Progressive music legend Steven Wilson recently took flak from the rock community for an electronic beat-driven pop number. But, when renowned rock and heavy metal drummer Deepak Raghu says he writes “sad pop songs” think acoustic guitar-vocal tunes.
Since its germination in 2010, his solo project The Earth Below has evolved from being completely instrumental in the debut EP Aleph, all the while maintaining a dark-atmospheric ethos.
“Now with the widespread reach of the internet, the line between what is mainstream and what is not, is grey and this affords me the freedom to be natural,” says Deepak, who seems one step closer to his idea of creating acoustic numbers inspired by the likes of Leonard Cohen.
We speak to the Mumbai-based musician about his five-track EP Dreams Of A Thousand Stillness before its release.
Circle of life
Leaving behind the rock hangover of the previous release, this album pulls from folk artistes like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) and country musicians like Townes Van Zandt. The most noticeable change in the sound is the attention on the lyrics.
“In Window Lights For Wanderers (previous EP), the vocals were more of an afterthought. This time I went back to my own writing to fit the theme of all the five songs,” says the drummer, who hails from Kozhikode.
Lyrical concepts like ‘losing temper’ and ‘breakups’ are explored in tracks like Patient Man and Square One. The former ventures into the realm of noise music featuring collaborations with New Delhi-based artist Ruhail Qaiser and guitarist Nihal Anand.
The scope of orchestration has been expanded through tie-ups with musicians like Leslie Charles on the track Indestructible. Currently a studio project, the multi-instrumentalist is all in to take the music live if logistics work out.
Releasing on March 23