Tag Archives: Zorran Mendonsa

Blah Blah Blah by Cactus

Cactus has been the forerunner of the Bengali rock scene since the early 90s. Unlike many other such Bengali bands that have come and gone during this period, Cactus is one of the few bands which has firmly stood the test of time. Blah Blah Blah is their fourth studio album, after the release of Tucho in 2008.

Blah BlahBlah is more of an experimental album for Cactus, they have deviated a little from their usual classic rock genre and gone into Alternative/Modern Rock and this album contains new renditions of three of their older songs. The album opens with the title track Blah Blah Blah which talks about how politicians build up hopes with their nonsensical jabber and bring them crashing down to the ground later on. This track has a very bass-filled verse and some broken nu-metal riffs. Also, guitarist Ritaprabha Ratul Ray has put in some beautiful work with delays on this track and a screechy Tom Morello-ish like solo. The outro of this number also has a very Rage Against The Machine vibe to it. Next up is Boro Deri which starts with an eerie ambience and a heavy bobby bass from Sandip Roy, and Ratul too puts in some beautiful chords and little fleeting solos here and there making this one of the eased out songs of the album.

Dulchhe has a very groovy and powerful chorus that really moves you. The bass line during the last verse is amazing coupled with a beautiful old-school rock kind of guitar solo and a very crazy techno-ish end thus making this track one of those where the band takes the listener on a ride over Crazy Mountain.

The track Status Update ironically has nothing to do with any social network; rather it addresses the fact that Bengalis are generally very fond of procrastination. This track incorporates some nice tricks using the phase shift on the guitars.

The first of the three re-works on the album is the song Mon which originally featured on their 2002 album Nil Nirjone. The song is a tad disappointing since the original was a very soothing song where the theme of the lyrics clicked perfectly with the music. This newer version on the other hand does not quite fit the theme and also has some sour interludes. Listeners who have appreciated the original version may not quite enjoy this newer rendition. The next track is a rework of Nil Nirjone. The intro riff once again has a slight RATM vibe to it. The bouncy bass lines, along with some groovy drumming from Sibaji Baji Paul, enhances the mood and takes this version to another level entirely. Ratul also unveils some clever and intricate tricks here and there making this one of my favourite songs from the album.

Noah is the last of the reprise tracks in this album and is actually better than the original. The simple but elegant acoustic riff fits so perfectly into the mood that you just cannot resist singing along. And the drums come in magnificently with such preciseness giving the track a whole new definition. Also, the outro totally reminds me of Pink Floyd and their dramatic endings. The next composition Shohoj starts off with a funky groove. Some nice Ray Manzarek styled riffs along with up-tempo guitar riffs gives this track a very alternative character.

All in all, this entire album is a breath of fresh air for Cactus fans. With Zorran Mendonsa on the production duties the bass was more prominent on the album and it felt really nice. Pus the guitars were intricately placed and lots of different influences were noticed here and there. It was very nice to see Cactus evolving with their sound and finding a new definition for it all.

Joy Chakraborty

Debdutto 'Joy' Chakraborty is the skinniest music fanatic, plays some guitar, jumps around trees, and likes to stay in the shadows. He is also studying B.Tech as a side project.

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Firdous by Coshish

Hindi Rock already enjoys a lot of popularity and it is particularly hard not to feel queasy when a band proclaims itself to be Hindi Progressive Rock. The long-haired, Lamb of God loving dudes when made aware of their earthly Indian roots, can yield results that can be quite a mess. Stereotypes are a plenty and this is what Coshish shuns through their concept album Firdous. How successfully, remains a contentious question! Coshish is a four-piece band from Mumbai with Hamza Kazi on drums, Anish Nair on bass, Mangesh Gandhi on guitar and vocals and Shrikant Sreenivasan on lead guitars. Coshish, with their debut Firdous makes a dexterous attempt to fuse their eastern and western influences, encompassing everything from Meshuggah and Tool to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Coshish had their PR act sorted way before the much anticipated release of Firdous and a Hitler Reacts video gets a worthy mention. This was perhaps just the precursor to how well thought-out their album would be and Coshish has not disappointed on that front. The very concept of Firdous and its artwork is as much laudable as unprecedented it is in the independent circuit. This ten-track album is bound by a unifying theme which is not all that apparent as one may think. The listener is expected to stitch the clues hidden in its artwork and rearrange the tracks to turn it into one seamless track. For the spoilers though, Coshish is the story of a man who denounces this mundane world full of pain and attachments. Anyone thought of Siddhartha or Kurt Cobain there?

Song-writing and the composition does more than a fair job but its the vocals that are unfashionably mediocre. The harkatein (nuances) have plenty of sharp edges and the voice overall is barely sonorous to effectively communicate the darker feel of the album. The title track Firdous and Bhula do Unhey stand out while the radio pop rock Coshish is the perhaps the biggest dampener in the entire album. Though, its the finale Mukti- an instrumental – the grandest of all that truly enriches the flavour of Progressive Rock. The track, in its entirety, traverses through mellow overtures which are subsequently taken over by heavy riffs and some impressive solos by Shrikant. Having said that, the production deserves credit and you have none other than the ever-impressive Zorran Mendonsa to thank for that.

The underlying darker theme, the album artwork and the music may have struck a few discordant notes, but Firdous still remains a remarkable debut. It is in every sense an unprecedented and indeed a very brave foot forward by Coshish. The very idea of a theme or a story to the entire album is a refreshing one and we can just hope for a domino-effect!

Shubhodeep Datta

Shubhodeep is home to a lunatic in his head, who is on his own with no direction home. Tell him about his grammatical errors! Follow him on Twitter @datta_shubho

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Album Review: Evolve by Indus Creed

Original Indian rock has had quite a chequered history. Several acts have made bright starts only to sputter out into oblivion a few years later. Several acts have appeared promising but have faded away before anything substantial materialized. But then there are some other acts that have persevered through a fair share of ups and downs, and found their niche in terms of their sound, presence and appeal.

And then theres Indus Creed.

Quite easily the big daddy of the rock music scene in India, the band that released Rock n Roll Renegade (As Rock Machine, in 1989), when this writer was barely out of the diaper stage, hit big time with its appearances on big music channels, an acclaimed video for Pretty Child and a rather kitschy one for Top of the Rock. A couple of albums and some collectors edition tapes later, the band decided to call it quits with its members going their own way. Along the way, partial avatars of the band sprung up here and there, with Alms for Shanti (check out ‘Kashmakash’) being the most notable.

And thus, it was with much glee that the news of Indus Creeds revival after a decade and a half of exile was welcomed whole-heartedly. A year and something of playing at venues around the country, the band announced the release of their comeback album Evolve. And it does not disappoint. Well, not entirely. Straight out of the CD cover (with excellent artwork, although some sleeve-work would have been nice), one gets the feeling that this is not the Indus Creed of yore.

Fireflies starts things off in style. Layered with tones that wouldnt be entirely out of place in the 80s and 90s, the song has an evocative feel around it. The song really kicks in on the chorus along with the bass and some nice harmonies on the vocals. With a couple of teaser solos on the keyboard and guitar, the song definitely sets the mood for the album to follow. Uday Benegals voice sounds fuller than its 90s avatar. Another thing that is immediately apparent is the quality of production the mixing and mastering is terrific.

The album then moves to its second track, Dissolve. The distorted guitar kicking in after arpeggiated intro, sits in the mix very comfortably, yet adds a significant power to the song. The odd rhythm (10-beat cycle?), is very reminiscent of Porcupine Tree, almost Sound of Muzak like. Lyrically, this song is the strongest in the entire album. The chorus kicks in with a bang, and is easily my favourite section of the album. It also fits in very nicely with the album cover.

Mahesh Tinaikars guitar solo rises nicely above the rest of the instruments after the second chorus. The spoken-word section doesn’t really stick it for me, although the evolving soundscapes are nice. The almost vocal only third chorus and the throwback to the intro are nicely pulled off. The longest song at 7:38, it is great to see a somewhat different, slightly heavier side to Indus Creeds music. A definite evolution from the Rock Machine sound! A big thumbs up to Rushad Mistrys basswork and Jai Row Kavi on the drums as well.

The Money follows next, and its a bit of a letdown. With its marching beat style intro, electronic influences et al, the song does not quite stick it. After the strong opening in a couple of songs, the song doesn’t quite keep the mood. The excellent guitar solo towards the end does nothing to change that sentiment. The theme of the song lyrically also does not seem as strong as some of the other tracks on the album.

Take it Harder follows and normal service is resumed with a hard hitting song, with excellent soundscape building on the intro courtesy Zubin Balaporia. The song is excellently written, and Uday Benegals vocals really shine through on this one. Well structured, with stellar guitar work, the solo oozes feel and the soundscapes added towards the end of the solo only add to the charm. Jay Row Kavis drumming is almost meditative in places. This song is a close second behind ‘Dissolve’ in terms of favourites from the album for me.

Another longish song follows in No Disgrace. Theres a bit of a throwback to the likes of Extreme and Mr. Big, the song has its own highs and lows. The band, as a whole, shines through nicely as a unit, but the song isnt as memorable as some of the other tracks. The progressive bent of mind is again very apparent, with some Rush-like keyboard tones, one can almost imagine Geddy Lee coming in with a couple of lines just before the guitar solo. The song highlights the individual skills of the band quite nicely though.

Come Around kicks off with a nice acoustic guitar intro. Dripping with nostalgia, the song is lyrically a throwback to a time gone by. The song is balladish at times, and is the mellowest of the album in terms of its structure as well as tone and it definitely keeps the mood nostalgic. The production value shines through brilliantly on this track. Uday Benegals vocals drive the song and are almost reminiscent of the Pretty Child days.

Bulletproof is a hard hitting out-and-out rocker. The song is of a different vintage from the rest of the album, and is, most definitely, one for the stage. This one would, no doubt, be something to get a crowd going at a nice venue blaring out from the PA. The band sounds nice and tight, with the bass and drum section really coming across in a great fashion.

Goodbye winds things down for Evolve. The song has a happy nostalgic air about it. While Indus Creed would have us believe that the dream was struck by reality and that the bigger dream would have a bigger fall, a resurrection of sorts could be just as big if not bigger. In some ways, it is an appropriate track to close out the album, shutting the door on one chapter while opening another to a possibly more exciting one.

In conclusion, the album does feel a little short and leaves me wanting for more. There are several moments on the album where Indus Creed shows us just why they were so revered back in the day, while at the same time, there are frustratingly ordinary moments as well.

All said and done, Uday Benegal, Mahesh Tinaikar, Zubin Balaporia, Rushad Mistry and Jai Row Kavi have put together an eminently enjoyable album. A special mention to Tim Palmer and company for the mixing and the production. Evolve sounds just as good on hi-fi speakers, headphones and on the car stereo. Another special mention to Zorran Mendonsa for shaping Evolves guitar sound, which is phenomenal!

Heres hoping that this is just the beginning of a new chapter for Indus Creed. Audiences in India are more mature, appreciative and informed these days and exciting times surely lie ahead.

Bharath Bevinahally

The writer is a generally fat, slow moving creature, who loves to eat and swears by South Indian filter coffee. He also daylights as a consultant for an IT major.

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Split’s Debut Album Launch at Blue Frog, Mumbai

I remember having a conversation with Nihar Manwatkar of anECHO back in 2003, about bands that we thought had great potential to be big. And by big we didn’t mean bands that would click on just the national platform, but the ones that would be able to connect on a global stage if given a push in the right direction. We both agreed that Split was one of those selected few. They were marked out by us as a band to follow. Unfortunately for most musicians, life gets in the way, and even many years later, Split hadn’t yet broken through that mid-card level band status and had yet to release an album or an EP.

Flash forward to 2009, and Split was back after a year’s gap with not only an EP, mockingly titled P is for Pig, but also with an all-India tour with Harley Rock Riders to support that release in 2010/11. The band has literally catapulted to fame after that by playing at venues across India and making people sit up and take notice.

The launch of Counting Perfume was a highly anticipated event and when I walked into the venue that night, the first thing that surprised me was the low turnout. I was also beginning to rue the fact that I had to give Buddy Guy playing at the Mahindra Blues festival a miss in order to catch this launch. However, the band’s regular supporters were there in attendance and it took me only a few minutes to get excited for the band to begin the gig.

The band took off with ‘Fat Oaf’- a mid tempo chugger that literally tells you to “hold on tight and don’t let go” – a perfect way to start the gig. Garreth’s harmonica made an early appearance in ‘Belief’. It’s hard not to stand in front of these guys and be completely taken in by their overall presence. The band seemed to be reveling in the launch and so did the small gathering of faithful as they ploughed through their by now familiar songs like ‘Pig Society’, ‘Punk Rock Days’ and a new fresher version of ‘My House’.

At this point Aviv broke a string and stepped off stage to replace it while the band moved into a slower ditty ‘Isn’t it Strange’. I was backstage with Aviv at this point helping him to find a string when Garreth walked into the green room behind us and casually said he’ll take the solo and the next minute we hear a beautiful harp taking center stage.

I’ve got to say that, listening to the rest of the set, it was apparent that these five guys have found a unique comfort level playing with each other. During those moments when Aviv’s string snapped or Melroy’s amp went off and he had to wait for it to be replaced during the song, the band made it work. When these musicians rejoined the song, the whole band instantly knew how to build the song a little to make it seem like, sonically, nothing went wrong.

Split also played a couple of covers, the most enjoyable being one of Joe Cocker’s ‘Leave Your Hat On’. But my favorite cover was the grinding ‘5 to 1′ by The Doors. Their version for the night had a little bit of ‘War Pigs’ thrown into the mix as well, which saw a frenzied reaction from the front row of fans. They finally closed their set with their popular ‘Holy Ghost Machine Gun’. That ended a beautiful and tight set by the alternative rock veterans. The sound was mixed well by the talented Zorran Mendonsa who has also worked with the band on their debut album.

Some things have changed but most remain the same. The band is a whole lot tighter even though they are jamming impromptu, ordering drinks and laughing at jokes with the crowd. Their sound has changed, with both guitars throwing out a plethora of effects; the rhythm section of Varoon and Shekar is tight and provides the foundation for the structure of all the band’s songs; Melroy’s occasionally whimsical-sounding rhythm guitaring builds up sturdy walls of sound that are artistically awash with Aviv and Garreth’s guitars and vocals.

Although the band has taken an eternity to release their debut album, I’ve heard it and it was well worth the wait. Split is currently touring the country supporting this release so if they’re in your city, don’t miss them live.

Howard Pereira

Howard is a guitarist with Mumbai based bands, Dischordian and Overhung. His other interests include drinking, comic books and occasional writing.

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Ken Stringfellow, Tough on Tobacco and Punk Ass Orifus at Blue Frog, Mumbai

January is a month of pleasant weather for the Mumbaikars. One could not hope for better weather on a day when a musical evening like this was following! The 18th of January was a special day for Mumbai – an event featuring Ken Stringfellow, a maestro in his own right, was slated for the evening in Mumbais Blue Frog. American guitarist Ken has been associated with biggies like R.E.M., Neil Young, Snow Patrol and Big Star for several years of his career. We could bet that an opening set from him was sure to be a true reflection of his portfolio.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there was more – we have all heard Sidd Couttos Tough on Tobacco before, but we were wondering how they would sound when Kens strings would be strumming along. Stunned? Yes, so were we, when we heard that Tough on Tobacco was slated to join in on Kens later performances. It was sure going to be fun!

Ken Stringfellow commenced the event at Blue Frog with a crowd of listeners cheering for him. His first sounds were quite conservative, just as it suited the mood. There was pin-drop silence at the venue, and just a minimalist guitar could be heard with Kens suave voice. As the chords fluctuated, Kens voice responded likewise. Most of the songs that he performed were his own, but he threw in a cover by The Long Winters. How he mingled with the audience was a delight in itself. His jocular mood and remarks, which were occasionally offbeat too, were befitting the kind of ambiance he had created.

By the time Ken wrapped up with his set, one could sense a commotion in the audience. It appeared as if Kens set had charged everyone. The hands had begun to sway, and the smiles were widening. A surprise had been shot at the audience! Four young men dressed in formals had taken over the stage. They called themselves Punk Ass Orifus and before the onlookers could recover from the abrupt entry, the men in black had set in action! Sidd Coutto took care of the rhythm guitar and vocals. Gaurav Gupta donned the role of the lead guitarist. Johan Pais managed the bass guitar, and Zorran Mendonsa stood behind the drums.

They played a short set, but it was enough to pour life into the audiences. What they played could easily qualify as Punk, Hard Rock, or Reggae. Their energy was never down for a second and they kept the audience engaged throughout. The World will carry on, Bad Feeling and Matter are some of the prominent tracks that they played.

After a short while, Bobby Talwar of Zero fame reached the stage, and much to our amazement took on the Djembe, instead of his customary bass guitar. It was difficult to believe that his hands were not accustomed to the Djembe, for he played it surprisingly well! The audience grooved along with him – these sudden surprises proved quite effective. However, they were far from over!

Warren Mendonsa was yet to join! He came to the stage to deliver the final song, and chose to play his Black Strat to Mayan Song, in his distinguished style. His solo performance on this song was a treat to the senses. The evening had shaped up really well! Sidd Coutto appeared once again, and had some fun moments with his kit. He cracked some light-hearted jokes and we caught a glimpse of his jokester side! Perhaps that is what won him the loud screams of We love you Sidd Coutto! from the lovely ladies in the crowd.

And then there was a pause For the first time, one could feel some inaction on the stage, but that was tolerable. The evening had been good and quite active by far. After about 10 minutes, the groomed men of Punk Ass Orifus were nowhere to be seen. They were replaced by Tough on Tobacco, who had switched to the informal attire. Jai Row Kavi took to the drums, and Pozy Dhar managed the guitar. What do you know? Some more fun was lined up for Mumbai!

They opened their share with their signature song Happy. Tough on Tobacco chose most of the songs from its new album, and borrowed some songs from the first album too. Many more tracks were served to the delight of the listeners. The bigger a canvas is, the freer a painters strokes are. That is just what was happening at Blue Frog. Song after song, their canvas was expanding, and the genres kept adding up. By the end of several spontaneous performances, Tough on Tobacco had played a wide range of genres, and with an ease that left the listeners in awe. Yellow Tops and Washing Powder Nirma were some spectacular songs that Tough on Tobacco made up.

The evening had been fantastic! The audience had enjoyed it to the fullest. What was promised at the beginning, however, was yet to be seen. Ken Stringfellow and Tough on Tobacco were yet to jam together. Right then, Ken returned to the stage, and jammed to the lovely blues song Crack Whores along with the band. The evening was now complete.

It was a wonderful moment that Mumbai witnessed on the evening of 18th of January. To those who could not make it this time, Id say that sometimes wonders happen twice! Make sure you dont miss out on the next one!

Sagnik Roychowdhury

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The Feni Farm Riot by Dischordian

Recorded and mixed by Aviv Pereira at Guitar Inc., Thane, and mastered by Zorran Mendonsa, the peculiarly titled The Feni Farm Riot is Dischordian’s debut studio release. The Mumbai-based band is an acoustic project led by songwriter Garreth D’Mello (also the front man for the alt-rock act Split). The album also features Aviv Pereira on guitar, Howard Pereira on guitar and Agnello Picardo on trumpet and percussion.

“Dischordian seems to be my attempt to move away from the wall of sound and aggression and testosterone that makes up most rock music,” explains D’Mello in the band’s biography. “I just wanted to do something different. Strip the music down to its basics, one guitar and one voice, just rhythms and melodies and words.”

The band is cautiously optimistic about their future after this album. “When this started, it was just me with a couple of songs that I’d maybe do before a Split set, once every few months. I didn’t imagine it would turn into a 4-piece band with some 15-odd songs, an album out, and a pretty decent fan following, if the launch gig and the overall response are anything to go by. So yeah, we’re just gonna push this the best we can, keep playing, and hopefully we’ll find ourselves pleasantly surprised once more.”

Recording the album took the band just under a month to complete, usually recording from midnight to 3 am. “If there was a clear plan, it was only with regard to the sound of the album – I was trying to capture the sound of the music as naturally and cleanly as possible, unadorned and unpolished” reflects D’Mello. “These were just songs I wrote over a period of time. A couple of them were written well before I started the band, even before I thought of doing a solo project. And the songs that were written specifically for Dischordian were also written simply as songs, not as a body of work that would eventually go out as an album. The thought of putting out an album came quite a bit later. Even after the album was recorded, the music kept evolving. The album was in fact recorded in a state of flux – Aviv had recently left the band and Howard had recently joined”.

The very creative and eye-catching cover art depicts a grim morning-after-wild-feni-induced-party picture on a beach somewhere, with an outside observer reading about ‘The Feni Farm Riot’ in the ‘Dischordian’ newspaper. “(The Feni Farm Riot) It’s just an evocative phrase, doesn’t really mean anything. It just popped into my head, and sounded like the perfect mix of hazy indolence and chaos. The fact that all three drinkers in the band love feni made it seem even more apt.” The inlay continues this theme, with lyrics and Garreth D’Mello’s commentary on some of the songs, which gives the whole album a very Storytellers vibe.

The album starts of with D’Mello going solo for the first couple of tracks. Both ‘One of These Days’ and ‘How I Wait’ serve as excellent mood-setters for the rest of the album, establishing the whole acoustic singer-songwriter vibe and providing glimpses into D’Mello’s songwriting prowess, while still holding back and not going all out, adding the element of suspense.

‘The Old Whore’ has become something of a cult underground anthem, and it’s not difficult to see why. A very strong melody coupled with cleverly written lyrics make the song instantly likeable. The simple but very catchy trumpet line interspersed throughout the song adds a fantastic dimension to an already strong song.

‘Same Old Conversation’ and ‘Lover’ continue the melody driven laid back vibe and highlight the bands ability to come up with really good hooks that get stuck in your head. The ‘You and me’ chorus in ‘Same Old Conversation’ was stuck in my head for a good couple of days. The song also showcases D’Mello’s unique lyrical style: “Communists and anarchists and nihilists, who gives a shit. A man constructs a school of thought, another man dismantles it.”

The next three songs after ‘Stone’ are the strongest ones from the album. With ‘Your Right Heel’ the album takes a definite turn away from ‘laid back’ and on to ‘intense’. According to D’Mello’s commentary in the inlay, the song was written after the 2009 Mangalore pub attacks and depicts a vision of one strong woman, who fought back against her attackers. The aggressive lyrics coupled with very strong vocals bring out D’Mello’s anger. “I hate lots of people, but most of all I hate totalitarian, fascist motherf***ers, and of that varied group of motherf***ers, I hate religious fundamentalists the most,” writes D’Mello.

‘Bucket of Blood’ continues the violence-driven lyrical theme, which culminates with the very strong chorus line “I come to you with a bucket of blood, a bucket of blood my friend.” D’Mello’s voice is strained and stretches, to extreme levels at some points, which accentuates the aggression. Howard Pereira’s acoustic guitar solo in between the verses is worth a special mention.

The haunting ‘Save Me’ is by far the best song on the album and reaffirms the point that you don’t have to have blaring loud electric guitars and drums to express anger or aggression. The slow, haunting guitar work by D’Mello and Aviv Pereira, coupled with the apt background percussion by Agnnelo Picaardo build a virtual platform, on which the vocals ride throughout the song. The strained but powerful chorus, “I don’t need you, I don’t need you, I don’t need you to save me,” drives home the song’s message.

The album eases back into the original acoustic vibe with ‘She Lied to Me’ and ‘November’ , bringing you back after the intensity of the previous songs.

The album ends with ‘Don’t Wake Me’, a song co-written by Garreth D’Mello and Nikhil D’Souza written in D’Mello’s earlier band Mr. Jones Band, and is one of the oldest songs here. The version on the album is a stripped down rendition of the original song, which D’Mello continued to play over the years. The sweet chorus harmony of the song acts as an apt ending and outro to the album.

Overall, The Feni Farm Riot is one of the most original and accomplished albums to emerge from the Indian Indie music scene. It is an album that reflects distinctly mature songwriting, captured in an extremely raw and organic form. If you haven’t managed to hear the band live yet, this album is a definite must have!

Aalok Padhye

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