BENGALURU : Given the current pandemic-ridden scenario, Sandeep Chowta’s new collaborative album, Re-Laxman Volume 1, with guitarist Tony Das, couldn’t have come at a better time. The veteran city-based musician and composer cites that the title is self-explanatory, that of de-stressing and relaxing. “Generally when you play music, one would expect the listener to pay attention. But with this album, one can talk over it and still connect with it,” Chowta says.
Released on June 8, Re-Laxman is a blend of all things good and carries breezy elements, a free flow and little notes of detail. The six track album is perfect to unwind to. While tracks such as Three Four Shut the Door and Counting Sheep are layered with gentle guitar notes accompanied by a spread on keyboards, Cinemagination is a track leaning on the cinematic side.
“Keeping the tempo similar was crucial in order to maintain structure of the songs and when one hears the album, it’s in continuous flow with essentially strong melodies,” says Chowta, adding that two jam tracks were also added to the album to give the listener a taste of both ends. “Any solo instrumentalist can relate and express themselves through these tracks and if it works well, then we’ll add the other four jam tracks in the next volume,” adds Chowta.
Sonically, Das says the album ventures into a zone less explored, given that his previous works were high on crunchy yet smooth guitar solos. “We did not want to make the music self-indulgent but at the same time we made it harmonically rich,” he says, adding that the album was conceptualised and executed in May.He adds that the current sound is one which he has visited less often and the current project came as a welcome challenge. “I am happy to work on an album like this with Sandeep given that our workflow is easy since we have been working together for 13 years. But I wouldn’t explore this all by myself because it is a new experiment,” he says.