In the world of music , sound plays an inherent part of the overall listening experience . It brings out an artistic fervour to the listener and embarks them on a unique musical journey . Some gifted musicians across the globe overcome the boundaries of genres , connect links and bring out marvellous experiences that evoke multitudes of memories , and visuals to the mind ’ s eye . As music evolved over time , new genres came into picture that opened up never before seen boundaries to the listener . One such fantastic musician who needs no introduction in the field of global electronic music and underground music is Karsh Kale .
A musician who is in constant search for the right sound , who never stops until his musical equilibrium is reached in creating a composition , a musician who can link multiple art forms with the scintillating aspect of sound , Karsh Kale is an absolute musical delight . While the entire globe is fighting the vices of the pandemic , this gifted artist has come up with two parts of an album named Touch . The first part has released and bringing in some amazing response all over .
The Score Magazine is extremely pleased to have a soulful conversation with this gifted musician :
Hello Karsh , Congratulations of releasing your 6th album “ Touch ”! We absolutely love it ! Our personal favourites are ‘ Lovers ' and ‘ Fist of Fury ’. When we listened to Sunset Sketch right after Fist of Fury , the transition was beautiful . How did you manage to create this album amid the pandemic situation ?
Thank you ! It all started when I came to the US from India in March 2020 , for a period of three weeks and was supposed to return to Goa after that . I had about 3 to 4 shows in Chicago , New York and LA . I have a place in Brooklyn and was actually not planning to stay there . But thanks to the pandemic , I was stuck there . The black Lives movement was happening and lockdown was rampant . I hadn ’ t seen my family and friends then , and was disconnected with the world . I started writing lot of music then , and finally could get to Goa after many attempts . I spent the next six months in Goa , now again in lockdown , which became the collection of music . This is the first part of my compositions and the second part will be releasing this July .
Does the name “ Touch ” signify anything particular according to you ?
Touch was something which we were missing especially during this time of pandemic . People couldn ’ t meet their loved ones , family and close people because of the social distancing . Suddenly , there was a serious longing for human touch in these difficult times . That is where the inspiration for this album came from .
How did you rope in Indian Folk Singer , Padma Shri Malini Awasthi for the song “ Lovers ”?
Malini ji and me were in a studio about three years ago working on a piece of music . Before we started working on it , we did few recordings having her extempore aalaps that I hadn ’ t revisited till then . During the pandemic , I opened them up and started writing pieces of music revolving around it . I arranged around her vocals and sent it to her and she loved it ! She said we had to put it some proper form and it happened .
“ Lovers ” is inspired by many stories I have heard during the times of pandemic who were separated away from continents , and geographical distance .
You are known for amazing collaborations . How did you decide to create this one album without collaborations ?
More than anything else , it was due to the pandemic , the inability to get together with artists . There is a lot of conversational aspect that happens in music , not just a process of studio recording . In this case , I just kept the blueprints to myself .
What are some of the qualities you look for before collaborating with an artist ?
I usually like working with artists that are willing to go out of their comfort zone and willing to take a risk to arrive somewhere new and uncharted . For me , collaborating is an adventure you embark on with other artists so the more willingness there is to try new things , the more of a chance that something magically unplanned may appear .
In your own words , could you describe each of the tracks you have created through this album especially Fist of Fury ?
The Score Magazine
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