Liquid Reality

Liquid Reality by ANUPAM SHOBHAKAR is an innovative project combining western and eastern influences to create a sound wholly of its own. This project is as avant garde as it is traditional, walking that fine line of respecting their history and moving it forward to a new audience. ANUPAM SHOBHAKAR has combined traditional Indian music with modern electric guitar. The opening track introduces us to the artist's sound with a bang. The traditional sound it draws from has a clear melodic foundation.

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The electric guitar flows over the top of it, not distant from the traditional track underneath it but also not controlled by it. They feel sort of like dance partners, pushing and pulling against one another, neither one controlling or leading it. I’m impressed by how balanced each track feels in terms of its mixture of eastern and western influences. The fretless electric guitar feels like the perfect instrument to change up these traditional songs. It pushes up and down the track’s melodic scale with this uninterrupted confidence. The track pulses between harmony and dissonance, moving through each sound with this unstable steezy charm which keeps the listener on their toes. You’re never quite sure which tone is going to take control next and that balance is what makes the project so special. Formless is an excellent example of the project’s sonic tapestry, with a deeper resonance in the guitar’s sound and a more complex melodic identity. The texture on this one is truly next level and it stands as a stellar example of this union of styles working. Although it is in the middle of the project, personally, I think this would be an excellent jumping off point for those unfamiliar with this combination of genres. Overall, this project feels authentically itself in a way which really emphasises its beauty. I’m impressed by the level of respect and understanding for its traditional foundation and its willingness to build that into something new.