Following the sounds of Delhi

It, hence, brings vivid descriptions of the cityscape alive in the listeners’ minds, taking them back to alleys they might have once walked through.

Abhishek Sekhri

A slew of sounds typical to the city—from the echoing call of the azaan to the periodical announcements heard in Delhi’s metro—blend seamlessly in music producer Abhishek Sekhri’s (30) latest track Dilli. It, hence, brings vivid descriptions of the cityscape alive in the listeners’ minds, taking them back to the streets and alleys they might have once walked through. In this week’s Soundscape, the Sukhdev Vihar-based artist tells us about the process of making this track.

Tell us about your independent music project ‘Goya’.

Goya, which started in 2018, basically explores sonic possibilities. I emote and tell stories using sound as a medium. Most of my music is electronic in nature but I use sounds around us, I sample musical instruments and create unique sonic palettes. Then I combine it with electronic instruments like the synthesiser. The idea was to differentiate this from the work I do at my recording studio and put my music [forward] as an artist.

Take us through the pre-production process of your latest song ‘Dilli’.

‘Dilli’ is actually a result of a collaborative project between MAP [The Museum of Art & Photography] Bengaluru and the Berklee College of Music; they got together to select four music producers from India. I was the finalist from Delhi. Each of us had to create a track based on the sounds of our city. The concept behind this [Dilli], for me, was that I wanted to highlight the forgotten parts of Delhi and its secular nature. Basically, things that make Delhi what it is. One of the things you are going to hear in the song is the sound of the oars at Yamuna, throwing light on the fact that there is a river flowing through the city but we barely remember it.

I always identify Delhi with Bangla Sahib and Jama Masjid, so I recorded sounds from there. I went to Chandni Chowk and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. All these sounds sort of encompass what Delhi means to me. I came back with all of these sounds to my studio. No musical instruments were used. Everything you hear in the song are sounds of the city.

Given how busy Delhi is at most times, were there any challenges you faced while recording the sound you have used in the song?

One of the technical challenges was that it is hard to isolate one sound from another. I wanted to record the sound of a kulfi cart, but since there was a lot of noise in Chandni Chowk it was difficult to record just that. Another question was: What do I portray Delhi as? Delhi is a place running so fast that it can also get frustrating. I hardly go around the city. I am mostly working in my studio, a silent space. But then, if I think about Delhi, these would probably be the things I would like to remember.

Tell us about your process of composing music?

The process of composing music varies from track to track. Sometimes it can start from a melody, from a very simple tune, or a drum groove. For Dilli, it started with the sound of the oars at Yamuna Ghat. I started with that and everything else was built around that. The azaan seemed like a great way to start the track since it felt like a grand opening to the same.

What are you working on next?

I am working on several projects. I am producing an album for a Delhi-based artist and also composing new tracks under Goya.