New Delhi-based musician and singer-songwriter, Vedant Chandra (29), also known as Iam Alboe, has been a familiar name in Delhi’s electronic dance music circuit. Having produced a number of tracks—including The Painter, his debut album comprising eight tracks that narrates a story from start to finish, exploring the concept of Synesthesia—this artist juggles live performances, music production, occasional singing, and songwriting. In this week’s Soundscape, Chandra talks about the inspiration behind his recent track Maya, balancing live performances with music production, and more. Excerpts…
What was the inspiration behind Maya?
I was trained as an Indian classical vocalist as a child, and often found myself in the company of other Indian classical instrumentalists such as various sitarists and flautists. Those sounds are a big part of my musical journey, and I wanted to showcase this influence in my track Maya. The lyrics were inspired by the simple need to search for the cosmic energy around us.
Maya is also your introduction into Indian electronica. Tell us which musicians have inspired you from this genre?
Although not considered a musician of Indian electronica, AR Rahman’s electronic tracks such as Mausam & Escape from Slumdog Millionaire have been a great inspiration for me. In the Indie circuit, the works of Hari & Sukhmani, Lifafa, Tech Panda & Kenzani have also been inspiring.
You learnt the tabla and the drums while growing up. How did the two instruments influence your music sensibilities?
Yes, learning the tabla was vital for me to understand percussive importance. After that, it became easier for me to pick up the drums and other percussion instruments. As a composer, the nuances of the tabla are often incorporated in my songs.
You also play live music and take up DJing gigs. What are the differences in your approach when you work as a DJ and when you are producing music ?
It gets a bit tricky when approaching a live set versus a DJ set. As a producer, my primary goal is to make the audience enjoy what I am making for them to listen or maybe even feel something. As a DJ my primary goal is to make the audience dance
and move.
Since you also sing and write songs, what do you prefer more—composing or singing?
I think I prefer composing more than just singing.
‘Maya’ by Iam Alboe is streaming on leading platform