I had heard about Blushing Satellite towards the end of 2015, and knowing the credentials of the band members, I was keen to catch the band perform live after checking out their three-piece self-titled EP. As luck would have it, the band played at the BFlat bar this weekend. This was one gig I did not want to miss. The gig started almost an hour late, and opening for Blushing Satellite was Tea and Snacks.
The three-piece band comprises of singer-songwriter Mana Contractor, guitarist Vijayganesh Panchandhan with drummer Navneet Rao. The band stuck to their own 'jazz meets pop' version of popular songs from artists like Sting (Roxanne) and Ray Charles (Georgia on my mind). While Mana's vocals lingered around the higher octaves, the part that made me cringe a little bit were the backing vocals that weren't able to match. That being said, the set was enjoyable. Hopefully we'll get to see some original songs from this band before one can pass judgement.
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| Tea & Snacks |
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| Tea & Snacks |
It was a short break before Blushing Satellite took the stage with the usually reserved and serious Ramanan Chandramouli requesting folks to try and truly experience the music rather than spend time on their cellphones or talking among each other The band immediately got down to business playing songs like Flow, Rhythm and You before closing the set with songs off their debut self-titled EP with Finders, Arul and one of my favourite tracks - Maya.
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| Blushing Satellite |
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| Blushing Satellite |
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| Arjun Ramdas |
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| An audience with some of the best musicians of B'lore looking on |
Blushing Satellite are a tight band that need to loosen up. Executing song after song like clockwork, barring a few technical glitches in between, all the members of the band are extremely serious on stage. But if that's what it takes to put together the kind of music they've made - so be it. The music of the band doesn't fall into any strict genre and grabs at elements of jazz, electronica, grunge and much more. Blushing Satellite are clearly out here to bring a completely new sound to the scene. You'll either love it or not at first listen.
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| Karthik Basker |
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| Deepak Raghu |
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| Ramanan Chandramouli |
Comprised of Karthik Basker on vocals, Arjun Ramdas on bass, Deepak Raghu on drums and guitarist Ramanan Chandramouli, Blushing Satellite came together in May 2015 and have been making quite the mark for themselves in the independent circuit. The highlight for me was the absolutely impressive work on the bass by Arjun. Overall, it's a joy to see a band bring a new sound and style to the scene, and that too one that makes you want to go back for seconds. Do catch the band at their next gig happening later this week on the 12th of February at The Humming Tree.
PS: Please do not use the pictures on this blog without authorization from yours truly
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