22 Indian musicians come together for a unique collaborative album, led by Bengaluru-based Oceantied

THE COLLABORATIVE ALBUM, 22-2, has a very interesting origin story. A total of 22 producers from all across the country came together for a challenge, led by city-based musician Ketan Bahirat aka Oceantied. Each of the 22 artistes submitted one music sample. And then, each of them created a song that included all these 22 samples, over the course of two days. The result is this 22-track album. “The idea came from feeling a bit lonely at the start of the lockdown. I was also feeling uninspired and making music was starting to feel redundant, so I wanted to be a part of an activity that involved more people,” Ketan tells us.

With artistes such as Hyderabad-based beatboxer Yung.Raj, Bengaluru-based vocalist Pardafash and experimental electronica producer Zokhuma, the album is a melange of genres, and in spite of the set of common samples, each song is distinct. “The songs span different genres of electronic music. We had to use 22 samples, which were sonically all over the place, but somehow, we figured out ways to make them fit. We have created sounds that you usually would not hear. Every single producer brings their own influences and styles to the challenge. It’s an eclectic set of tracks,” Ketan says. Some of our favourites from the album include Chaos Theory by Three Oscillators, a duo that plays glitchy sci-fi-inspired music, A Strange Occurrence by ambient producer EchoFloat and Isolation by Oceantied.

“At first, it seemed impossible. It drove us to our limits but we had a lot of fun along the way! I still remember the incredible feeling I had when we were listening to each other’s music on the live stream. Everyone brought something different to the table,” says Ankit Chugh or Derain, whose song, Andhera, features on the album.

The proceeds from the album from the Bandcamp page will be donated to the non-profit, Goonj which is an organisation helping daily-wage labourers and people who are in vulnerable positions. “Having gone through adversity myself, this truly means a lot to me,” says Delhi-based artiste, Ayush Jajoria, who has contributed the track, Heist. The response, says Ketan, has been extremely uplifting. They have raised Rs 15,000 so far and hope that the number keeps growing.

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anagha@newindianexpress.com
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