Review: Musician Abhishek Sekhri aka Goya's debut EP Morii manages to haunt you and lift your spirits at the same time

What he offers his listeners are acoustic tracks that are at times uplifting, goosebump-worthy and at times downright haunting.
Abhishek Sekhri, photo credit:   Bhumanyu Nehra
Abhishek Sekhri, photo credit:   Bhumanyu Nehra

Abhishek Sekhri, known by his stage moniker Goya, just released a four-track EP, Morii inspired by the thought of holding onto memory through the tunes he creates. What he offers his listeners are electronic tracks that are at times uplifting, goosebump-worthy and at times downright haunting. “Three of the songs in the EP - In the Beginning, Nature's Way and Mad Scientist were composed and produced in one day each. Although the track Release was composed in stages. I think it was a process that took around six months,” says the musician, describing the process that led to his debut EP. He mentions that he worked on it in stages, as and when he got time.

“The word Morii signifies the desire to capture a fleeting experience. It is the human instinct to pull out your camera when you see something beautiful as if to preserve it through time, although the moment still fades away and becomes a memory,” says Abhishek, adding that, that’s how he chose to preserve experiences and moments through music. When we listen to the EP, we understand that there are various elements at play. “I've used synthesizers, drum and percussion samples, samples from the Polish Radio Experimental Studio, bird ambience sounds, sounds of refrigerator and bottles,” he informs.

EP artwork of Morii
EP artwork of Morii



The first track in the EP, In the Beginning, is composed as an ode to his memory associated with Polish Radio Experimental Studio (PRES) - one of the first institutions in Europe dedicated to experimental and electronic music founded in Poland. On the other hand, Release is inspired by the picture in the EP artwork clicked by his friend and photographer Bhumanyu Nehra, who later developed it into the one that was used. It was a snap of a picturesque house, hidden amid dense magnificent greens. In a way, it was that photo that was an inspiration for the name of the EP, we learn. “In terms of mood, I think all the tracks have some feeling of melancholy involved, Mad Scientist being the most goosebumps-inducing of the lot, for me. I made a stop-motion video for my audience to get to know a little bit about Morii as well,” says the New Delhi-based artiste. Meanwhile, Nature’s Way was composed using the sounds of the objects in the living room of his studio a refrigerator, a UPS machine, water bottles, ambient sounds and hums interspersed by what sounds like while there are ambient natural sounds. We are also told that music videos for two of my tracks Mad Scientist and Release can be expected soon.

Abhishek Sekhri
Abhishek Sekhri



Some of the artistes Abhishek looks up to are Hinkstep, Aether, Nils Frahm, Billie Eilish, RY X, FKJ, Vanilla, Michael Jackson, Yaeji, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree. While we ask him about his moniker, he mentions that he has been using it since the end of 2018. “The word Goya is an interjector in Urdu poetry and translates to as if. It describes the suspension of disbelief that can occur, often through good storytelling. It fascinates me that this word does not mean much on its own but when used in poetry it can mean a lot,” says Abhishek before he signs off.  


You can listen to Goya’s EP Morii on Spotify.
Pictures:  Bhumanyu Nehra


 

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