Self-titled debut album puts eastern folk on a contemporary loop

With heady folk influences of Baul, Bhatiyali, Sylheti, Bihu and a fair share of Indian classical music woven into present-day arrangements, Antarman's self-titled debut album could be looked at as a guided tour of some rare and rather refreshing sounds of Eastern India

From the voices of tea-pluckers of Assam humming in their leisure time, unmindful of keeping their Sylheti connection alive to the rhythmic vibrations emanating from the Ektara — complementing Baul songs sung true; and the rare meeting of a Bhatiyali number with the finesse of sarod’s strains; there are many compelling imageries in Antarman’s debut. Antarman or the inner conscience that connects us through a variety of emotions to the unaltered truth of oneness is the plain and simple foundation stone for this trio — Rahul Mukherjee, Randeep Bhaskar and Pooja Shankar. The band performs live with a set of 10 musicians but Antarman’s core consists of these three old friends yearning to pay an ode to folk genres that the society losing touch with.

All three have been seasoned performing artists for a significant amount of time. The unbridled energy and rhythmic hooks in their songs make the compositions palatable to music lovers all across, language no bar.

The trio has taken good care to keep the genre regimes in place while interpreting the influences into their originals, even while adding a dose of Rock, Electronic Dance Music and others contemporary genres to the fare.

They consider it a "humble effort… to revive the folk forms that they grew up listening to; their own renditions interspersed with songs inspired from traditional folk mines of the likes of the legendary Lalon Fakir as also the Kaamrup land." Their self-titled debut album will be out on July 27, and has six songs, sculpted by weaving folk forms with new age music trends, melody and arrangement.

Bairi Bindiya is inspired by the typical romantic jhumur beats mostly sung by tribes Bengal. "We have infused the elements of Bihu folk from Assam. While the arrangements and song-writing is inspired by the genre, the song is an absolute original where we have used blues as a strong influence," says Shankar. Maati talks about the journey of one’s life through the metaphor of going back to one’s roots. "We have used classical instrument like sarangi," says Bhaskar. Marghat uses bhatiyali, a genre of eastern folk combining it with Hindustani classical and using sarod for depth.

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