WHAT IF emotions could speak through sound? While such speculation expectedly forms the basis of most music pieces, ever created, Zokova, the Delhi-based post-rock instrumental band, takes their attempt one step further, with their latest album, scheduled to release in August this year.
The band which began as a solo project by Ritwik De in 2008, soon made room for Amar Pandey (bass) and Suyash Gabriel (drums) in 2014, and is now well known for its ambient sounds, fusing not just elements of post-rock, progressive or groove but blues, electronic and cinematic elements as well. In essence, their music washes over the listener’s senses, enveloping them in a trance. “Each of our performances is very intense and energetic and the music changes every time we play it. Each of our numbers explores a certain emotion,” offers Suyash.
Their lush tunes far outreach the repetitive patterns of a typical post-rock ensemble and yet, you can find an inter-linked format to all their songs. “Most of our music comes when we lock ourselves in the studio and just play, without wasting words on discussion. Initially, we used to have an iPad and keyboard for additional sounds, but we have minimised the use of some instruments. We keep evolving our set up as the need arises and wouldn’t mind a string section for collaborations, if required,” explains Suyash, who received formal training in drums for three years.
Experimentation is their buzzword, and their upcoming single Dreamer is another one of their experiments, which is very different from their energetic track Seethe, released five months ago. “It’s refreshing and more mellow, with a characteristic hook and it is the last single that we will be releasing, before the launch of the album,” adds Suyash.
This will be the trio’s debut album, comprising 10 songs — from which The Flow, And We Burn With it, Seethe and Bedlam have already been released. Audiences can expect four more new singles that will come out as a part of the album. “There is a story behind the entire album, which follows the concepts of loneliness and solitude, as if they were personified. The songs flow from one into the other, depicting the journey of these two emotions towards each other, which intensifies and finally resolves itself, when the two emotions interact,” says Suyash Gabriel.
vinita@newindianexpress.com @tiwarivinita20