Interview: Chandrabindoo on their 10th album, 'Talobasha'

Upal: We released Talobasha after a gap of 12 years. Some of the tracks from this album were created almost 5-6 years back but we never got a chance to release them. Now, we have gotten so busy with other professional commitments, one of us is running a magazine, one is making films, one is creating film music and all that. So we found it very difficult to match our schedules, and sit down to mix, record and finalise the songs. We have many songs ready. If we plan for another album, we probably already have nearly 10 songs ready.

Anindya: But yes, we definitely should have released this album way back.

Anindya: Even though Chandrabindoo has a variety in the albums, one can easily find a pattern. Some are fun, some satiric, and some soft and romantic. So people started commenting that we were becoming predictable.

Upal: Basically what they meant was that the pattern was predictable and we had to break that notion. We have done kirtan, folk, rock, pop, satire and everything, and we tried to figure out what else is left to be explored. We didn’t make spiritual songs or very dark, sombre numbers. Whatever the songs might be, they always had a feel-good factor. We experimented with that and tried to break our pattern. For example, the song Alo has a unique musical experiment with tanpura and cello, and Ke Nilo Tar Roop has an opera style musical arrangement.

Anindya: We knew that our hardcore fans would love it, but those who have grown up listening to Chandrabindoo, and how the songs have a feel-good factor, they wouldn’t quite like it.

Upal: So for our 10th album, we have come back to our signature style and format. In one of songs, we have tried to change the musical arrangements. We usually use a lot of electronic sounds, but in this, we have used analog sounds. Joy Sarkar played the harmonium, Prabuddha Banerjee helped with the guitars, Souptik played the violin, and Bishu played the tabla and other percussions, which makes this album different from our previous ones. So creating this was a lot of fun.

Upal: Firstly, we wanted to release an album because we already released 90 songs, an addition of 10 songs will make that a century. Though singles or EPs are more in trend, this is something we wholeheartedly wanted, to make 100 songs. Along with that, Tirthankar, our sound engineer suggested that we should have a physical form. Till our 9th album, CDs were available, and trust me, there’s no better feeling than touching or holding your album.

Anindya: We wanted to produce our own album this time, and making a record is pretty pricey. Making the lacquer, which is a one-time process, costs a bomb, and then one can print any number of records from that. We also thought why would people spend so much for a record, also, most wouldn’t have a record player or a turntable at home.

Upal: But then we figured, people probably will buy them because of the novelty value of holding and touching the record. After Mohiner Ghoraguli, we will be the first band to release an LP (long play), and enthusiasts might get a turntable too just for the sake of it. And it makes a great gift too. So we had to take that risk.

Upal: I think there is no special mantra to it, and we never thought anything specific about it. Also, I think we are not very ambitious, so there’s no ego clash. Thirdly, we have a lot of respect for each other.

Anindya: I think, the secret is to go beyond professional life and build personal rapport and friendship with each one of your band members. And also, take fights with a dash of love, because I feel that is the biggest mode of communication!