‘It feels like I have absolutely nothing to lose’: Rhythm Shaw on his ambitious new album

It means I have absolutely nothing to lose. Every time I felt like I lost something, I went back to thinking about where I started from and where I am today. Each time, it reminded me of all the growth that has happened over the years and it made me feel good. What I lost was never really mine anyway.

When I started working on this album, I wanted to go all out in every way — musically challenging myself, investing in video production and even getting an orchestra to play with. It was beyond my reach, but I kept pushing myself.

There was a time when I watched an incredible video by Rick Beato about music consumption and how it has reduced to a level where it is almost free now. From vinyl to CDs, we have come to a place where artistes are fighting to survive with their original music.

Self-funding this entire album was not easy. All these things worried me a little, but in the end, it always felt like this was my purpose in life. If I don’t do it, nobody else will do it for me. It is my duty to do my work without falling into modern-day traps like trends, views, fame or money. I just wanted to do what I truly wanted to do and hoped that the album would reach the right people.

At one point, I was chilling with one of my dearest friends and discussing possible names for the project. He asked how it felt to work on such a big project with an orchestra, videos and everything else. I simply replied, it feels like I have absolutely nothing to lose.

All these songs are very close to me, but I think Insrhy Master will always be the most personal one because it is my first composition. This song has seen a lot — it has travelled with me everywhere, witnessed my transformation over the years and now, finally, a studio version is out.

Sonically, The Opening Act was purely acoustic. It was just me in the studio in Germany. I recorded each song four times, chose the best take and the album was ready in four days. It was all about performance and flow.

On the other hand, NTL took three years to make. In some tunes, there are layers of almost 600–700 tracks. In one of the pieces, I layered up to 14 tracks of guitars alone and many other musicians are involved as well. This album was more about perfection from a production point of view and the goal was to make it grand.

It was always a dream, but I didn’t think I could afford it. I had a track called Healing in mind that I wanted to record with a string quartet and my dear friend Veronica wrote a beautiful arrangement for it. Initially, I thought I would record it in Mumbai.

Then I got a call for a gig in Budapest with Vishal-Shekhar and I felt maybe I should take that opportunity, stay back for a couple of days and record it there once and for all. At the last minute, the gig location changed from Budapest to Amsterdam, but by then I had already made up my mind.

I stuck to the plan, flew Veronica down from Italy and just went for it. Everything happened quite quickly, but we had to do it because the sound of a 42-piece orchestra was exactly what I had imagined. There was simply no replacement for that sound. And somehow, it all came together.

In a band, the drums handle the rhythmic foundation, the bass acts as a bridge between rhythm and harmony and the keys take care of the harmonic structure.

Working with musicians like Gino Banks and Mohini Dey is incredible because they are masters of their craft. Not only can they play any style of music, but they also understand the nuances and articulation required for each genre.

With an orchestra, however, you have woodwinds, strings and brass, which expands the harmony section in terms of sonic spectrum. The articulation of 42 people playing acoustic instruments adds a depth that is unparalleled to anything I had imagined.

They are my closest friends and also among the best musicians of this generation. The bond we share is the same both on and off stage.

A lot of the time, I don’t even have to say much about my arrangements. They hear the music once and immediately understand what I’m looking for. So, apart from wanting someone who can elevate my music with their presence, I also choose collaborators based on how close and comfortable I am with them.

All the credit goes to my father. He made me learn tabla and having a guru like pandit Kumar Bose changed the way I perceive music.

My dad, who grew up learning the conga before playing the guitar himself, understood how important it is to have a strong grip on rhythm. Learning tabla helped me immensely while playing the guitar — it made things easier rhythmically, allowed me to experiment and helped me stay more in sync with the drummer.

Beyond timing, it also gives you a much clearer understanding of format and structure in music.

That experience taught me a lot about audience etiquette. I was surprised by how deeply they perceive music.

In Western classical music, a single piece often has multiple movements. You are not supposed to make any noise or clap between them and the silence after a performance can be quite intense. After I finished performing my song All I Was Thinking Of, there was about four or five seconds of silence. It felt incredibly powerful. Then the audience broke into a loud cheer that lasted almost a minute. It was surreal.

I also noticed how much they respected the artiste and the performance — no flash photography during intimate moments and complete silence during the music, which helps the performer concentrate better.

Germans are also extremely serious about time. Their saying, “You’re late if you’re on time,” really reflects how disciplined they are. Being there for months helped me understand their culture a little better. My diet also changed — I went from eating rice regularly to mostly having bread.

So much. Albums, singles, tours and creating different kinds of bands — including Indian fusion projects. I’m also looking at releases featuring singers and exploring new collaborations. I’m really looking forward to all of that and more.