Though he channels diverse musical roots, none
of it takes away from the emotional signature of
the track. The words conceal a blurry apathy
when Dayal intones "Don't you hate it when
I forget what I said?". He shifts between
detached observation and prophesying
his own personal doomsday - "Am I gonna
be okay?/If I'm working only nights".
it plays like a sonic performance
piece more than a slice of melody.
Myth is gentler, offering reassurance,
mystery and seduction. Datta’s percussive
prowess becomes more apparent as he
navigates his strings into familiar classical
territory. Despite swimming in more pleasant
waters, the song remains anchored to the
expressive/experimental intentions that are more
visible in the other tracks. Plantations plays in
the same vein, and features the sound of something
akin to the Hang, a percussive instrument that
always elicits an etheric tone. The entire album tries
to build itself around a similar aesthetic. Plantations
concludes this effort by epitomizing the combination
of transcendent and grounded that Datta aims for.
Am I in the way? (Ankit Dayal):
Is Ankit Dayal a troubled man? Or, does
he seek to play out your troubles
instead? Does he croon about his
own brand of dark humanity?
Or, does he just want you to
dip into your own demons?
If you're in the mood for
some leisurely existential
questioning, Dayal provides
the perfect soundtrack for
it. As a singer-songwriter-
producer, he has been
shaped by a kitty of
diverse experiences,
thanks to co-creative
spells with Sid Vashi,
Spud In The Box, the
Living Voices Choir +
Symphony Orchestra
of India, Dhruv
Vishwanath and more.
He brings much of
that to the seductive
delirium of this baby.
Addled with Portishead
inspired synth-work,
it plays with licks
of R&B and hip-hop
in order to beckon
your darker impulses
into awakening.
Dayal gives voice to very familiar, mundane
terrors. He turns into sound-poetry the
everyday sadness and quiet desperation of
people imprisoned by ego, insecurity and
doubt. If you're lucky, you won't relate too
much with the philosophy behind the addictive
groove. But it is more likely that you will find
your least-loved self reflected in the murky
percussion. Dayal does not compromise with the
complexity that is inevitable when creating art
based on human truth. But he also manages to stay
accessible and enjoyable, so that you can have fun
with it when you're not paying too much attention.
101 (Seedhe
Maut): Fresh off
the decided success
of their debut LP, this
hip-hop duo continue
to offer some of the most
elegant takedowns in the
country. Take, for instance,
Aur pehle se karra tha hustle jab/
Papa ko lagta tha beta nasamajh hai
Their new single is riddled with such
eminently quotable wordclusters,
loaded on a spacey, undemanding
lo-fi beat. As is their norm, Encore
ABJ and MC Calm give you plenty to
get worked up about. The tradition
of flexing is turned on its head with
rhymes like “Chalte rahe tum bas ek
hi loop pe/Soche dabbe se bahar/Soche
ke tu kare sala bawll bhot sahi”.
If you’ve taken the time to listen to their
work, especially Shaktiman, you’ll
have a sense of their fundamentally
cynical humour. This track ostensibly
celebrates a musically triumphant
year but it never misses a chance to
thumb its nose at...well, everything.
Gharwaalo ko pata tha chati se ladka
ye/Mandir me maatha nahi tekega
Some of the verse is delightfully
trite, using a touch of absurdity
to progress and drive giggles.
Daaka Daala maala maal hai crew/
Shaakal aaya shakalaka boom/
Me Kaka tiki taka kaatu chu/Laaya
saath me bhaala yabadabadoo
Bhai 101
While the term “street poetry” has
become a little too frequently (and
often mistakenly) used thanks to open
mic nights and Tik Tok videos, these
rap monsters bring an unapologetic
authenticity to it. Their ease with
words constitutes the highest form
of art - that which is used to talk
about human pasts, victories and
disdain. Seedhe Maut has plenty
to look at with disdain, but
their inevitable ascension to
desi hip-hop legacy certainly
wouldn’t be part of it.
The
Score Magazine
highonscore.com
23