"Music has no caste or religion"
Revolution has begun for peoply like us by people like us.
Why I chose to get this Album?
How many of us had given hope when it came to listening something really wonderful from our very own bollywood music. Well, It was long time back for me but I do remember the time when A.R. Rahman brought the revolution to this industry however I missed the indian touch in his compositions afterwards. Somehow, I could sense the commercialization in the music as it was with others. For some reason, musicians who want to grow here are just discouraged to experiment with music and produce something unique. It is so one way directed here.I could see shows and shows for vocal aspirants but no platform built for guitar players or any other instrument players on that level.
I always believed that this generation had an adept oppurtunity to create a fusion which has a perfect blend of energetic "loose yourself" western styled electronic club oriented music with peace loving, soothing indian classical music thats why I push most of my band members or any person who is eager to learn music instrument to go for some indian instruments along with western ones.
About Karsh and his Music
Karsh Kale is one of those musician I simply believe to have laid foundation for such kind of genre. Karsh Kale is an amazing tabla player and percussionist. Though he was born in London and later moved on to NYC, it was quite surprising his unique interest in indian classical and urge to learn Tabla. Being brought in west he was also exposed to their music. He found a perfect blend of music where he would introduce indian classical instruments like tabla, sarangi, flute and classical vocals with hard hitting techno-electronica-club western music. It appealed to him and it appealed to people like me who have grown up playing and listening to western styled music but simple couldn’t forget where our roots came from. **Indian classical music - The peace loving, soothing, full of love and life.
Realize - the album
Realize is an album which is close to my heart. The moment I heard couple of its songs I was blown away. Iloved the techno beats, the drums/octopad and bass, it pumped me high however its blend with tabla, sweet sound flute, sarangi driving you blue, mesmerizing shehnai was just too much to get you in. The vocals were high hitting with those mind blowing alaaps(singers included Ustad Sultan Khan). The mixing on studio is very well done, I loved the way he was used synthesizer behind the whole song for that "larger than life" effect(or say pink floyd effect). The songs mostly revolve around Love, peace, dreams, desires, enlightenment or self realization. What was so amazing to my ears was Karsh’s capability and vision evidently seen in his album. He had chosen to apply all possible concepts and ideas he came up with like in one song "Tour Guide" he has introduced "Shehnai" an Indian musical instrument and very well blended with club music.Another such instances I found were in the songs "Home" and "Sajana" where an acoustic guitar is perfectly blended with Sarangi and Dafli is played over synthesizer(Just mind blogging!) on the latter. Not all of his songs are pure floor hitting club music infact he has managed in some of the songs like "Empty Hands", "One step beyond", "Longing" to play a part with hard hitting club music and switching it to peace and soothing phase by introducing indian instruments and vice versa. Further he would simply blend them together giving you a different high(Largely noticeably in the song "Sajana"). This variation is very fresh to hear and something you would look ahead for. Few songs like **"Anja"( Dedicated to his wife Anja), " Deepest
Love", "Sajana" and "Light up the love"(introducing Ustad Sultan Khan on vocals) are progressive towards Indian music with large focus done on Indian vocals. It showed his immense interest in indian classical styled vocals though there are lot of people who believe he is more into instrumental driven music but you might agree with that too. Songs like "Longing", "Conception" and "Distance" were Tabla, percussions, drums, flute and club oriented techno sounds are played together are purely experimental instrument based songs.
For all the beautiful people who have interested in eletronica genre and have a soft hearts towards indian classical music should definitely go for this ablum.
Peace.