Music is a Shared Speech: Q&A with Karsh Kale
A peek into the enigma called Karsh Kale
The word prolific barely begins to describe Karsh Kale’s storied career. The British-born, New York City-raised producer and multi-instrumentalist of Indian heritage is a one man orchestra. His sound is straightforward, energised and beyond common. Considered as one of the pioneering figures in defining the Asian Underground genre by mixing a range of different pieces of music, till date Karsh Kale has released seven albums, eight EPs and numerous collaborations with his name.
He has had those moments in his earlier days when he didn’t know what he was going to do or wanted to do. I caught up with Karsh Kale during his recent visit to Bangalore on the weekend for the opening night of the #VROneCarnival 2017 at VRBengaluru, to talk about his creative process, musical dilemmas, the global fusion revolution he has been a part of, his thoughts on matters of identity in his music, his thoughts about the music progression of India, and more.
- What characterizes your music philosophy? The people at your shows, what do you really want them to take from your music?
- When you are onstage, where do you go? Do you find yourself subject to the music’s navigation?
- Can you tell us more about the process of creating the music? Where do you draw most of your musical inspiration from?
- How has the music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?
- Could you speak a little about your plans to continue exploring and expanding the borders of what you are doing with music and that sort of fusion of cultures?
“Karsh Kale mixes eclectic beats with the sounds of his heritage to make a sound that is distinctly his own.” – Barack Obama
- Looking ahead to the future, do you think the relationship between Indian classical music and electronic music will continue to grow, or remain two separate and distinct musical worlds that occasionally intersect?
- You must know the Indian music scene inside and out. What do you love about our nation’s music community?
- If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?
- What is your favourite non-music related thing to do? Where is your favourite place to unwind and relax?
- I guess I have one more for you. With life right now, what excites you the most?
Discussing his upcoming projects Kale said he is working with Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash for an album. Also, he is working with Delhi-based duo Shadow and Light, Komorebi, and Sarangi master Sabir Khan simultaneously. He is 50 per cent done with his upcoming project, which will release by the end of this year.
