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DATE
19 MAR 2010, FRI
TIME
7.30 & 10pm
(60mins, no intermission)
(60mins, no intermission)
VENUE
Theatre Studio
PRICE
$40*
$48* (for ticket purchased on day of performance) (* With one complimentary drink. All patrons must be above 18 years old)
Exclusive savings for Mosaic Friends and other packages available at www.mosaicmusicfestival.com.
$48* (for ticket purchased on day of performance) (* With one complimentary drink. All patrons must be above 18 years old)
Exclusive savings for Mosaic Friends and other packages available at www.mosaicmusicfestival.com.
SYNOPSIS
“The musical hybrids weren't stunts. They were the sound of musicians who listen widely and well.” – The New York Times
Onstage, the tabla, laptops, flute, trap drums, harmonium, keyboards and perhaps sitar and guitars often perplex audiences unacquainted with South Asian underground/Asian Massive music. But once Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz’s set begins, preconceptions fly out the window for the Sufi+rock+Indian classical+deep house+ghazal+ drum ‘n’ bass soundscape that emerges is so seamless, organic and ecstatic that attempts to pin it down suddenly seem absurd.
Onstage, the tabla, laptops, flute, trap drums, harmonium, keyboards and perhaps sitar and guitars often perplex audiences unacquainted with South Asian underground/Asian Massive music. But once Karsh Kale and MIDIval Punditz’s set begins, preconceptions fly out the window for the Sufi+rock+Indian classical+deep house+ghazal+ drum ‘n’ bass soundscape that emerges is so seamless, organic and ecstatic that attempts to pin it down suddenly seem absurd.
Like his music, Karsh Kale is impossible to pigeonhole. London-born, New York-raised and Indian by ethnicity, the star producer, tabla player, drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, composer, vocalist, DJ and remix artist grew up with Indian classical and film music, rock, pop, jazz and electronica, studied music production and performance at New York University, and today creates genre-busting music from the different places he calls home. His work with artists like Paul Oakenfold, Zakir Hussain, Ryuichi Sakamoto, P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins, bansuri legend Hariprasad Chaurasia, Lenny Kravitz, Herbie Hancock, super producer Bill Laswell, Anoushka Shankar, The Cure and Afrika Bambata and his albums Realize (2001), Liberation (2003) and Broken English (2005) are highly acclaimed.
New Delhi beatmasters MIDIval Punditz – Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj – are at the top of India’s electronica scene. The duo impeccably works Indian classical and folk music, dance grooves, drum ‘n’ bass programming, synthesised and programmed sounds, vocals and traditional Indian instrumentation into soundscapes described as “masterfully produced, each sound meticulously placed with heart and soul, for maximum impact” (BBC). Their albums have gotten music lovers in raptures. The latest is 2009’s Hello Hello, a collaboration with labelmate Kale, whose highlights include a clubby track mixing groovy beats, tabla and bansuri, an English-Hindi spoken word piece, a vintage disco mix, a brilliant reworking of Led Zeppelin’s Four Sticks with Israeli electro jazz band J.Viewz, and a centuries-old Urdu ghazal set to hot, rocking beats.
With any luck, these will be in this concert’s repertoire. Kale and the Punditz will perform with accomplished bansuri flautist Ajay Prasanna and vocalist Papon whose vocal jams set the soundscapes ablaze. Come on a fantastic ride through soul-searing melodies, funky beats and exciting sonic textures.
