To stand up or not to stand up against those who break rules

Initially I created this blog to just review music albums and showcase my sketches. For one reason or the other , life got to me and the day to day drudgery seemed so heavy that it became increasingly difficult to live in that  cozy world  full of good vibrations. I knew  that   I'd have to face this society sooner or later i.e. earn my living through a job and in the process interact with society in one way or the other.  It is said that our unconscious intelligence is far superior than the one we call conscious intelligence and somehow I avoided the uncouth, the savage and the churlish people to maintain my sanity . But sooner or later we have to get out of our shells and no matter what we do, we have to navigate in society to do something in life .
Since then and after leaving university and student life I gradually but assuredly came face to face with  the naked face of society as a citizen. Now , I'm not blind to my own flaws but that doesn't mean that I have to ignore the indignities that other Indians force on others . It's true that there are all kinds of people in society but still there is overall a pattern to each culture and country and how people tend to behave and stereotypes are not necessarily wrong always. There is a significant element of truth in that .

Two days ago, I went to my office canteen after a very long time because usually it is very crowded . I work in the Parliament and despite what the media portrays it to be , trust me , it is not a place you would want to go to eat. It is usually visited by a large number of imbeciles whose life goal is to feel proud by misbehaving with others . I despise being fixated on people and have little interest in analyzing or critiquing someone personally but the idea of right and wrong has to be talked about to make sense of things . In order for a society to function , there needs to be an order and  that is why laws were made for maintaining order but it is not possible to implement or execute those laws by state everywhere . Moreover , when law protectors violate the laws themselves what kind of society would we build ? People who are rich usually don't get to interact with the ''plebians'' but not everyone is fortunate enough. I , by no means relish stereotyping people but there is a large number of people who are from so called lower middle classes and rural belts who misbehave with people .

For instance , a security personnel ( not the police,  not the CRPF personnel , just  some borderline goons hired by the secretariat) in the Parliament canteen broke the line  and when I asked him to come in line he gave vague explanations and harked back on hierarchy by stating that some JS had issued orders etc. His explanation made no sense but I understood that he was trying to save face . I just replied that we also work and nowhere is it stated that you have to break lines and lo and behold he shows his true colours by saying '' no need to become a Kejriwal '' I took him to task and wasn't going to let him get away with this . See the problem with such people is that they only understand one language; that of power and they'd probably never rise above that level of thinking because this is what they have learnt , to live as primitive neanderthals but I again said politely that if he is wrong he shouldn't at least try to justify and defend and he became more disrespectful , I had to reply in kind but  I realized that I was stooping to his level . but I could see the hesitation in his eyes . Finally I went off by telling him that he's not worth my time and articulated it in the tersest and non abusive way possible so that he could get it in his head but it left me thinking once again , what kind of society are we living in that to even stand for right things you have to  resort to harsh reasoning and  cannot do it in a dignified manner .

But I think there is little point in focusing on negative things and such uncouth people . But one thing is clear , the general Indian society still functions around power structures and if it has to develop , people would need to change their mentality . Movies such as Drishyam, Shahid , Jolly LLB , Rang De Basanti etc. show the true face of society . The so called and self proclaimed  best minds of  the country and those who crack certain exams conducted by the govt. such as Upsc etc. are part of the problem. People who sit in the 'temple of democracy' violate the constitution themselves by practicing Vvip racism and more of such things. If people in such responsible positions would act out in this manner , what could we expect from others ?

The society needs to come clean and talk honestly about its true culture and build a new foundation based on progressive principles. 

Some more sketches

My sketches

,

Lifeforms -Multidimensional |

Music is one of those art forms which tops any other art form because it comprises of sound, poetry (in form of lyrics) and is compact in that it is brief compared to other art forms. But what makes it unique is that it can unfold a story of its own in such short time!

Multidimensional is one such album that achieves this feat. And it is not every day that you come across an album which has a compact beginning, middle and an end.  But I’d be honest I didn't like the songs at first.,as the vocals seemed guttural but I couldn't overlook the melodic elements and the impact of songs as a whole was unmistakable The songs here somehow reminded me of the trailer to the album ‘’Kolossus’’ by’’ Keeps of Kalessin’’ which is as good as any trailer of movie based on ancient mythology.

The point is ‘’Lifeforms’’ knows what they are doing and the messages are put across through their music.

The title ‘’Multidimensional’’ says it all. There is so much to explore here. There are no compromised fillers and every song has something in it which is unique and a reason enough not to skip any of the songs. But this is one of those offerings which is best enjoyed with going in for it without any pre-conceived ideas or expectations. This is not an album to be compared with other benchmark records in this genre like that of Born of Osiris ‘’ The Discovery’’. And to limit something by defining it as a part of particular genre is creating obstacles in enjoying music for what it is. The quintet of’’ Lifeforms’’ has amalgamated the elements of death core, djent and progressive music creating an animal with its own life.

To me every song conjured up an imagery creating a story in images with each passing second without even worrying about lyrics. For instance ‘illogical’ gave me chills and conjured up an imagery of bad ass killer bees flying with swords! The hurricane like atmosphere is the striking element of this album which bludgeons its way into your head and out of it. It will surely knock your socks off. 

There is no dearth of chugging breakdowns. The test of good music is that it gets stuck in your head and that cannot be the case if the songs are not ‘’multidimensional’’. But the music that grows on you is even better as it stays on your playlist for long without the listener getting bored of it. This is a cross-breed of melody and’ in your face ‘straight-up no nonsense tunes. ‘’Multidimensional ‘’will reveal itself in layers on every listen. There is so much that can be written about the songs but there’s no point dissecting them here. I’d leave it to you to find out. From dismissing it at first listen to getting lost in its amazing diverse layers, it sure is a reminder not to pigeon-hole music and stay open.

eleventhfloorrecords - A short review

Ushering into the daylight with an awakened sense of life and eyes greeted with lively images. This is how I felt after listening to' epilogue' by eleventhfloorrecords.

The Swedish duo present the world we miss in our everyday lives. The simple yet sublime things such as living, breathing and enjoying the presence of things that surround us in the universe. All this can be felt once our senses are heightened and attention diverted towards the finer things in life.

The cover of their self titled album is such a picture that captures the essence of light and the words as well as feelings best understood through feeling and living .

'Surrounded' is a track that captivates and hooks the mind immediately with electronic shoegaze signature sounds. The tempo of songs differ. Some being catchy and upbeat while others being laid back and slow. But they are all unmistakably melodic. So much so that it might become a little too sweet for your ears , but in a good way. 'Epilogue' , 'halfway' and' surrounded' are standout tracks.  'A couple of bus stops away ' ,'out in the sun' and 'whaleborg' provide a good contrast to the 3 tracks mentioned above. These are smoother with lush and comforting harmonies without the sweet melodies, which is a good thing as the sounds will take you into a comfort zone where the waves of frequencies in you ear will sweep you away into a relaxing mode.

'Jassafraine' is a gem in its own right, combining the aforesaid elements in one track and the result is a well balanced and  glittering sound scape. I discovered this album on n5md website and anyone with their brain cells intact would know that n5md features only the best talent out there.

Do not let radio or media dictate what you listen to . Do not let them tell you what to hear. Exercise your right to choose good music. Here are the links to their music on n5md and their fb page:

http://n5md.com/discography/193/eleventhfloorrecords

https://www.facebook.com/eleventhfloorrecords?fref=ts

                                                                                                                                -  Dev Arbikshe

Zhong Chi - Easy World 

It all begins with the artwork. Yes, artwork matters! The cover of Zhong Chi's album 'Easy World' depicts a little mermaid child which pretty much sums up the album's motive; to take you in the fairyland where unfulfilled wishes and aspirations might be realised, 'might' being the key word.

The journey begins with an otherworldly composition which welcomes you in this fairy world. I could envision the doors opening ! Not all the tracks grip on the first listen, but as it is with good music, the ones that take time to grow on you are the ones that remain fresh for a very long time. It's a bit like wine. 

Few of the tracks like 'Fairy tale ' and ' I can't hide' are unmistakeably love ballads of a melonchalic lover longing for an idealistic world. The chants of monks towards the latter part of the song 'I can't hide' instantly throws up images of ancient Chinese Monks and Samurais sitting togther for a prayer and a lovelorn lover looking at them with teary eyes.

This is one of those rare albums where the first track to the last one are woven like pearls in a thread , parts of a big whole where sum of the parts turn out to be bigger than , well it's parts. And yet each track stands on its own. It is a bit like watching a movie , just without knowing the plot. 

Some tracks melt in the ear more smoothly than the others and the mind is left to explore emotive imaginary worlds in the images conjured up by the sound. Primarily electronic-based, the songs evoke moods that only an epic movie with imaginary nostalgic tale could. The music is illuminated by the light of Zhong's blissful melodious voice which is sufficient to lit up the melonchalic dark but dreamy sounds . They range from the purely relaxing to the subtly intense, creating dreamlike and evocative musical journeys.

If there's someone whom I could relate this music to , it would be 'Amethystium' ; another brilliant project and one of a kind. Zhong Chi is at her best and if you do not fall in love with her after listening to these melodious and hypnotizing songs, there must be something wrong with you :p 

P.S. I wonder where Zhong Chi has disappeared after recording just one album! We need more music!   - Dev Arbikshe 

Within the Ruins : ''Elite''; A rough review.

Elite by Within the Ruins comes with 11 tracks. The most interesting being the last one; ‘Dreamland’. It is a pretty interesting song as it gives an impression of ingenuity. In contrast to the heavier tracks, both vocally and technically, like ‘feeding frenzy’ and ‘absolute hell’ , this is a pretty good display of their technical prowess along with inviting mix of background vocals which sound more like a radio broadcast in the background making it apt to be included in an ‘OST’ of a horror movie.

The album starts with the intro ‘Terminal’, a pretty standard intro for the likes of this genre. The next track ‘Solace’ is pretty inviting with a mix of good sounds in between the passages of heavy chugging guitars. The band incorporates synth covertly avoiding the possibility of sounding generic in this aspect and maintaining the interest in the songs. Next comes ‘Feeding Frenzy’, maybe not 3:46 seconds of mind blowing moments but enough catchy flashes of brilliance. ‘New Holy War’ grips you from the beginning, one of the outstanding tracks in the album. It definitely sounds fresh. The breakdowns do not sound forced and it matters because more than the use of breakdowns is their timing in a track. Leaving ‘’ The Charm’’ and ‘’The Ataxia II’’ instrumental for you to decide, I’d jump to the track ‘’Elite’’. ‘Elite’ comes off as a strong statement and nothing less could be expected of a band in this genre.  Once you are through with the song you’d know why it is the title of the album. The rest of the songs are pretty standard technical deathcore / djent, call it what you will.

This is not an album that blows your mind out of the water but it is good enough to warrant your attention and few strong tracks to make it worthy of your collection. It still incorporates the virtue of balanced structural arrangement of songs with a touch of finesse resulting in overall delightful listening experience e.g. the beginning of ‘New Holy War’. Rest is up to you to find out.’ ‘Elite’’ would definitely create a space in every fans collection .

Dials (U.K.)

Awhile back I stumbled upon a short ep on bandcamp by 'Dials'. It is a captivating short ep with sounds reminiscent of nature, rains, dark skies and winds. It has an unmistakable stamp of originality . The sounds are ambient but it is that kind of music which makes you forget the world and just dive into the abyss of soundscapes where the waves take you with their flow into nothingness. Despite the overshadowing melodies , the tracks are interspersed with melodic vocals. The fans of 'Boards of Canada', 'Aphex Twin', 'Casino vs Japan' and 'Baths' would be delighted to add this little gem to their collection.

The haunting melodies of 'Dials' ,the solo project of Harry Young from U.K., gives rise to feelings of nihilism. The startling aspect about his music is that it disarms you immediately and once your earplugs are on, you become an extension of the music, at least that's the kind of emotions it evokes.  'End of the world' is admittedly a track laden with dark emotions and literally evokes the images of the end of human race. Coincidentally I was living in Goa besides the Arabian Sea when I discovered this music. It instantly felt like I was taken into the depths of the sea. It can make you restless but at the same time the experience could have a cathartic as well as calming effect. 

It is often disappointing to see such ingenious lads not getting the attention they deserve. Not having profile pages across different platforms doesn't help either. There is a page on fb but it is very hard to find as it doesn't show up in the searches. The last fm page has a page for multiple artists by same name further making it annoying to find any information on the whereabouts of the man behind the project and his inspirations.

Thankfully there are few tracks and remixes available on youtube. I will post the link to his fb page and bandcamp page soon. This is one project not to be missed. It is pure music devoid of any ulterior motives. The ep and few remixes are available on bandcamp @name your price option.

P.s. Here are the bandcamp links:

http://dials.bandcamp.com/album/dials-ep

Dials.bandcamp.com

Attack 9 records reissued the album 'Kids Fill the Floor' by Freescha and put it for free d/l for limited time.

This is an attempt at writing a review ; a tribute , a sign of respect and a token of thanks to Freescha for making this album. Freescha : Kids Fill the Floor

The greatest minds weren’t always those which had complex and sophisticated ideas but those who conveyed those ideas to the world in simplest of words making them accessible to one and all.Likewise, there are pieces of art that are great not in themselves but also because of the virtue of their innate quality of being accessible to a layman, interested in art, and to a trained connoisseur alike.When it comes to music it would be generally the audiophiles who would be quick to identify patterns, generic imitations of styles and most importantly spot something which is distinct from the run of the mill production out there.

Freescha’s  ‘Kids Fill the Floor’ is one such album that can delight both audiophiles and ordinary mortals alike. To identify and categorize it through the prism of genre would be a big mistake. This is not just any ordinary album; this is a transcendental piece of art. For me , 'art' means a piece of work which elevates the spirit, creates a world of its own, a source of refuge for those looking for it and a means to inspire while at the same time leaves one with a feeling of being fulfilled. And this album just provides all of this. If, at all, the genre must be mentioned, it should only be for formally attributing the ‘’type’’ of music it is . But once you listen to ‘Kite High’ and ‘Kid Brother’ among other meditative sublime tracks, you would realize immediately that great music cannot be defined by or confined merely into genres. There is something common in such creations, their quality of transporting the listener into another world. Much like the way one feels transported in another century standing inside a 14th century cathedral.

Before the word, comes thought and words would be nothing if they cannot signify any meaning through the images, sounds, fragrances, emotions etc. associated with them. The tunes on this disc are accompanied by equally mesmerizing whispers, humming voices which compliment the music.

‘Kids Fill the floor’ tells a story of its own with barely using any words and they are not required either as the sacredness of the emotion, imagery of landscapes,architecture (subject to your imagination ) is kept intact in thoughts conjured up when the music plays. I am convinced that words do not always express or successfully capture the essence of reality or everything there is in life that we experience.  They lose something the moment they define an emotion, a sound. The essence is not lost here on this album. What is meant to be conveyed is perhaps successfully conveyed. The song titles too seem t be carefully crafted for each song. I would not like to spoil your interpretation of the music from here on. Just listen to it yourself.

Here's the track list :

Track listing

1. "Every Shiney Night" – 4:13
2. "My First Robot" – 2:58
3. "Kite High" – 3:03
4. "Kid Brother" – 5:17
5. "Boyrgurl" – 8:16
6. "Blooms & Blossoms" – 4:10
7. "Peaches Pond" – 2:10
8. "Bumble" – 1:49
9. "Cherry Blue Boo" – 2:38
10. "Henry Hudson" – 6:27
11. "Isotopes" – 1:41
12. "Up the Coast" – 4:46
13. "Whales Wave Goodbye" – 4:02