Xoixob (Bhargav) : Xoixob emerges from ‘Shoisob’, the word
for childhood. Bhargav is 24, a perfect age to start immersing in
childhood nostalgia. His childhood, in fact was laced with the
wonder of Assamese folk music. He took this childhood wonder and
transformed it into a celebration of a charming youth. The song is
in Assamese, but its clearly conveys the beauty of school, songs on
radios, running around and familiar balconies. However, he infuses
nostalgia with expertly crafted electronic turns of sound. Nothing
too grandiose, just a touch of some futuristic sounding snags to bring
sweetened memories into the present. Its a lovely track, and pleases
both lovers of folk poetry and electronic musical concoctions.
The Incredible Journey of
Light (RIVU): Star Trek meets
Shine a Light (ONEmpire) : Mumbai-
based band trying to make a difference.
ONEmpire are disarmingly frank in their
intent : they want to lend their voice to those
stigmatised by mental illness. Their music is
an outright beacon for change, exhorting the
necessity for sympathetic attention to mental
health. Its not easy, considering the amount
of insensitivity and hate that topics related to
psychological dysfunctionality attracts.
The music is pleasant, is somewhat predictable.
The band is composed of musicians worth
their salt. They sing of a heartbreak that goes
beyond mainstream romance, and offer hope
and light without missing a beat. The plea is
for holding on and having faith springs from
authentic passions, and it is genuinely joyful
to see people pouring their hearts out in song.
I am not particularly enthralled by the track,
but I recognise its nobility. They shot the
music video in the Gateway School in Mumbai
which houses a student population that needs
special care for disabilities. Getting the kids
involved is charming, and constitutes a call
for greater compassion. The track should be
listened to for its message, even if its musical
prowess does not appeal.
rock opera? Yes? No? Whatever
your reaction, RIVU’s debut
album is addled with intrigue
and delicious drama. His musical
inspiration is manifold : the dual
nature of light, an unusually
visual
dream,
interstellar
exploration, lightspeed traversal,
the teleportation of a particle
at lightspeed to the ISS using
quantum entanglement; the kepler
space telescope finding multiple
potentially habitable exoplanets,
the beginning of Project Centaur.
Rivu speaks about science with
a sense of glee and wonder that
we are often taught to associate
with poetry, love, foolishness and
naivete. Hearing him talk makes
it impossible to not smile. His
excitement is a living thing, and
its gonna get you.
The eight instrumental pieces are
scintillating narratives, each lush
with flamboyant connotation.
They roll off your tongue, almost
physical beings that are eager to
convey grand stories and hasty
secrets. Their bombast is offset
by delicate whispers of willowy
strings. The amount of fun that he
had while weaving these phonetic
tales is apparent in the impatient
but elega nt progression. All of it
is like a highly organised circus
veering on the edge of a cyberpunk
explosion. The enormity of
RIVU’s storytelling, however, is
careful to not to risk its delicacy.
Its magnificence is like a finely
woven thangka - glorious - its glory
composed of quivering, barely
perceptible strokes.
In case it isn’t amply apparent, I
highly recommend the album. I
also recommend getting a physical
copy, because the CD and case
have themselves been injected into
the store; imbued with objects and
designs that convey the “lore of
the universe” as RIVU calls it. The
whole thing is both expansive and
intimate, like getting a glimpse
into the heart of a boy with stars
in his eyes, and the heart is full of
the vastness of the stars.
Get the album. Worth every
penny, despite the fact that a good
story can never be priced.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
31