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A Delhi-based electronica producer, Nikhil Kaul dabbled in fields like advertising and writing before taking to music full-time. Over the years, he has become popular as ‘Frame/Frame’ and given many successful shows. He recently released his new EP ‘Flutter’, which is his fourth one as ‘Frame/Frame’ and has been on a tour to promote it.
His latest performance was in Bengaluru. “The show was excellent and there was a great turnout. We pretty much went as per the plan,” laughs Nikhil. Having performed in the City many times before, Nikhil feels that “Bengaluru is in a good place” when it comes to music. “Not only are the venues in the City amazing but also the talent. The quality of music is high and some of the best acts like ‘Sulk Station’ are from the City,” he exclaims.
When asked how he entered the scene, Nikhil says, “It was only towards the end of school that I started taking music seriously. Later in college, I used to play the guitar and sing rock songs. Those days, electronic music was not fully electronic. Artistes in the field also used to include a number of instruments in their tunes. That made me curious to explore more.”
However, he ended up working in the advertising industry apart from interning with a music magazine. “So there wasn’t much time to do anything. It was when I quit advertising that I realised that music was my true calling.”
Influenced by a variety of music, Nikhil always aims creating a live show as opposed to an electronic one where he is just churning out tunes. “‘Darkside’, which is one of my favourite acts, always has such shows. When you listen to Nicolas Jaar from ‘Darkside’, it’s a different experience altogether. If you close your eyes, you will think it’s electronic but it is actually live,” he explains. ‘Radiohead’ and Trentmoller have been his inspirations too. “The whole songwriting style of ‘Radiohead’ is really good,” he says.
‘Frame/Frame’ happened in 2012 when someone booked a gig for him. “I ended up writing 10 songs for it,” he laughs. The new EP ‘Flutter’ is a four-track one and was released on Lowlit, a record label and cultural curator, also started by ‘Frame/Frame’. Nikhil says that ‘Flutter’ reflects his aesthetics as a producer. “It’s a kaleidoscope of sounds that are texturally rich – smooth, crunchy, melodic, synthy, all at the same time. It is a culmination of everything I have been listening to. It’s a big plate of flavours.”
‘Flutter’ also has a video and Nikhil hopes to bring out more videos. “‘Flutter’ is my most complete work up until now,” he notes. Currently busy promoting the EP, he also regularly organises ‘Frame by Friends’, a series of concerts where he performs with his other musician friends.