JOIN USRock music gets a regional twist
A Hindi rock single with Hindustani and Carnatic influences featuring a former Megadeth guitarist, sounds like a dream but for progressive rock band Antariksh it’s the description of their latest single, ‘Quest’. Founder of the band, Varun Rajput, speaks to Metrolife about the rise of Hindi rock music and collaboration with Marty Friedman.
What led to the formation of Antariksh?
The main idea was to bring edgy and authentic sounds of rock music to the world of mainstream Hindi music, and to make it accessible for the. I’d been a part of a bunch of local progressive rock bands during college. After spending a few years in the corporate world, I decided to get back to music and give a shot at being a full-time musician. I founded Antariksh along with two of my friends, Mridul Ganesh and Gurtej Singh, in 2012. We went to write and release our first album, ‘Khoj’ in 2013 which was received quite well and we began touring in 2014. Mridul moved to the US and Gurtej moved to Australia - however, I’ve continued to spearhead the project, releasing new music as well as touring across the globe. It’s been an incredible journey so far.
How would you describe your sound? Would you categorise yourself as belonging to a certain genre?
It’s difficult to categorise Antariksh’s music, however, if you were to really put it in a bracket, I think it would be rock. I love learning different styles of music and incorporating them in the songs I write, so while composing I’m never really thinking of fitting a song into a specific genre, I just always try to do justice to the idea that I have in my head, wherever that may take me.
I’ve grown up listening to an extensive amount of rock and pop, so those sensibilities naturally come in most of Antariksh’s music. Our recent single ‘Quest’ had elements inspired from Hindustani classical as well as Carnatic music - but if you were to classify it in a genre, it would have to be called a progressive rock song.
Do you see a growing audience for Hindi rock music?
Absolutely. In the last ten years, I’ve seen a massive surge in the number of people listening to independent Hindi rock music. In the early 2000’s, rock was only associated with English bands/artistes, but after a few successful examples of Bollywood incorporating heavier sounds, there has been a visible increase in the number of listeners as well as artists pursuing Hindi rock as a genre. I expect this surge to continue, as people are more open to listening to different styles of music.
How did the collaboration with Marty Friedman come about?
Back in 2019, I saw him play at the NH7 Weekender, Shillong. The idea first struck me when I was watching him.
Coincidentally, while heading back to Delhi, Marty and his band were sitting two rows ahead of me in the aircraft. Throughout the flight, I kept thinking how incredible it would be if I could get Marty to play on ‘Quest’. When we landed, I got a chance to interact with him and that’s when I asked him about it. It was when I sent him the demo of the song, that he agreed to play on it. From there on, it was smooth sailing. Not only is he a phenomenal guitarist and a thorough professional, but also one of the most down-to-earth and amiable persons I’ve come across. Working and interacting with him has been an honour and a privilege.
What are your other dream collaborations?
After ticking off a major one from that list, a few dream collaborations that come to my mind are - having Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation) sing on our track and having John Petrucci (Dream Theater) play guitars on another one. I have also grown up listening to a lot of Indian classical music and ghazals. It would be an absolute honor to collaborate with Ustad Puranchand Wadali ji from the Wadali Brothers.