mantis // shaa’ir and func [free download album]
Yes you read the title right! … the uber uh-mazing SHAA’IR and FUNC are making their third album MANTIS available for FREE DOWNLOAD.
Just make your way to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/shaairandfunc > click on MY BAND.
SHAA’IR & FUNC – ‘EVERY TIME YOU’RE AROUND’ DIRECTORS CUT’ [from Mantis]
SHAA’IR & FUNC – ‘MY ROOTS’ [from Mantis]
shaa’ir n func get a twisted drum ‘n’ bass makeover // bandish projekt
A fantastic Bandish Projekt remix of a Shaa’ir n Func track ‘We’re Not Alone’ – with some twisted drum ‘n’ bass refixing its original sound from the album MANTIS
Also check out the live tabla mix of this track:
indian independence day // an electronic celebration
Today marks 64 years of India’s Independence and to mark the occasion, here are some amazing tracks from the album ‘Vande Mataram: An Electronic Exploration‘ … a fabulous take on the original by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay.
Read more about the album here
Midival Punditz // Electro Indian Mix
Func International // Rocktronics
Listen to the rest of the album below:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
bandish projekt feat. shaa’ir // 50 ways to leave and come back [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Another treat for y’all today! A beautiful track …
This time from Bandish Projekt (a.k.a. Mayur Narvekar) and Shaa’ir – from Shaa’ir & Func (a.k.a. Monica Dogra) joined Bobby Friction in the BBC Friction Lab to record a remixed track LIVE, in less than 2 hours!
The result was ’50 Ways to Leave and Come Back’ – a live mash up of 3 tracks.
- Dhobi Ghat theme tune – by Gustavo Santaolalla
- O Basanti Pawan Paagal – by Lata Mangeshkar (from the Movie ‘Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai’)
- 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – by Paul Simons
This track is dedicated to people of Mumbai and victims of the recent bombings.
Watch the making here:
dhobi ghat | monica dogra
Yesterday, I finally got around to watching Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat – a beautiful film that steps away from the average stuff churned out by Indian cinema and sets a trend of its own.
Set around Mumbai’s Dhobi Ghat, the story pursues four very different people whose lives coincide. Arun (Aamir Khan), an introvert artist trying to move on with his life; Shayi (Monica Dogra), an NRI investment banker on sabbatical in India; Munna (Prateik) an aspiring actor who by day is a Dhobi and by night a rat killer. And finally Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra), a newly-wed in Mumbai who keeps a video diary for her younger brother.
Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla provides a stunning background score and soundtrack to the fit in with the commotion of the film, haunting and emotive!
The reason for mentioning this film on nada:brahma is that I’m a massive fan of Monica’s band – Shaa’ir + Func. I met up and had a chat with her when they performed at Sound Bar in Birmingham, truly fab! – read the gig review here.
Definitely check out the film and her music!
nada:brahma top tracks of 2010
Merry Christmas people!
I’ve got a round up of what I consider to be the top tracks of 2010 (in no particular order). So enough of the chit chat from me and on with the show.
Aeroplane Dope & D-Skillz featuring Raggo Blunt – Pinky Finger (Piyush Bhatnagar Remix)
Akala – Yours and My Children
Anuj Rastogi (Omnesia) – The Dark Knight – Why So Serious (Indian DubStep Remix)
Aref Durvesh + Xfile (xfile remix) – Cloudsurfing dubrub remix
Awake (karsh kale’s morning remix)
Bandish Projekt – Brown Skin Beauty (Liquid Stranger Remix)
Barbouze – Otto Matic Rumble Mix
Bass Flo – Mount Everest
Bonita Applebum – Why Can’t Love
Clare Maguire – Ain’t Nobody (breakage remix)
Daft Punk – Derezzed (from TRON: Legacy)
Dimm Summer – Rubstep – slow burn mix
Engine-Earz Experiment (Feat. Lena Cullen) – Reach You
FILMI – Technicolor
Gaudi – Bad Boy Bass (Piyush Bhatnagar Remix)
Jalebee Cartel – Mirrors (Breed Remix)
Karsh Kale & Midival Punditz – Girl Fight (Enter the Dragon)
Kaya Project – When Only Sand Remains (Tripswitch Remix)
Lal Meri – Lal Meri (Bombay Dub Orchestra Remix)
Mirko Kosmos – Light Warrior
My Pet Dragon – Flow (Karsh Kale’s Way Of The Dragon Mix)
Phaeleh – Afterglow (feat. Soundmouse)
Rita Morar & Steve Carty – Rain (Piyush Bhatnagar Remix)
Shaa’ir & Func – Every time You’re Around
Shammi Pithia – The Seeker
Sub Swara – Bend You
Sukh Knight – Gabba Wasp
The Nasha Experience – REDZONE
Bob Marley – Waiting in Vain (Susheela Raman and Karsh Kale Version)
Amal Lad – Once Upon a Time in London
2011 Favourited already:
Generation Bass Presents Transnational Dubstep Compilation
EVERY TIME YOUR AROUND’ DIRECTORS CUT – shaair+func
The video to “Every time Your Around” from SHAA’IR + FUNC’s 2010 album MANTIS.
This video was directed and beautifully captured by Sandeep Mehta – filming on the streets of lokhandwala, in khar danda village, Mumbai.
This is Bombay through the eyes of Shaa’ir + Func, in its everyday beauty.
Enjoy
raj:reload part 3
After a short break it was time for an unforgettable audio experience. Watching and posting their “BBC Introducing” vids blogging about these guys over the past few months, Oh how I have waited for this!!
Engine Earz Experiment: Myspace|Facebook
Featuring Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Shahid Abbas Khan, Jenna G and Lena Cullen – it was the fantabulous Engine Earz Experiment.
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This 30 minute set drove the crowd insane, with their fusing of indigenous musics from around the world all covered in dark dubstep and unforgiving basslines that really shakes your core. Playing favourites like Lucky By Design, OHM, Reach You featuring Lena Cullen. Not forgetting the infamous putting them on the map track – Kaliyuga: for the first time two studios versions were merged into one explosive performance with English vocals provided by Jenna G and Indian vocals by Abi Sampanthan.
* *
The crowd went fanatical when Introspector was performed with Nathan “Flutebox” Lee. Right now I’m having trouble describing what it was like as you just had to experience in the moment.
*
Not only was this set about the music, but the stunning visuals that were displayed went hand in hand with every track, each millisecond felt like it went through a well thought out process giving each and every track and visual a deeper meaning that we think. Hats off to you Prash and the crew!
PHEW! … by this time you’d think that was it but wait there’s more, Nathan “Flutebox” Lee and the Clinic an astounding array of talented musicians were up. They provided an acoustic display of explosive blend of musical elements like Hip Hop, Drum ‘n’ bass with Western, Indian classical and Funk melodies, definitely one spellbinding act. A guest appearance was made by Mayur Narvekar aka Bandish Projekt. He joined Flutebox for a wiked jamming session, a teaser to what I was to witness the next day!!! PHOWAAR!!
*
My night finished here. I had to catch the last train back to North London. I was gutted, I didn’t get to see the jam with Chandrasonic and Marty Savale from Asian Dub Foundation and Nerms closing set.
I had a truly magnificent night, it was intense, immense and incredible. For those who missed out, it was an experience worth going through to discover new and diverse music.
Thank you Ash Chandola (Director of Swaraj Music) and Southbank! Hope to see more of these events in the future!
* pics taken by David Reffell
raj:reload part 2
Next up was Arun Ghosh, a very suave and mysterious clarinetist and composer, playing with his Indo-Jazz Sextet, busting out some really groovy sounds originating from South Asian mixed in with a healthy dose of jazz attitude, tabla trickery and sky high improvisations. You should have seen this guy; red kurta clad with Adidas trainers and rocking the place, his onstage performance was quite something, he literally swayed with the sound like a snake charmer …
At the same time, Last Mango In Paris was performing, and after Sundays acquaintance with him, I’m truly gutted I missed it. Check out the vids below to catch a glimpse of the man himself Shane Solanki in action. A bit of cool info here: remember ANOKHA: Soundz of the Asian Underground by Talvin Singh? … theres a track called Accepting Trankuility by The Milky Bar Kid, well thats Shane!. I also missed out on Bishi, If only I was everywhere at once.
Back in the Queen Elizabeth Hall for an electric performance by the very beautiful Monica Dogra and extremely talented Randolph Correia – SHAA’IR + FUNC, again they smashed it. I saw these guys perform only 5 months ago in Birmingham. I’m so glad they were back, they just offer wiked music smothered in energy and passion. Performing tracks from Mantis, their forthcoming album and their previous two and ending with my fav, Embrace. Randolph armed with his candy coloured Gibson guitar and me with my air guitar we jammed and the crowed went crazy … I may just try out for their band hehe …
Above Shaa’ir (Monica Dogra) Below Func (Randolph) pics taken by David Reffell
While the stage was being set up for the next act – DJ Zakhm (Kollectiv, Mutiny NYC) was spinning the wheels of steel and invading our sound space with an assortment finest of Asian Underground from the 90’s and present, including Osmani Soundz’ Spiritual Masterkey and other great favourites.
DJ Zakhm : Pic taken by Hemal Kundalia
While we are on the topic, I got to meet to legends and pioneers of the Asian Underground movement. Osmani Soundz and State of Bengal, listening to their music for the past 11-12years and then meeting them in person was a real honour!
more coming soon … Engine Earz Experiment, Nathan Flutebox Lee and Bandish Projekt.
26th January …
India’s Republic Day marks the occasion of the transition of India from a British Dominion to a republic, but that’s not really what I want to talk about. On this day, the media puts on a display of patriotic films and songs everything from Meri Desh ki Dharti by Mahendra Kapoor to A.R. Rahaman’s Maa Tuje salaam.
However there is an album out there, rare and hardly listened to, Vande Mataram: An Electronic Exploration. Vande Mataram meaning “Salutation to the Motherland”, brings together an array of accomplished artists to showcase the talent of Indian Electronica.
Vande Mataram is a song composed by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay in a concoction of Bengali and Sanskrit, was the national cry for freedom from British oppression during the freedom movement. It has virtually become a second national anthem and to some it is considered as the anthem.
Vande Mataram: An Electronic Exploration – is exactly what it is. As the age of electronica develops so do the artists, and this album portrays the proficiency, dexterity and an aptitude for the best in modern Indian Electronica. It paints a vivid picture of the traditional Vande Mataram in many colours. Each colour is like a different avatar, providing unique dimensions and perspectives yet retaining Vande Mataram’s original significance.
Recommend listening :
- Electro Indian Mix – Midival Punditz
- Rocktronics – Func International
- Ambient Dub Mix – Jayant
- Pathshala Mix – Bandish Projekt
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