Blot! founder Gaurav Malaker on his upcoming show Paradise Lost in Kolkata
BLOT!, one of the leading dance music acts in the country, founded by Gaurav Malaker is ready to set Kolkata on fire with Paradise Lost. Inspired by John Milton's epic poem of the same name, the show will be held at Remount Warehouses, arguably Kolkata's first dedicated warehouse venue, on March 10. Perched amidst a hub of derelict depots, the site will transport the audience to an organic, surreal Victorian past. “I’m really excited to take the live set to Kolkata,” says Gaurav, who last performed in Kolkata a year ago at The Astor Hotel. Excerpts from a chat:
Your show Paradise Lost is inspired by Milton's epic poem. How have you thought of such a project and tell us how you conceived the show?
The actual connection to Paradise Lost, broadly explained, is the loss of innocence. It’s a metaphor that's more relevant to my work as a musician. When I was starting out, my music was quite amateur and was a representation of what was in my mind, completely unaffected by external factors or the opinions of the people, who consume it. Now, it’s undeniably different because I scrutinise the same idea many times before I settle for it, often ruining something good that I might’ve had in the first place. For me, it’s kind of a new chapter, much like Adam and Eve leaving Paradise. In terms of obvious references, the title and the meaning of the poem resonated with me at that point in time.
You founded BLOT! in 2007 with Avinash Kumar, who now performs as Thiruda. Seeing how important aesthetics are for you, did having an AV act not fit in with your plans?
We decided to end the BLOT! AV show since we felt that the discipline of visual art in night clubs was morphing into a branding exercise. This wasn’t so when we started the audio-visual sets. We felt the combined value of bringing sound and video on an equal platform was being diluted. Also, Avinash felt that he needed to move on to different things and we ended the BLOT! AV show. Now, I don’t intend to use video or visuals in any show as an appreciation for the legacy Avinash has created.
Does it bother you when you get referred to as an EDM act? Has EDM seen its heyday, or do you think more is yet to come?
Technically there is nothing to be bothered about since EDM stands for 'Electronic Dance Music'. I suppose people refer to the more popular and high-energy tracks broadly as EDM. Either way, it doesn't bother me but I’m happy to explain the difference to anyone who might be interested. I think EDM will continue to grow and move to cities beyond the metropolitans in a more pervasive manner.
What or who inspires you the most?
In the studio, memories of a great show and the desire to recreate that moment again, inspires me the most. Besides, I’m inspired by a lot of things including sports and people I meet in everyday life.
What are the other projects you are currently working on?
This project is all encompassing. There is also Natural Selection with Sahil Vasudeva, who is a fantastic pianist.
Blot! will perform on March 10
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sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com