Digital India might be the catchphrase representing the modern face of the country. But, sound engineer Varrun Krishna does not believe in going digital. No hard feelings; we are talking strictly in terms of music production.
Trained through a one-on-one online course from US-based premier institution Berklee College of Music, he founded Mondosonic Studios in Ottapalam, Palakkad, to change the way indie musicians approach the recording process.
“While in London for my advanced mixing and mastering course at Point Blank Music School, I discovered that the industry there still preferred an analogue setup over the digital approach. It really makes a difference in sound and I made connections with hardware companies in the UK so that I could
offer the same in India,” says Varrun, who has trained with Ganesh Singaram, known for his work with American rapper, Pharrell Williams, and EDM bigwigs, Swedish House Mafia.
Tuning back
Varrun informs us that he is a composer first and engineer only after that. Starting young, at the age of six, he learned piano and later also delved into Carnatic classical music. Picking up the basics of the studio workstation, Cubase, in high school, he realised something that changed his life.
“Most composers are dependent on producers, so I wanted to be acquainted with that part of creation as well,” informs the 28-year-old. When he set up his first studio in 2016, Varrun had already decided to only take up projects in entirety—from recording to mastering.
Reaching out
Extending support to indie acts, Mondosonic also takes the avatar of a record label. “I want to pick a few artistes every year and fund their production and distribution,” says the producer, who already handles Thrissur-based, Ugly Old Men, and Kochi’s Ago.
The most exciting news from the camp, however, is the opening of a bigger facility early next year. “The new building is designed exclusively for a studio and will have rooms in the ‘golden ratio’ (proportions for best acoustics). My custom console is being put together by David Dearden, the man who built a console for John Lennon,” he informs.
Hoping to step into the movie industry as a composer, this millennial is also in discussions with renowned artistes like Shreya Ghoshal and Vishal Dadlani
for collaborations.