymore bands on our Facebook page or by email.
