JOIN USMumbai-based band Antarman has come up with their debut album in which they have reinterpreted the folk gems of Eastern India. With heady influences of Baul, Bhatiyali, Sylheti, Bihu and a fair share of Indian classical music woven into present-day arrangements, this self-titled album comprise six songs. In a candid chat with Puja Gupta, band members — Rahul Mukherjee, Randeep Bhaskar and Pooja Shankar — talk more about the album, music and future projects.
Excerpts:
Tell us about your album.
Rahul The album is sculpted by weaving folk forms with new age music trends, melody and arrangement. The poetic renditions in the album are created to take the listener through the many facets of life by connecting each one’s inner senses, irrespective of language or age. Two songs in the album are inspired by the traditional folk song of Lalon fakir and Kamrup land, while the rest are original folk creations.
How was the album conceptualised?
Pooja It was our conscious decision to work on folk from across the country. This album focuses on folk from Eastern part of India which was a natural choice as we belong to West Bengal. Each song was discussed deeply in terms of what it needs to convey to the listeners.
How did you guys come together?
Rahul Our band is primarily an outcome of our passion for music, conceived and created by three of us.
Pooja Rahul, Randeep and I met in my gig and then decided to jam after that. Antarman is a result of pure love for music which connects the three of us and also we all had a common vision of working on folk music.
Tell us more about your music.
Rahul The endeavor of Antarman is to collaborate and mix the folk genres of every part of the country.
Pooja Also, in a highly competitive industry, it is very important to create music which is clutter breaking and brings something refreshing to the listeners. The richness of Indian classical and folk music is renowned world over. It will continue to be our endeavor to work in this space.
How do you differentiate yourself?
Pooja We believe there is a clear space for good music. Our music brings folk in a contemporary format which we are confident will not only connect the folk lovers as much as it would connect with the younger generation and all music lovers. We believe we have a right to succeed with this approach and are confident of reaching the hearts of our listeners.
What are you working on next?
Randeep We will continue to work in the classical and folk forms. We hope to come with our next rendition soon.