India – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

Meet NYC-based India-born singer/songwriter @SidSethsings whose voice soars in “Simple Yet True”

SID SETH, “Simple Yet True”

With his own personal tastes including the likes of Michael Jackson and Ella Fitzgerald, you could almost expect that a songwriter like India-born Sid Seth would aim for major heights with his vocals. And they indeed are the highlight of “Simple But True”, which is a great introduction knowing that the song was borne out of the loneliness of being in NYC after five years all by himself in the pandemic. Being resourceful, he sought escape in painting, which brought about images of his childhood, and re-launched his songwriting. “Simple Yet True” is well-crafted with a beautiful melody to support Sid’s gorgeous tones. A recent grad of the Manhattan School of Music, Sid Seth is a new talent well-worth watching with songs like “Simple Yet True”.

Glorious arpeggios grace potential festival banger “Stained Glass” by Germany’s @djSeverman, new Indian producer @ArshanJoel, and singer/songwriter @RobbieRosenlive

SEVERMAN, ARSHAN JOEL and ROBBIE ROSEN, “Stained Glass”

Call it a weakness, but glorious arpeggios will get to me almost every time, provided they are surrounded by the right song, production, and vocals. And “Stained Glass”, which is a co-write by Germany’s Severman, India’s Arshan Joel, and NYC singer/songwriter and former “American Idol” contestant Robbie Rosen, scores in all departments. I’ll forever associate arpeggios with a big room sound that was popular between 2010 and 2015, a sound that some producers wrongly squawk about as being dated. “Stained Glass” is more than suitable as a club or festival anthem, with its lyrics about putting the past behind and seeing the colours of the future through the title object. Though I understand this release was long in the making, it’s rare that you would find Robbie’s vocal associated with a potential festival banger. But everyone’s hard work lifts this song to the next level, and I’m hopeful that the right club DJ and festival programmers’ ears will land on it.

Let your mind drift and sweep you away in “Feelings of Yesterday” by India’s @Ashwynmusic

ASHWYN, “Feelings Of Yesterday”

Ashwyn is a talented singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer who ditched a rising career as electronic dance producer Astra for more creative pursuits while still a teen. He’s released a series of very different singles over the course of the last year, including the warm and compelling “Sell My Soul”. Surprisingly, he’s returned to more of a pop/dance release with “Feelings of Yesterday”, but this is not your cookie-cutter overproduced dance music that clutters up the radio these days. He’s made a fine decision to create a memorable, beautifully sung song that’s actually meant to convey the feelings of isolation and loneliness as many people have felt during the pandemic. The song has such a great rhythm, perfect for a long drive along a beach coast or late at night when the sky is full of stars, that Ashwyn stops singing and lets it take over halfway, which allows your mind to wander and your feet to do their thing on a club dance floor should you be so inclined. “Feelings of Yesterday” is a distinct new emotional dance track that takes risks while being perfectly accessible. It’s from Ashwyn’s forthcoming EP of the same name.

Indian artist @Ashwynmusic releases uplifting new single “Pyar”

ASHWYN, “Pyar”

Indian producer, singer and guitarist Ashwyn follows up his recent singles “Deja Vu” and “Sell My Soul” (which has reached #9 on my personal chart) with an uplifting new lyrical single. It’s called “Pyar”, which is the Urdu word for “love”, and quite a change of direction from when Ashwyn was recording EDM records under the name Astra. The song is about how transformative love can be in one’s life, and more than his other songs showcases Ashwyn’s pleasing voice and personality, which you can see in the video above. “Pyar” is a song meant for sunny days, touching indie pop with a universal message. It’s also suited for days when you need to put your head into a different, positive space – it will certainly help you get there.

Meet new electronic dance producer @weareNightro with “Don’t Like It” teaming with @PhilPhauler and @AleksandarVida

NIGHTRO, PHIL PHAULER and ALEKSANDAR VIDA, “Don’t Like It”

“Don’t Like It” is a short but notable new dance release by NYC-based Indian producer Nightro in collaboration with fellow producers Phil Phauler and Alexandar Vida. It’s got moody, dirty rhythms and dark, edgy vocal effects which surround a well-sung vocal by an uncredited female singer. “Don’t Like It” doesn’t waste time in packing musical punches early on in the song, and it could lift up just about any set during a club evening. Nightro is receiving particularly strong reaction to “Don’t Like It” in India, so it’s now time for the rest of the world to show up and embrace this one.

India’s @Ashwynmusic is back with progressive rock-flavoured electronica called “Déjà Vu”

ASHWYN, “Déjà Vu”

Back in early May, I wrote about Indian producer Ashwyn‘s rock flavoured electronic track “Sell My Soul”, which features awesome guitar work and an intriguing story sung with a committed vocal. Continuing to find gaps to tell his own musical story, Ashwyn has followed up “Sell My Soul” with the decidedly different “Déjà Vu”. This one is likely to appeal to rock music fans even more than “Sell My Soul”, while still capturing progressive electronic music fans’ attention with its rich production which would sound fantastic in a stadium setting. With a big nod to Pink Floyd, the song starts with two minutes of instrumentation before Ashwyn’s vocal kicks in to tell the story about looking outside of the box while routine and history repeat themselves. Amid the beautiful instrumentation are the sounds of a live string quartet orchestrated by Spanish composer Pedro Osuna. “Déjà Vu” is all about mystery, quality and experience, and the real instruments give the song warmth and depth. It’s hardly what you might have expected after “Sell My Soul” and might be a transitional release as a result, but there’s no denying that Ashwyn’s music can stand apart from the rest and hold its own.

Get to know the music of India’s @Ashwynmusic with “Sell My Soul”

ASHWYN, “Sell My Soul”

At only 20 years old, Bangalore, India producer and musician Ashwyn Sriram already kickstarted his platform in pop music as a teenager as electronic dance producer Astra. Even with the support of Hardwell and a release on the producers Revealed Recordings, it was not enough for Ashwyn to get to the heart of what he really wanted to record. Already an accomplished electronic guitarist, Ashwyn has been releasing songs since 2019 rather quietly under his new guise, with growing additional support from Nicky Romero and Axwell as well as Rolling Stone magazine. “Sell My Soul” is a classic story about what you trade off and get back in return, and whether or not it’s worth it. The gentle vocal gives way to some terrific guitar work which makes “Sell My Soul” all the more memorable. As a producer, Ashwyn knows how to make a song flow, filling the gaps with interesting instrumentation and sounds. Currently studying at the Berklee College of Music, Ashwyn has plenty of new music coming, so stay tuned for more.

India’s DJ Shaan @Shaanmusic brings his anthemic dance style to pop friendly “By Heart” with vocal by @LondinThompson

DJ SHAAN and LONDIN THOMPSON, “By Heart”

Currently, DJ Shaan is the #1 India-born DJ/producer in the world. He’s amassed a worldwide following, through performing at festivals including Tomorrowland (the first Indian DJ to do so) and being supported by the biggest and best producers including Steve Aoki, Afrojack and David Guetta. At only 25, Shaan Singh is noted for his big anthemic dance style. After releases through Armada and Virgin, DJ Shaan has now signed with Casablanca/Republic for “By Heart” featuring a splendid, affecting vocal by Londin Thompson. The big synths are more restrained here in favour of a pop radio-friendly dance melody. But this is no compromise, it only shows DJ Shaan’s style is much more versatile than what we previously heard on songs like “Bring It To Me” or “End Of The World”. I expect “By Heart” and subsequent releases will continue to open more doors for DJ Shaan.

Get to know Indian dance producer @thisisMune with “Better With You” featuring British indie group @theTorsband

MÜNE and TORS, “Better With You”

“Better With You” is a new pop/dance single with fresh appeal thanks to the successful collaboration of new Indian electronic producer MÜNE and British indie group Tors. This year, MÜNE (aka Pranay Sharma) became the first artist from India (more specifically, the city of Indore in west-central Madya Pradesh) to sign with Ultra Records. “Better With You” may be atypical for that label’s releases, but it does play upon melding the folk vocal of Tors with gentle acoustic guitar and mellow synths. It’s a quieter dance release for sure, but one that would work the same way live as those sweeping electronic ballads at a show by the likes of Illenium. MÜNE definitely leaves an auspicious mark here for what he is trying to accomplish in an already crowded electronic dance market. The feel good vibes of “Better With You” are a great start.

“Waitin'” by Finland’s @Samlightmusic and India’s @Trauvmusic with vocalist Morell Brown @officialMBrown puts some big bounce into your summer

SAMLIGHT & TRAUV and MORELL BROWN, “Waitin'”

With the world sometimes feeling so close together, it’s always amazing to see cross-continent collaborations come to successful fruition, and such is the case with “Waitin'” by Samlight and Trauv with vocals from NYC’s Morell Brown. Finland’s Samlight has seen electronic dance releases flourish through most of the major dance music labels. Here he’s partnered with Trauv, a rising producer from India whose music has already been supported by the likes of Thomas Gold and Hardwell. Although there have been a number of successful dance producers from India such as Shaan, I must admit it’s rare to see this kind of collaboration. Bring in singer/songwriter Morell , who totally nails the vocal, and you have “Waitin'”, a true bop that aims to put some big bounce into your summer. In between its story, “Waitin'” emphasizes sparkling arpeggios which teleport you back to melodic house of 2012. We need more feel-good music in 2020 and “Waitin'” certainly has the recipe for just that.