FuzzCulture’s new EP chronicles Arsh Sharma’s experiences of moving to a new city

The sound of FuzzCulture has evolved a lot since its last album Escape To Where You’re Wanted
Arsh Sharma, FuzzCulture
Arsh Sharma, FuzzCulture

Electronic music producer, Arsh Sharma, the man behind the outfit FuzzCulture, left his studio in Delhi and made a shift to Mumbai a few years ago to start a solo musical career. “Just when things were starting to smoothen out a bit, the pandemic hit,” he tells us, adding, “It’s been a long and sometimes arduous journey.” His latest five-track EP, Strange Cities, releases today and it narrates the story of this move.

The sound of FuzzCulture has evolved a lot since its last album Escape To Where You’re Wanted. At that time, the band also consisted of Srijan Mahajan. “This is the first FuzzCulture record I’ve done completely on my own, from tracking and arrangements, to songwriting, mixing and mastering. I felt the previous album was more of a mixtape. It had a sound which I felt was all over the place, and more like a catalogue of what we had been doing over the years. With this EP, all the songs were written in a certain frame of mind and with a singular direction,” he says.

The new FuzzCulture sound is a little more dance-pop. Strange Cities has elements from genres such as rock, funk and electronica as well. It starts with the fast-paced track, Nicotine, which also has a music video that was released this week. Next is the title song, Strange Cities, which has a catchy chorus.
The instrumental, Brief Encounters, is orchestral and cinematic. And the EP concludes with two dance-y numbers — Starlight and Mr Murder.

When asked about influences, the singer says there were many abstract ideas behind the album. “I think staying alone and trying to write music was the main focus of this record,” he says. Some of the musicians who he has been listening to, and is inspired by, include Grimes, Shlohmo, Mild Minds and Poppy. Genres like R&B, lo-fi, ’80s punk, late ’80s industrial and metal were also on his playlist. But the album deliber-
ately goes for a more organic and human feel rather than focusing on electronic sounds, so you can hear instruments such as horns, trumpets, pianos and guitars.

Up next, fans can expect an animated video for the title track of the EP Strange Cities. “I have a ton of releases planned this year. A few collaborations and also some possible commercial releases are also on the cards,” he concludes.

Available on online streaming platforms

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