New Delhi-based electronica producer and singer Vedant Chandra AKA Alboe, the acronym for 'A Little Bit Of Everything' has released his latest EP Love Languages, a multi-lingual exploration of love that weaves together elements from Indian classical music and new wave electronica to create a cohesive auditory experience. The six-track EP features five singers across four languages — Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi and English resulting in distinct and strong yet complementary tracks.
Alboe’s affinity for seamlessly blending classical Indian sounds with western influences that he first displayed in his debut album, The Painter, continues in Love Languages.
The multilingual EP kicks off with a disco-drenched Bengali track with arpeggiated bass lines, Rokto ft Prajna on vocals.
On Can’t find your love, the English-Hindi disco-tinged house music track, the tabla engages in easy banter with the synths.
Silhouettes, sung by Alboe himself, features heavy instrumentation, orchestral sounds and vocal journeys.
The hip-pop number Flight is a song about longing but Punjabi singer So Dee’s playful vocal style doesn’t let the energy flag for a second.
Youniverse, a dancefloor-friendly song about letting go, is followed by Malx ft Shri, an ode to self-love that is based on Raag Malkauns, one of the oldest Ragas in Hindustani classical music.
Watch the music video for Malx below.
“One day as I was practicising Raga Malkauns, which is one of my favourite ragas, on the MIDI-keyboard, I was struck by how much I enjoyed the way it sounded and I started tinkering with sounds and elements,” says Alboe of the process. “At the same time, I was also talking to a close friend of mine, the Hyderabad-based vocalist Shri and asked her if she would sing on this track. She said the track worked out great, which set me down the road of exploring regional music. I wanted to touch all corners and see what I could do with blending Indian and Western sounds,” he adds.
The fusion-electronica EP ingeniously melds the rich tapestry of regional sounds with the vibrant textures of modern electronic production in a diverse palette of sonic elements; seamlessly fusing traditional instruments, evocative vocal samples, and intricate melodies while serving up an invigorating and transcendent sonic odyssey.
Listen to the EP here.
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