Flying solo

Arsh Sharma, the last surviving member of electronica act FuzzCulture talks about his shift to Mumbai and the songs that emerged from it

Flying solo

Arsh Sharma (left) and Srijan Sarkar

KNOWN for their grungy electronica sound that's energetic and hard-hitting, FuzzCulture is among the most popular acts in the genre, also thanks to their open-minded treatment of it, incorporating elements from rock and even disco.

The outfit's latest offering, an eight-track album titled Escape to Where You're Wanted, is a reflection of the mantra the remaining member of the now-solo act, Arsh Sharma, has followed since its inception in 2012 — experimenting with influences from new music, and life. For a lot has happened; the duo — its other half being Srijan Mahajan — shifted base from Delhi to Mumbai, and parted ways earlier this year.

flying solo Arsh Sharma

"I had written these songs between 2016 and 2019. This was a trying time as I moved cities. Some great opportunities came along but fell through; friendships and relationships were made and then lost. So, it's written during a period of extreme instability, which has crept into the music," says Sharma. This explains the diverse sounds and moods in the record.

It's been a lonely ride while composing, he adds. "Musically, it's giving me the space to ideate and write songs with a more flexible structure and rethink my presentation of the act. It was awesome to work with Srijan, but it's a new chapter now," he tells us.

But FuzzCulture remains an open book in terms of sound, says Sharma, who went from forming a dance act in 2011 to shifting to a glitch-heavy sound in 2013. "After all that, this album is like a mixture of all my influences put through a blender. Electronica is a vast genre. I'm kind of an anomaly because I like seeing the merit in diversity, so I have no problem in mixing various influences and sounds in one track," he adds. And the move to Mumbai has also exposed him to the inclusive rap scene here. "The metal and electronica scenes are massive and I love the seriousness with which people take their work here. Besides, Bollywood obviously defines the city, which seeps into the work ethic as everyone is always on the move and trying to make things work," he observes.

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