MUUUSSSTTTAAARRRRRRDDDDD is the only condiment people will be talking about for the foreseeable future since Kendrick Lamar surprise dropped his new album last Friday. Apart from the outrageous adlib that is being memefied everyday, GNX itself has brought upon an interesting mix of responses online that I wish I wasn't too familiar with. Kendrick is a 'conscious' rapper. But fangirling him to fit into the intelligentsia is a trap. Hating on him because his wisdom can sometimes sound obnoxious and he's 'not as silly' as Carti or Uzi is another trap. As a K-dot fan, I've been walking this line between the two for a decade.
It's the same two sides behind most of the narratives surrounding GNX right now. And I'm trying to mute out all of it: the rigamarole of album reviews, the breakdowns, and even the outright dismissals. I'm drowning out the noise by just listening to the album, with each track becoming my new favourite everyday. As a teen, I felt ashamed to admit that I liked Hannah Montana, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. So now I practice liking what I like religiously. Which box or subculture that puts me in is none of my business.
We face something similar when it comes to Homegrown music. Either it's an obligatory pride for something being Indian or it's contempt for the very same reason, none of which is based on whether the music actually speaks to you. I know that DHH is not for me but being schooled by artists like Midnight Agenda, Antariksh Daddy, and Chris Cobain on what "Indian" music can be has been a delightful ride.
Through Homegrown Handpicked, we bring you the freshest music from across the country every month, gift wrapped in a playlist that's just for you. All we ask of you is to let yourself be surprised and delighted by anything that catches your ear; all notions of where you fit on some imaginary music map be damned.
Most of Yash Sahai's latest EP is a Dev D-esque journey through the changing eras of Indian music; a timeline that spans 70s Bollywood, disco, and touches of modern electronica. On the title track in particular, the artist gives voice to the feeling of travelling without destination but in a hyper self-aware, 'too-smart-for-my-own-good' kinda way. For me, Laailaaj is a certified 'loner at a house party' anthem that you listen to after one too many drinks.
Anjunadeep has given us some of the best soundtracks for a spell bounding sunset moment over the years. The label has become synonymous with melodic techno and house that you can trust to move you in some way. In their latest release we get a homegrown version of a soulful track by Anhad + Tanner along with Akanksha Grover. Silent Days, the title track, from their latest EP, merges neoclassical vocals with electronica that hits home for the Indian heart.
For me, 2010s were the golden era of electronic music. Skrillex, Kygo, Deadmau5, Armin, Tiesto, Above & Beyond, Daft Punk; need I say more? The sweet spot between electronic dance music and indie/pop was born here. Now, Five YearsFromNow recreate the magic of a tender intro that launches you into an explosive drop through Kya Hua. I have a personal playlist called 'crying at the rave'. It hits the same sweet spot; intersecting a hard-hitting, dancey beats with touching lyrics, and this one's definitely going there.
Straight from a coming-of-age movie about a misunderstood young adult, Fuzzy World by KIMKID takes the existentialism of grunge, the angst of punk and the high-spirited whimsy of freshly entering adulthood that often borders on psychotic. It makes the confusion of not knowing what to do with your life sounds like a party that's very mad-hatter coded.
Ahmedabad-based singer-songwriter Tshering Bhutia leads the quietest and sweetest form of rebellion on her latest track Hair on my Legs. The forest-fairy brass intro and the surf-rock guitar along with her delicate voice is girlhood at its peak. If tinkerbell was a radical feminist with a "this is my body and you can't tell me what to do" message, this is what she'd sound like.
Ankit wrote Somewhere In The West as an ode to his inner and outer experiences while travelling. Amongst the excitement of new places, people and sensations there's also an underlying understanding that hits you as a metaphor. You're just a traveller; here for a little while before you return home. There's no better genre to capture the expanse of this feeling between lost and found than indie-folk and that's precisely what this cinematic track does.
A If you've ever been a fan of Imran Khan or Bilal Saeed, you know that Punjabi pop has a unique power of making you really sad about your ex but the whole time you can't help but want to bust a move. On their latest track, Jai Dhir and Akanksha takes us through the same routine over a banger of a beat by NEVERSOBER. Petals is proof that heartbreak can't hurt you when you're dancing.
Rok Lo Na has a stellar line-up featuring various skilled instrumentalists that alone brings a polished edge to this soft ballad by Akshay Agarwal and Gaurav Tiwari. A simple track driven by yearning and desire about freezing a precious moment, somehow still manages to stay with you through its catchy chorus and Akshay's intoxicating voice.
Writing about Radio Man in a playlist feels like music-ception. Tienas' latest track is about all of us who like our music a little too much. In line with please don't stop the music by Rihanna, or the DJ got us falling in love again by Usher, Tienas punchy hyper-pop track shouts out to icons like Kanye, Green Day, and Akon who dominated the charts while we were growing up; making lifelong fans out of all of us.
Yelhomie embodies both Travis Scott and 2000's-era Lil Wayne on his new track. He continues to represent voice of his people in Manipur. Calling out the corruption and systemic disruption of the youth in the state, Run It Up is gripping in both sound and spirit.
Tambdi Chamdi by Kratex and Shreyas is probably the only Marathi track to have come out of Spinning Records, the electronic dance titan. Earlier this year it also became one of the biggest tracks in the country, spreading all over social media, festivals, and clubs. Now the club banger gets a Fisher-esque, big room remix by KSHMR. If you thought the track couldn't go any harder, prepare to be blissfully proven wrong.
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Raf Saperra's New Short Film Is A Glimpse Into His Inner World As A Performing Artist
Tarang Joseph's New EP Is An 80s Disco House-Infused Tonic Of Bottled Summer Nostalgia