With the launch of its third album in Mumbai tonight, a Kolkata instrumental outfit shows how its sound has evolved through genres and years
The Bodhisattwa Trio
Modern jazz instrumental trio from Kolkata The Bodhisattwa Trio is making all the right noises with the release of their new offering, The Grey Album. With the bonus track in their seven-song effort, the band is mapping the evolution of their own sound over the last seven years. The track, called The Cronos, is a part of all their albums, and marks a change from their up-tempo and rock vibe in their debut album to their jazz sound today, complete with intricate drumming details and synth bass that compel you to keep the beat with your body movements.
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A lot of this shift has to do with Arunava Shonai Chatterjee (synth and synth bass) replacing the band’s bassist early last year, which nudged Bodhisattwa Ghosh (guitar) and Premjit Dutta (drums) to experiment with their sound. "We always had an inclination towards jazz but started out with progressive rock as we thought we could do justice to that kind of music. Having played as an outfit for so long, and opted for a synth bass, we felt we could go into uncharted territory and could handle difficult sounds and spontaneous creativity," says Ghosh.
Their Mumbai gig will feature all the tracks from their new album, which is divided into two parts — chaos to creation, and creation to chaos. The first three songs comprise story-telling between the members and is built on the idea of the duality of an artist’s mind, explains Ghosh, adding that, "There’s an abstraction as artistes don’t think in one particular direction, and this dual nature can be seen in our art as well." Their music is inspired by life events and observations rather than sounds, says Ghosh.
The second half comments on how civilisation is spiralling out of control into chaos, with songs like The Last Train, which talks about the trains in the holocaust in the Second World War and the Indian Partition, and American Dream, which was composed after the members got talking about American capitalism and how we’re on the brink of nuclear war. "We end with Shame, which speaks about the death of a nation, and our chaotic political scenario," informs Ghosh.
They will also be playing songs from their previous album but in a new avatar.
TIME 9 pm onwards
AT The Little Door, off New Link Road, Andheri West
CALL 9899928776
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