Progressing into the past

Anmol Gupta. Pic courtesy/Jagrati Marwaha

Musical albums are no less than a film at times. This writer has often spent hours listening to Queen's A Night At The Opera and Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon wondering about the visual acuity of their lyrics. For Anmol Gupta aka Moli, such albums are expressions of
life itself.

Gupta is set to announce his first album, Retrogression Progression - an experimental project of psychedelic rock and jazz - combining music and visuals. "My sound is experimental; quite like how I found music. It is very impromptu," says the Delhi-based musician.

A solo act who handles multiple instruments, the musician admits a fondness for the drums. Gupta has even played sessions with indie rock bands such as Parikrama and Indian Ocean. But it was the one-man show of musician Kevin Parker aka Tame Impala who lit a fire in the young musician. "I realised one person can do everything," he describes. Retrogression Progression is the culmination of these series of experiences and emotions.

"The album is going back in time. The first track is also the last track of the album, set in the present. Everything from there goes back in time and memory - from the present to the past," Gupta explains. Among the tracks in the album are 12 ways I see myself, Universe rains/with u, and the upcoming track, You and your eyes. They are born of deeply personal experiences, he adds.

The album is not only musical. A former film student who has assisted on projects such as Half Girlfriend, the musician also explored the visual medium for expression. Each of the music videos for the album contains a narrative that connects to the next song. "Today, when I make a song, there is a lot of visual contemplation happening," he says, adding, "It is not a separate process." If all goes well, the film will soon make it to an OTT platform in the coming year.

Log on to Moli on YouTube or Anmol Gupta on Spotify