Donn Bhat is coming to Chennai for the first time. He’s been a known name in the music scene since his debut album in 2006 and has recently released his sophomore album, Passenger Revelator .
The experimental electronica artiste, who is here to perform at the IndiEarth XChange, is excited about visiting a new city and playing to an audience who might not have heard his music before. Excerpts from an email interview:
What inspired Passenger Revelator ?
I got tired of making songs and not releasing them. For a while, I was only putting them up online. I read a quote by the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, which propelled me to finish the song ‘107’ from my new album.
The quote read, ‘There was a door to which I found no key, there was a veil past which I could not see, some little talk awhile of me and thee, there seemed — and then no more of thee and me’. It resonated within me, and I’ve used the lyric in the song as well.
What can we expect from you at the IndiEarth exchange?
I’m going to be performing with Suhail Yusuf Khan, the renowned sarangi player, and Toymob, who I’ve been collaborating with for a while now.
We’ll be performing from my latest album, as well as my upcoming EP (extended play). There will also be some improvisation, to incorporate the music of the sarangi into our performance. I’ve heard a lot of international promoters come to the exchange, so I’m hoping we’ll get a chance to play elsewhere in the world.
What do you think about the independent music scene in the country?
I think it’s a great place to be in right now. There’s so much new music coming out, and I think one of the most important changes over the years has been the huge increase in original content created. I’m very excited to see what happens next. I’d like to think it’s headed towards even more original music, and perhaps some that is socially relevant and can bring about change.
Donn takes the stage at 6.15 p.m. on December 7 at The Park.
